Never had acupuncture? Here is an insight into your first visit.

If you've never seen an acupuncturist, here's some insider information to help you feel more comfortable.

At your first visit, the doctor will get to know you and your health concerns by asking detailed questions about your health history, feeling your pulses on each wrist and looking at your tongue (feeling pulses and looking at the tongue are traditional methods of diagnoses and allow the doctor to learn of any imbalances in your body). She will determine your individualized treatment plan and explain what you can expect from your acupuncture sessions.

The doctor will then leave the room to allow you to get comfortable on the treatment table either laying face-down, on your back, or side-lying as determined by your comfort, your condition, and access to certain acupuncture points. Once the doctor returns, she will swab with points to be needled with alcohol and will proceed with the needling. Please let her know if something feels uncomfortable, and she will adjust the needling to your comfort. Needle retention can be anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes depending on the condition and treatment. During this time, the doctor will leave the room and let "the needles cook," which means allowing you to relax to make the treatment more effective. Don't be surprised if you fall asleep cradled by the effects of the needles, soft music, and dimmed lights.

At the end of the treatment, the doctor will remove needles and may suggest some herbal remedies, diet changes, or lifestyle change to make the treatments more effective.

Most individuals continue to feel relaxed and sometimes sleepy after the treatment. It is recommended that you give yourself time to rest and enjoy this state. We also ask patients to take note of how they feel after last treatment and share this information with the doctor during the next visit.

Click here to learn what you should do before the visit.