What to Expect When You’re…Getting Acupuncture 

 November 1, 2017

By  Steve Hoffman

You thought I was going to say expecting didn’t you! Well in this case, what you are expecting is relief or help with the health problem you cannot get resolved. You have tried everything else and finally listened to your friend that keeps telling you to try acupuncture. But what can you expect to happen when you go? It can be intimidating. New place, meeting the person who is going to treat you for the first time, not to mention the needles! Some even find it hard to seek help, finally admitting that they cannot handle the problem alone. Take a deep breath, you are in the right place.

During your first visit, a complete and thorough health history is taken. This will include questions that may seem completely unrelated to your chief complaint. We do this because often there may be an imbalance or disharmony that may seem unrelated but using Chinese medical diagnostics, may be the real root of the problem. If this problem is not addressed, your relief or healing is likely to be temporary and incomplete. I have also found problems through my assessment that were missed by medical doctors and with proper referrals, patients were able to fully resolve their problem. This is not to say that the medical doctors were negligent but with specialization, medical doctors can often be “too close” to the problem to see it from a holistic point of view.

After your health history, palpation of your abdomen and a few other areas is performed, pulses are taken, and your tongue examined. My tongue? This is a big subject that I will leave for another blog post, but your tongue can reveal a great deal about your health to an experienced practitioner.

OK, here come the needles! This is what you came for right? The anticipation is always worse than the actual event and most find it anticlimactic. Most of the time I hear: “That’s it? You put a needle in?” Yep! The needles are hair thin and while you will feel a pinch when the needles are inserted, it quickly dissipates, and you can relax. Some patients are more sensitive than others, but I have found that these patients simply require fewer needles because they are reacting more strongly.

Now it is time to get your Zen on! Relax, take a nap and let your body take care of the rest. This is when your body is actively healing itself. After treatment, most people will report feeling relaxed. With most of my “pain” patients, I expect there to be a noticeable reduction in pain and an increase in range of motion. Patients will also report feeling “lighter” and will normally sleep like the dead the night after a treatment.

If you need help but something is still holding you back, call today for an in person or phone consultation. This can be your first step on the road to healing.


Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!

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