A Walk Through a Typical Treatment

By Olivia Peters-Lazaro, L.Ac.

A TYPICAL ACUPUNCTURE VISIT AT CHICO COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE

Let us walk you through a normal treatment experience.

First, call the office or book your appointment online. When you walk in the front door (which is accessed through the parking lot) for your appointment, you enter the reception area, where you check-in and pay for your session (we accept cash, checks, and credit cards). First-time visitors will fill out a patient chart.

After you check-in, you open the door to the treatment room, and you might already get a feeling of the healing energy in the room.  You become aware of the softly playing music. You might pick up a blanket or two to cover your feet or upper body during treatment. There are pillows to your right if you think you need additional support for comfort. You find your recliner, sit down, take off your shoes and socks, recline back and get comfortable.

Within a few minutes, one of our acupuncturists will come over to you, asking, “So what can we do for you?” or, “How are you feeling today?” or, “What seems to be the trouble?”

If it’s your first visit, the acupuncturists will go over your chart with you. You can share what’s going on, either describing your situation or just saying, “I need a tune-up." Although it may be most appropriate for your visit to focus on one area of concern, acupuncture always treats you as a whole. The practitioner may check your pulse at your wrist or ask to see your tongue, which are basic diagnostic tools of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  

Then, they will use an alcohol swab to clean the skin and place the hair-thin, sterile, single-use needles. You may feel a small poke or pressure when the needle is inserted, but most commonly you’ll ask, “What that it? Oh, you already put it in?”.

You may feel sensations of energy moving in your body at this point, some people describe it as a heightened sense of physical awareness and conscious relaxation. The needles influence your parasympathetic nervous system, releasing endorphins (feel-good hormones) which may make you feel calm and tingly. This promotes digestion, strengthens the immune system, and triggers the body’s ability to heal itself.  Now all you have to do is let the needles do the work. 

After about 20 minutes, or whenever you feel ready to leave, you simply catch the eye of one of the clinicians and they will remove your needles, thereby completing your treatment.