YOUR FIRST VISIT

Preparing for your First treatment
 

Before your treatment, be sure to eat at a healthy snack, and avoid alcohol or caffeine. Do your best to give yourself time to calmly arrive - not in a rush - so that your body is in its' most natural state, so that it may benefit more from the work. Please wear loose and comfortable clothing such as tank tops, t-shirts, gym shorts and stretchy pants that roll above the knee. Also, do not wear any perfumes or scented deodorants, out of courtesy to others in the clinic who may be sensitive.

YOUR first acupuncture session
 

If this is your first experience with acupuncture, we are so glad you chose us! We will stand by you from beginning to end and are happy to answer any and all questions. We hope that our website was able to answer most of your questions about the services we provide and how they may be of benefit to you. If something was missing or you would like to know more, please contact us at info@southphillyacu.com.

Our first visits are approximately 1 hour.

Please do arrive 15-20 minutes before your appointment time, and have your completed new patient paperwork done ahead of time. The paperwork will be emailed to the address you have provided us. There are two sections to complete, the Patient Information Form and the Contact Information Form. If you are unable to complete the paperwork at home please arrive early to complete it. If you think you may run late for your appointment, please let us know by calling our office at 215.279.3932. If you will be more than 10 minutes late, we will reschedule you for a later date, in order to accommodate other patients at that time. Please be mindful of the 24 hour cancellation policy signed in your intake paperwork.

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our friendly staff. Please take a moment to hang up your belongings, remove your shoes, help yourself to water from our cooler, browse the apothecary shelves, and/or read and relax. Your practitioner will greet you in the waiting room, and you will be led to a safe, comfortable, and private treatment room to discuss the reason for your visit.

The first 5-10 minutes of your visit include a brief health history interview regarding your chief complaint. Your goals of treatment and prognosis will be discussed, and your practitioner will briefly explain the acupuncture process to you.

In preparation for your acupuncture treatment, your practitioner will help you to get comfortable on the treatment table, and may ask you to roll up your sleeves up and/or pant legs. If you are coming in with shoulder pain or back pain, you will be asked to lay face down on a massage table, so that the practitioner can easily access your problem areas. All work is done at your comfort level.

Your practitioner will begin with placement of 15-30 sterile needles at specific acupuncture points to address your pain or disorders. Patients generally say when they are receiving a treatment, that they feel a tap, a short poke, and, often, a warm sensation. If anything is uncomfortable, the practitioner will readjust the needles for maximum comfort. Please communicate if you experience any discomfort.

You will then rest in our soothing community room for 20-40 minutes, depending on the problems being treated. Patients in almost all cases become very relaxed and sometimes fall asleep. After your appointment time has come to a close, your practitioner will remove the needles. At this point, patients generally feel content and relaxed. You will then have a chance to unroll your sleeves and pant legs, grab a sip of water, and make your way to the front desk.

Payment is due in full upon check out. You will be asked if you'd like to make a follow-up appointment and if you'd like to fill a prescription from your practitioner. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a process and generally takes at least 6-8 treatments before significant results may be seen. For acute conditions, 4-6 bi-weekly treatments can be expected to reduce symptoms.  For chronic conditions, 6 or more weekly / bi-weekly treatments will be needed, depending on how long you have suffered with the condition.

After your acupuncture session
 

After your treatment, try to relax and drink plenty of water. You do not need to change your activities. Allow 24 hours for the effects of acupuncture to settle in. You may feel differently immediately after treatment, or you may feel no change at all. In rarer cases, symptoms are exacerbated the day after treatment, which should not cause alarm.

Acupuncture is a process!

Each treatment builds off of the last. Be patient and give your body time to heal.

Please contact us if you have any questions.