Olde Town Acupuncture

What to Expect on Your First Visit

In order to make your visits with us as wonderful and effective as possible, we offer you the following suggestions for making the most out of your Community Acupuncture Experience!


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Before you come in:

Hydration: It is helpful to be well hydrated before receiving acupuncture. Dehydration can result in less qi and blood flow. However, it may be best to avoid drinking an hour before you come in, otherwise a full bladder may interfere with your comfort during a treatment.

Nutrition: We love to know that you are caring for yourself by eating nutritious foods. Please avoid alcohol, sugar, and greasy foods before and after your treatment if possible.

Clothing: Your treatment will consist of needles being placed in your arms and legs from the elbow to the hand and knee to foot. You will be most comfortable if you can wear clothes that are roomy enough to roll up. You are welcome to use our restroom to change into shorts and t-shirt when you get here if you like.

Distractions: Part of the effectiveness of acupuncture is the deep meditation-like state that is induced by the needles. In order to make the most of this wonderful state, please come in prepared to turn off your phone, relax, and put your worries on hold for awhile.

Frequency of treatment: Acupuncture treatments are sometimes compared to doses of medication. If you are prescribed a medication for a certain condition, you don’t expect to be cured with one dose. Just as you may need to take your medication for 10 days or a few weeks for normal health and function to be restored, it is likely we will prescribe a course of treatments before we can expect you to feel as good as you -and we- would like! Your practitioner will discuss this with you on a case by case basis.

Payment and Scheduling: We offer a sliding scale fee structure that is especially useful when you need multiple treatments. We generally collect payment and schedule your next appointment before your treatment so that you don’t have to stop by the desk on your way out. That way, it is easier to carry the effects of the treatment out the door and into the rest of your day.

During your treatment:

Time: Usually during acupuncture, you will find yourself slipping into a deep, relaxed state. Because of our community clinic setting, you have the luxury of staying longer than the standard 20 minutes that most acupuncture clinics can accommodate. If you look very relaxed and peaceful, we love to let you rest longer if you like - just give us a meaningful look when you are ready to go. If you have a time constraint, and are concerned about staying too long, just let us know and we’ll make sure we end your treatment on time.

Noise: No community room is going to be completely free of noise. You will hear cars in the alley, people moving around and speaking quietly in the community room. You may hear the phone ring out in the office, or pieces of conversation in the waiting room. We feel that this is a wonderful way to practice de-focusing on the distractions, and instead turning your focus inward, on your own breath. Life is like this – as we learn and practice to become still inside, the chaos around us matters less and less.

Community Room Etiquette: As you enter the sanctuary of our community room, you will notice reclining chairs and massage tables. Unless there is a specific reason to have you in one or the other (your practitioner will let you know), you are free to choose either one each time you come in.

Whisper zone: Our community room is equipped with “white noise” that helps to drown out conversations that occur with other patients while you are here. While these are very helpful, in order to cut down on disturbance to other patients, and to protect your own privacy, please keep your conversation in whisper tones. While others may be vaguely aware of subtle sounds, they won’t be able to overhear details about your health condition.

Cell phones: The community room is NOT a place for cell phones. Please turn them off or leave them at the desk. If you forget and your cell phone rings, please let us help you silence it or take it out of the room. PLEASE do not answer your phone in the community room.

And FINALLY!

Thank you from all of us here at Olde Town Acupuncture & Wellness Center. Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have about your condition through the eyes of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or about your course of treatment. If we don’t have time to answer all your questions that day, we can schedule a phone appointment to be able to be more thorough. We appreciate you and all that you bring to make our clinic a true community. And of course, if there is anything about our clinic that you are unhappy with, we hope you will let us know so we can continually be improving our services and our facility. In good health, Karen Marks and Lisa Lowe.