Have You Ever Visited an Oriental Medicine Practitioner?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Everyone has been to the doctor, at least once in their life. And the dentist? Most know how a routine visit will unfold. But do you know what to expect from a visit to an oriental medicine practitioner?

There are variations, and different approaches, of course. But, generally speaking here is what to expect:

Session Procedure

During the first consultation, the practitioner always favors the diagnosis: its precision and will determine the effectiveness of the treatment. During the consultation, the goes through the patient’s history, and takes note of the patient’s complexion, pulse and which will reveal important clues.

Once the points have been chosen, the practitioner stimulates them using different methods. These
methods have different names:

Acupuncture: steel, brass, stainless steel or silver needles;
Moxas: according to the practitioner’s preference, heated herbs or suction discs are applied on the points;
Electroacupuncture: the electronic stimulator (some also make the diagnosis);
Laser therapy: laser stimulation;
Acupressure: Chinese massage or acupressure, digitopuncture, shiatsu, etc.;
Ultrasounds and light waves: devices that emit waves ranging from ultrasounds to sound and light waves.

Improvement will be noticeable after the first session or, at the most, after the fourth treatment. In order for the treatment to be effective, approximately ten sessions are recommended.

This information is an excerpt from the excellent AMCC course materials:

Have a great time at the Oriental Medicine Practitioner's office!
Sheryl-Anne