Intake Process
Your first visit will begin with an in depth assessment of your condition and an initial treatment. The intake and treatment takes up to an hour as does each subsequent visit.
During the assessment you may be asked about some things that you might not think are connected to your chief complaint, for example, your emotions, sleeping patterns, and eating habits. Chinese medicine considers the whole person, not just one isolated symptom. When put together, the myriad of symptoms and signs you are experiencing reveal patterns of disharmony. Although treatment will focus on your chief complaint, your whole being must be considered in order to develop the most appropriate course of treatment. Chinese medicine is unique in that it appreciates that illnesses may be identical, but the persons suffering from them are individuals.
Pulse and Tongue Diagnosis
As part of your intake, viewing your tongue and feeling your pulse can provide your acupuncturist with a great deal of information about your body to help guide the treatment.
Treatment
The needles are inserted at special points on the meridians, where the energy can be regulated. The choice is guided by the diagnosis and then modified to suit each individual and problem. Needles come in different lengths, which are chosen according to where they go and what they are treating. They are always sterilized, disposable and safe. Dr. Johal may use from five to 15 needles, leaving them in place for just a few minutes or for up to half-an-hour. When the needles are inserted correctly, they cause a sensation known as 'de qi', which is a slight tingling, heaviness or numbness at or around the needles. This is a sign that the needle is working on the energy channel and that the Organ is being properly stimulated. Acupuncture should not be painful and the experience can produce a deep sense of relaxation that promotes a general feeling of wellbeing.
What to expect after treatment
Your relief may be immediate, delayed for a few hours or even develop after 1 to 3 days. The relief may last for a few hours on the first visit and then last longer with each successive treatment. OR, relief may last from the first treatment until your next visit. It is important to recognize that we are all individuals. Individual response to treatment varies.