What will happen in the first and subsequent consultations?

The acupuncturist needs to assess your general state of health in order to identify the underlying patterns of disharmony and give you the most effective treatment.

You will be asked about your current symptoms and what treatment you have received so far, your medical history and that of your close family, your diet, digestive system, sleeping patterns and emotional state. Once enough information has been gathered to determine the likely causes of your problems, the acupuncturist can select the most appropriate treatment.

To discover how the energies are flowing in your body, the acupuncturist is likely to feel your pulses on both wrists, noting their quality, rhythm and strength. The structure, colour and coating of your tongue also give a good guide to your physical health. The aim is to discover which energy channels need adjusting for your specific complaint to improve, and which require treatment to boost your overall energy and vitality.

Stimulating specific acupuncture points may affect the functioning of certain organs in the body. However, those points may not be close to the part of the body where the problem is experienced. For example, although you may suffer from headaches, needles may be inserted in your foot or hand. There are around 500 such acupuncture points on the body, so it is quite usual for different points to be selected as the patient's condition changes during a course of treatment.

The acupuncturist may supplement needle treatment with moxa, a smouldering herb which is used to warm acupuncture points and encourage the body's energy to flow smoothly. Other methods of stimulating acupuncture points include the use of electro-acupuncture.

For the most part, your actual treatment will not start until the second consultation, but from then on you will be treated each time you come to see your acupuncturist.  It is helpful to wear loose, comfortable clothing for your treatment, and you should be aware that your acupuncturist may need access to points on your torso as well as on your arms, face, head and legs.