To The Point Acupuncture is accepting New Patients!
Call 919-621-3363 now and our staff will be happy to assist you in arranging your first appointment.
First Appointment Information
Before your appointment or any time after, please feel free to give us a call with any questions or comments. That open communication is what allows us to meet all of our patients’ healthcare needs.
For your first medical appointment with us, here’s a list of information you might need:
- Forms to Complete. The Patient Forms can be found under the Documents section in your Patient Portal. Please fill them out completely and submit them through the portal. Completing these forms prior to your arrival will maximize the amount of quality time spent with your provider and decrease your overall time spent in the office.
- Please plan to arrive 30 minutes early for your first visit if you have NOT filled out your forms prior to your visit. If you have filled out your forms, you need only arrive 10 minutes early.
To make the most of this visit, please be sure to bring the important information listed below. This will give us a full picture of your health and goals, as well as save you time on the day you come to see us:
- Your medicines. Plan to bring any prescription medicines that you take, plus a list of over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements.
- Medical Records. Please ask any of your healthcare professionals to send us anything that may be pertinent to your condition- lab reports, report of findings from x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, etc.
- Miscellaneous Items:
- Clothing. Please wear loose fitting clothes so that the acupuncturist can get to specific acupuncture points. We have sheets and towels which can be draped over you if we are unable to reach certain acupuncture points.
- Hydration/food: Please make sure you have eaten a light meal/snack before your visit and make sure you are well hydrated. Also, please refrain from brushing your tongue (the tongue coating helps in achieving the proper diagnosis).
What should I expect during my first visit?
During your initial acupuncture treatment, a comprehensive intake is done. Past and present medical history, discussion of all the bodily systems, as well as the current condition that brought you to To The Point Acupuncture will be talked about in great detail. Possible palpation of different body parts and physical examination may also be included, if appropriate. Pulse and tongue diagnosis will also be done prior to treatment. All of the information gathered up to this point will be used to determine the Chinese diagnosis of the patient.
At this point, the practitioner will thoroughly discuss what the acupuncture needles look like, feel like, and proper cleaning of the areas on the body before the insertion of the needles.
The sterile, one-time use needles are then inserted into specific acupuncture points along the patient’s body to regain the balance of qi within the meridians. Needles are retained for approximately 45 minutes.
Usually acupuncture is the only form of treatment during an initial visit. In follow up visits other modalities such as Cupping, Gua Sha, Moxibustion, and Electro-acupuncture may be incorporated.
If you have more general questions about our services or office, check out our FAQs.
