Preparing for your appointment

You can simply turn up for your appointment as you are. While wearing loose, comfortable clothes is ideal (as they can be easily manoeuvred to reach many acupuncture points), don’t worry if this isn’t possible, as blankets and towels are provided for your modesty and comfort.

What questions will I get asked?

In addition to feeling your wrist pulse and inspecting your tongue, we will ask a series of questions in order to gain an insight into the current state of your health. Some of these will be specific (some might say unusual!) questions about your symptoms or conditions, and if you are able to provide an answer to these, it can be a great help in accurately diagnosing and treating your condition. These questions may include:

• For any kind of pain: what makes it better or worse?
  What kind of pain is it – is it sharp and localized, or dull and spreading?
  Does pressure make it feel better or worse? How about movement, or heat?

• For headache sufferers: which part of the head hurts? One-side or both?
  What kind of pain is it? What makes it better or worse (ie. heat, cold, exercise, emotions, time of day, rest, food, etc)?

Most patients will be asked questions that can help ascertain digestive and internal health. Questions that you may be asked are:

• Are you hungry for meals in the morning (or do you eat because you
  feel you should?) Do you get any kind of funny taste in the mouth?

• Are you thirsty (or do you drink because you think you need to be drinking 2 litres of water a day?) How much do you drink?

• What colour is your urine? Is it darker in the morning?
  How many times a day do you urinate?

• Do you move your bowels daily? Are they well-formed or loose?
  Are they easy to pass; is there any discomfort or pain?

• How do you sleep?
  Do you wake feeling rested, or does it take a while to get going in the morning?

• Are you irritable (or any other emotion?)

• Do you get hot in the afternoon?
  Do you sweat more than what might be considered normal, ie. at night, at rest?
  Are you more sensitive than most to cold / heat / drafts?

But most of all, be prepared to relax and restore your mind and body!

Some common questions about Chinese Medicine…