Your first session

The first session aims to assess which energy channels are blocked, and the imbalances at the root of the signs and symptoms you describe.

I will ask you several questions to identify the nature of the imbalance and draw up an energy assessment that will set the direction of your first treatment.

If you come in for back pain, for example, I will palpate your forearm to find the tender or sore points that will release the muscle tension in your back.

During and after the time the needles are in (35 minutes), we will be able to assess together how your body responds to the treatment.

If you come in at the change of season or as prevention, when all is well, we decide together on the treatment direction that best fits your needs.

• A first, “intensive” phase: treatments are frequent and close together (3 to 8 treatments, once or twice a week). This phase is very important, because the closer together the sessions are, the lower the chances of going “back to square one”, and the fewer sessions you will need overall. Here, acupuncture helps the body reprogram itself to find its balance again, for example when working on hot flashes during menopause.
• A stabilization phase: with pain, for example, once its frequency or duration has decreased, the goal is to stabilize the improvement in symptoms and so reduce the risk of relapse. Sessions are spaced further apart (3 to 5 treatments every 10 or 15 days).
• A maintenance phase: if the symptoms have not come back within 2 or 3 weeks, sessions are spaced out to every 4 to 6 weeks. This phase is necessary for chronic pain, for example when the imbalance is due to a structural or anatomical problem that cannot be changed (e.g. osteoarthritis).
• A “tune-up” at the change of season: when symptoms come back in cycles, such as seasonal allergies or the drop in energy when the seasons change…