What is involved in an acupuncture session?

Our first session will involve a thorough medical and life history intake, followed by a brief physical exam.  During this time, we will clarify specific health concerns to address in treatment, discuss your hopes and goals in cultivating enhanced balance, and distill what wellbeing means to you. Depending on your unique health picture, I may give you actionable life style changes to begin implementing to optimize transformation such as diet therapy and environmental suggestions. I will then perform a pulse diagnosis on each wrist to directly communicate with the body’s systems and determine the best treatment plan. After the intake single use, sterile, hair- thin needles are inserted into acupuncture points on the body to move qi energy and stimulate blood flow.  Moxibustion is the medicinal use of the herb moxa, made from dried mugwort, which in some cases is used in conjunction with the needles.  Moxa may be heated on specific acupuncture points to greatly assist blood and qi flow.  Pulses are taken throughout the treatment.  When not contraindicated, treatments are conducted on a Richway BioMat. Follow up sessions include a 15-20 minute check-in, followed by acupuncture treatment.