FAQs

Your first visit is for a diagnostic consultation after which your first treatment will be included.

Your practitioner will find out medically relevant information about your condition and will examine your tongue, face, eyes and your pulses.

If you are seeking treatment for a physical injury or aliment, please wear something that will allow the problem area to be examined and treated easily. If you are taking any medications including vitamins and supplements, bring a list of these to your first appointment.

For more details about what to expect, read our Your Visit page.

Acupuncture doesn’t hurt. Acupuncture needles are extremely fine, almost like a strand of hair and it is sometimes hard to even feel them being inserted. People often report a sensation after the insertion of the needle and this can range from a slight dull ache to a gentle tingling sensation.

In the hands of a qualified, professionally trained practitioner, Acupuncture TCM is very safe and entirely free of any negative side-effects.

Acupuncture needles are pre-sterilised, single use needles. They are safe and painless to use and are safely discarded after the treatment.

If you are worried please mention this at your first appointment. This is so your practitioner can take this to account and offer you alternatives like Acupressure where no needles are used or just to make the experience more comfortable for you.

TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) views the human body very differently from western medicine. It does not separate the body from the mind, or the inside from the outside, but takes a comprehensively holistic view of the person, the complaint and the context it is happening in. TCM can often diagnose and treat ‘odd complaints’, problems that western medicine can’t put a label on.

The frequency of treatments will depend on your condition. This will be discussed at your consultation where a treatment plan will be tailor made for you. Many conditions respond quicker to frequent acupuncture treatments and treatments will usually be 1 week apart.

For most conditions the needles will remain in place for around 30 minutes for the treatment to take effect. The focus will be on staying as relaxed as possible as the body heals best when it is resting.

Needles left in for more than 30 minutes doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a better treatment or more benefit from the treatment. Some acupuncture points also require less time to be effective.

There is no limitation in terms of age, sex or condition regarding acupuncture treatment. All types of conditions can be treated – chronic or acute, severe or mild, mental or physical.

Please note that Angus Acupuncture will only treat people age 18 or over.

Acupuncture can, and often is used in conjunction with western medical treatment. It does not negatively interfere with other forms of medicine. It is important, however to tell your practitioner what other forms of treatment you are receiving.

If you haven’t already paid at the point of booking your appointment you can pay by either cash, cheque or by credit / debit card.