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A Typical Initial Consultation
You should allow 1½ hours for the initial consultation. The main reason for you seeking treatment will be discussed and many questions will be asked about all aspects of your health and lifestyle. Your tongue will be looked at and the pulses in the wrists will be felt. There will also usually be a physical examination.
TCM relies on this questioning and examination to allow the practitioner to arrive at an appropriate pattern diagnosis. I will discuss the diagnosis with you and the TCM thinking behind it. The proposed treatment principles and methods will be discussed, so at all times you understand the treatment and reasoning. If there is time at this first consultation then a treatment is given.
A Typical Treatment
You should allow 1 hour for a typical treatment. The first 20 minutes or so is usually given over to a short consultation to determine how treatment is progressing and whether your circumstances have changed. Treatment will usually consist of one or more TCM techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion (heat therapy), tuina massage (Chinese massage), cupping (suction cups on the skin) or guasha (massage with implements). I will explain the rationale behind the treatment and ensure you are comfortable with the process. Everyone is different so the number of treatments required varies depending on the particular condition and the person being treated.
What Can be Treated
TCM acupuncture is a holistic therapy that considers not only the signs and symptoms of illness but also the constitutional wellbeing, environmental and emotional stresses of the individual thereby treating the whole person. It is difficult to compare TCM acupuncture with Western medicine as acupuncture is a multifaceted holistic interaction between patient, practitioner and treatment, not adequately measurable by the randomised controlled trials of Western science. However, there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence that acupuncture is beneficial and new pragmatic trials appear to support this.
TCM acupuncture treats all aspects of health and wellbeing. Some of the conditions it may be helpful for include musculoskeletal conditions, injury, pain, emotional disorders, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, menstrual disorders, menopausal symptoms, digestive disorders, stress reduction, skin problems, high blood pressure, hay fever and facial paralysis; the list is endless. I expand this discussion in the What can be treated section
To find out if acupuncture can be useful for you please contact me for a discussion of your personal circumstances.
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