How a session works

First consultation

A very common fear… and one that is often dispelled from the very first session

“Does it hurt?” is, by far, the question I hear most often before a first session. It is a very legitimate concern — the word “needle” naturally brings to mind a blood test or a vaccine. In practice, the experience is very different: acupuncture needles are extremely fine (about 0.2 mm in diameter), solid and non-bevelled, unlike those used for injections.

How a first consultation unfolds

• History-taking (20 to 30 min) — medical history, reason for consultation, but also sleep, digestion, energy, emotions: in TCM, the aim is to understand the whole picture, not just the symptom.
• The specific examination — observing the tongue (colour, coating, shape) and taking the pulses at the wrists: two diagnostic tools unique to Chinese medicine.
• Explaining the diagnosis — I explain in plain language what these observations show and which points I plan to treat.
• Placing the needles — quick, at targeted points chosen for your reason for consultation. The most common sensation: light pressure, sometimes warmth or a slight local pulling (what is known as the “Qi” sensation), never sharp pain.
• The needle-retention time (15 to 25 min) — you stay lying down, relaxed; many patients doze off or fall asleep.
• Removal — painless, taking a few seconds.

Allow around 45 minutes to 1 hour for this first session, shorter for follow-up ones.

What happens after the session?

Most patients feel a deep sense of relaxation, sometimes a slight, temporary tiredness in the hours that follow — a sign that the body is rebalancing. It is advisable to avoid intense physical exertion right afterwards and to stay well hydrated.

How many sessions?

This depends entirely on the reason for consultation: recent pain can improve from the very first session, while a chronic condition (long-standing fatigue, old sleep problems) generally needs several closely spaced sessions, followed by a gradual spacing-out. This plan is always built together, based on how you progress.

Acupuncture practised by a physician takes place within the framework of a medical procedure: sterile single-use equipment, and adherence to the usual hygiene and safety rules.

To go further