Acupuncture: What to Expect
During your first office visit, the acupuncturist will talk to you at length about your health condition, lifestyle and behavior. The acupuncturist will want to obtain a complete picture of your treatment needs and behaviors that may contribute to your condition.
Acupuncture is performed on a treatment table for individual treatments or in a reclining chair for group treatments. Wear loose, comfortable clothing so the acupuncturist can place the needles appropriately. Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people feel energized by treatment, while others feel so relaxed that it is described as acu-land. The practitioner will place the needles and then allow the needles to remain for twenty to forty minutes. When the time is up, the needles are removed and a discussion of herbal prescriptions and/or the course of treatment will follow. Initial treatments will be up to an hour and a half. Follow-up treatments are similar in nature but the initial discussion of your health will be shorter and the treatment will be an hour. For a more complete description of acupuncture, please see our page About Chinese Medicine.
Shiatsu: What to Expect
Shiatsu is a gentle form of Japanese bodywork. It is usually given on a futon on the floor with the patient in loose, comfortable clothes. The room will be dim, quiet and relaxing. During your first treatment, the practitioner will ask about health history and the chief complaint. For each treatment thereafter, the practitioner will ask about changes since the last treatment and the chief complaint for that day.
Shiatsu begins with a gentle palpation of the abdomen and/or back feeling for sensations of emptiness and fullness. The palpation and the discussion help the practitioner to determine which meridians are out of balance. Once it is determined which meridians to work on, the practitioner will apply stretches, joint rotations and gentle pressure to stimulate, sedate and unblock disrupted energy. For a more complete description of shiatsu, please see our page About Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Herbal Consultations: What to Expect
During a Chinese herbal consultation, the practitioner will take a comprehensive history of the patient's general health and specific complaint, look at the tongue and take the pulse in order to form Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis. After completing the evaluation, the practitioner may recommend an herbal formula consisting of several herbs. It is also possible that a Western medicine consultation and treatment may be recommended as well.
The practitioner will present the formula and advise the patient regarding the preparation of the herbs. The traditional method of preparing herbs is to cook the raw herbs in water to form a decoction or tea. Depending on the condition and circumstances, the herbal practitioner may recommend taking the herbs in pill form or in a powdered or granulated form. To allow health care providers to provide effective and safe treatment, patients should inform Western medical physicians of the herbs they are taking as well as inform the herbal practitioner of any prescription medicines being used. For a more complete description of Chinese herbal medicine, please see our page About Chinese Medicine.
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Downtown - 114 W. Pine St., Suite 11, Missoula MT 59802
406.546.8327