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What to Except at Your First Visit
Each
individual practitioner may have a different protocol but this will give
you a general idea of what you may expect at a first visit. The initial
examination includes a thorough medical and personal history, description of
complaints, a review of the functioning of the systems of the body, and a
physical examination.
This includes unique tools such as pulse and tongue examination which help the practitioner determine the state of the energy in each of the major organs and functions.
Using the diagnostic tools of classical Chinese medicine, which also include analyzing a patients predominant facial color, vocal sound, emotion, and odor, practitioners assess the condition of the Chi energy and determine the underlying cause of the condition. From all of this information, a treatment plan is developed, unique to the individual patient. This treatment plan many consist of modalities or combinations of modalities ranging from acupuncture, herbolgogy , cupping, gua sha, tuina, heat therapy etc..
Practitioners of Chinese Medicine mend branches and water the roots. If a patient comes in with back pain a TCM practitioner with not just alleviate the pain but concurrently treat the cause of the pain preventing continual reoccurrences.
The first visit may take up to one and a half hours where follow up visits generally last up to an hour.
