The initial consultation: what to expect

The initial consultation begins with a discussion about your request for help and possible other complaints or points of attention. Next I will ask you some questions about your general health and well-being. All this is important in order to create your personal treatment plan. You yourself will probably have some questions, as well; the initial consultation offers ample time to discuss them.  

This discussion will be followed by a diagnostic physical examination in order to gain insight into the backgrounds and possible causes of your complaint from both an Eastern and a Western perspective.

This research includes a combination of Western and Chinese methods. You can roughly expect the following: 

• I will check the condition of the skin of your back (interstitial tissue examination), then
• I will feel your pulse, and
• I will look at your tongue.

Further examination, such as measuring your blood pressure, will also be done, if necessary.

The assembled information gives me insight - both from Chinese and Western medical points of view – into the energetic balances and possible disruptions that are related to the state of your health. Based on this insight I will formulate a treatment plan that I will discuss with you in plain language.

You may consider the treatment during the initial consultation as your introduction to acupuncture. I will carefully and quietly insert a number of small needles. You may feel a tiny prick when I insert the needle. After 10 to 15 minutes I will remove the needles, which is normally painless or not even noticed. The consultation concludes by taking your pulse again.

Should you have any questions, this is the time to ask them. Then we will make an appointment for a follow-up consultation.