First Visit to Seattle Health Therapies

Initial Visit

Your initial visit will be approximately 90 minutes in duration. The first 30 minutes we will discuss your health history, your main complaint(s) and other issues including lifestyle, stress levels, diet, supplements and medications taken, etc.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a unique way of diagnosing signs and symptoms that is very different from Western Medicine. All the information gathered presents a certain pattern(s) of disharmony. Each symptom or complaint means nothing by itself, yet acquires significance in relationship to other signs and symptoms.

I will answer any questions you may have at this time, relate what your symptoms demonstrate in terms of TCM, and explain how acupuncture can best serve your particular health concerns.

Once the health history is taken I will do a short physical examination (palpation & assessment for injury treatment), and observe the tongue and pulses.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pulse and the tongue are essential methods of diagnoses and tell us much about the body's internal condition and the nature of the illness. I will take your pulse at three positions on each wrist. Each position relates to a yin/yang set of internal organs and gives detailed information about those organs as well as the Qi (energy) and the state of Blood/body fluids in the tissues. Observation of the tongue reveals a pretty accurate diagnosis of a patient's disharmony. The tongue is actually a map of the internal organs. Factors such as body color shape, coating and moisture indicates the condition of those organs, Blood and Body Fluids.

After I have gathered all the information from your health history, interview and examinations, I will form a diagnosis regarding the pattern of disharmony you are presenting and form a treatment plan.

Acupuncture Treatment:

I will choose about 6 to 12 acupuncture points that work in concert to address those imbalances. You will lie on a cushioned table in a warm comfortable room with soft light and soothing music. You will need to remove your shoes, and roll up the sleeves of your shirt and the cuffs of your pants to your knees. Some women find that wearing a loose skirt is comfortable.

I clean the chosen acupuncture points on the skin with alcohol and gently press in the sterilized (disposable) needles. Within ten minutes or so, you will probably feel deeply relaxed, as if you were melting into the table. You rest with the needles for about 30 to 40 minutes. Depending on your condition, I may do some cupping therapy, moxa (herb burned on the needle) massage therapy, or other modality, which has been customized to your treatment plan.

After the session I will discuss my recommendations for treatment; i.e., how many treatments will be needed, recommended herbs, supplements or suggestions that would be helpful. Follow-up treatments are 60 minutes in duration and are usually done on a weekly basis unless determined otherwise.

Acupuncture is safe, effective, very relaxing…and best of all, you are in the hands of a person who cares.

 To learn more about our acupuncture treatments, contact us.

Seattle Health Therapies
Acupuncture and
Energy Medicine Solutions

1411 Fourth Avenue, Suite #1322
Seattle, Washington, 98101
USA Tel: (206) 623-1630