This is similar to the list of questions at your family doctor's office. However, some questions may seem unusual. For instance, you will be asked about the frequency and color of your bowel movement or urination, your hours of sleep, and among other areas that relate to specific organ systems.

One of the important diagnostic step in traditional Chinese medicine is manually measure your pulse. While this may seem unusual, the pulse informs an acupuncturist the movement of the blood in your blood vessels, the strength of the beat, the turbidity of the movement, the depth of the vessel as well as its thickness or thinness. All of these along with the positions on each hand provide information corresponding to different organ systems.

The shape, the color, and condition of your tongue assist an acupuncturist during diagnosis. An acupuncturist will look for presence of your cracks, raised spots on the top of your tongue as well as purple, distended veins underneath your tongue.

After the diagnosis, you may expect 4 to 15 needles at a time depending on your condition. The sterile, single-used needles are thin (no thicker than a hair), and there are usually no pain greater than a light pinch. However, you may feel an initial sense of heaviness or electricity, which is a good sign. Additionally, needles may be stimulated by attaching to an electrostimulation machine during your treatment. The first needle treatment usually last 20-30 minutes as you rest with the needles inserted.

The number of visits may vary from patient to patient. Chinese medicine treats the roots rather than counters the symptoms. For example, pain killers may immediately, yet only temporarily relieve chronic pain. However, Chinese medicine focuses on ridding the pain completely, which is likely to take more than one treatment. That said, many patients have felt significant improvements after a single visit. CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT

The acupuncturist may provide herbs and instruct exercises that are necessary to stimulate the progression of your recovery and strengthen your system. The exercises are subtle, but profoundly engage the body and the brain.