FIRST APPOINTMENT

At your first acupuncture appointment, Ousa will have you fill out a thorough questionnaire about your health. She will also ask you follow-up questions about your health condition and your overall physical and mental well-being. This allows her to make a more accurate diagnosis of your condition.

BEFORE NEEDLING

Once the initial intake is complete, and at all subsequent appointments, Ousa will palpate various points on your body and take your pulses at various places on your wrists. Based on your body's pulses and your specific health condition, Ousa will determine the best acupuncture points to use for your treatment. Ousa may also do some light bodywork (Japanese or Chinese massage) before placing the needles.

INSERTING ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES
Acupuncturists use tiny needles the width of a human hair to stimulate specific points on the body. Stimulating the points influences physiological function and helps the body restore balance.

Needle insertion is usually very quick and either relatively or completely painless. Ousa will often ask you to take a deep breath in and then exhale; she inserts the needle upon exhalation, and that further minimizes discomfort.

DURING THE TREATMENT
After the acupuncture needles are inserted, Ousa will leave the room and let you rest with the needles in your body for anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. The acupuncture needles stimulate the energy in your body -- qi -- to circulate. This qi stimulation is often very relaxing and many patients end up falling asleep on the treatment table during this time.

AT THE END OF THE TREATMENT
At the end of the acupuncture treatment, Ousa will return to the treatment room to remove the needles and check in on you. Once the needles are all removed, Ousa may also do some light bodywork (Chinese or Japanese massage), depending on what is indicated by your particular condition.

CHINESE HERBS
Ousa may also prescribe Chinese herbs. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are two different methods of treatment, but they are both traditional Chinese medicine. The two methods complement each other and can work together to more effectively treat your medical condition. Chinese herbs can be especially beneficial for treating internal medical conditions.