Your first appointment lasts 90 minutes, allowing your acupuncturist to gather detailed information about your condition, how long you've had it, and any treatments you've tried. They will also assess your overall health, including your sleep, appetite, digestion, and lifestyle, to identify imbalances and personalise your treatment. Follow-up sessions take 45 minutes.

Your acupuncturist will feel your pulse and look at your tongue to gain a deeper understanding of your overall health. In Chinese medicine, these diagnostic techniques help assess the flow of Qi and identify any imbalances in your body. The pulse provides information about the state of energy in different organs, while the tongue’s color, shape, and coating offer insights into your internal health and the balance of Qi. These observations help tailor your treatment and restore harmony within the body.

Patients rarely describe the sensation of acupuncture as being painful. Most people describe the sensation as feeling like a mild ache which then gives way to a pleasant warmth. Some people remain aware of the needles throughout the session and others forget all about them.

Acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel. They are small and fine - usually no thicker than a hair - and come in sterile, single-use blister packs.

It's difficult to predict how individuals will feel during an acupuncture treatment, as everybody is different. Most patients find the treatment very relaxing - some even fall asleep!

Some conditions respond immediately to acupuncture, and others take a longer. Generally, the longer you've had a condition, the more treatments you'll expect to have, and the more frequently you'll need them.

You can typically expect to attend weekly sessions for about four treatments, after which your acupuncturist will assess your progress. At this point, they may recommend spacing out future treatments. Some people may not need further sessions, while others continue seasonally for maintenance or monthly to stay physically and emotionally balanced.