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First session · Plateau-Mont-Royal

Your first acupuncture session

A first visit often raises questions, and that’s entirely normal. Here, plainly, is what to expect before, during and after your session.

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Open 7 days a week · Monday and Friday from 9 a.m.

First session · 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the practitionerFollow-ups · 60 to 70 minutesReceipts on site

Acupuncture treatment at the clinic, in the Plateau-Mont-Royal
What happens

Before, during, after

You’ll receive a form when you book; filling it in beforehand leaves more room for the conversation and the treatment.

  1. Before the appointment

    Just come as you are; a few pointers are enough.

    • Eat something in the hours beforehand: avoid arriving on an empty stomach.
    • Bring a list of your medications: they’re taken into account in the assessment.
    • Wear comfortable clothing; most points are located between the elbow and the hand and between the knee and the foot.
    • If you brush your teeth, don’t brush your tongue: its coating helps clarify the Chinese medicine assessment.

  2. During the session

    A full health assessment, then the treatment.

    • The conversation picks up the elements of your form; the assessment may include taking the pulse and observing the tongue.
    • Needles are sterile and single-use, never reused.
    • Far finer than the usual medical needles: most people barely feel the insertion; sensations vary from person to person and from point to point.
    • Remember to use the washroom before the needles are placed: the relaxation that follows is often deep, and better left uninterrupted.

  3. After the session

    Relaxation, sometimes drowsiness, then the day resumes.

    • The drowsiness passes quickly; you can carry on with your normal activities.
    • Passing tiredness or tenderness can follow a session; it usually settles within a day or two. If anything worries you, call us.
    • Over the course of care, some people report renewed energy or better sleep; these effects vary from one person to another.
    • Questions in the days that follow? Get in touch with your therapist.
Frequency

The pacing of follow-ups

Treatments are generally closer together during periods of acute discomfort, to follow the situation more closely. In periods of relative health, maintenance treatments are also offered, particularly at the change of seasons.

The number of sessions and their frequency vary with your condition; you and your therapist work out together what suits you best. If you are consulting for back pain or sciatica, a dedicated page describes that path in detail:acupuncture for back pain and sciatica.

The acupuncturist’s role

The therapist listens attentively: what you share steers the treatment towards your own situation. In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to support the free circulation of energy; through the needles, the treatment targets the areas that seem most involved for you.

An open hand among white umbels, in double exposure
The techniques

Explained simply

Depending on why you’re consulting, methods other than needles may be offered, always discussed with you and never imposed.

  • Acupuncture needles being placed

    The needles

    They’re placed gently, at various points on the body. Once the needles are in, you rest in a quiet room. You may feel some more than others, and that’s normal: the treatment aims to stimulate the circulation of energy.

    30 to 40 minutes of rest
  • Cups applied to the back

    Cupping

    Most often used for muscle pain and stiffness, sometimes for digestive troubles or allergies. Applied to the skin, the cups create a suction held for a few minutes, to relax the muscles. The red marks fade within a few days; just say so if you’d rather not have them.

    Temporary marks possible
  • Round-edged gua sha instrument

    Gua sha

    A stimulation of the surface of the skin using a round-edged instrument, sometimes offered as a complement for pain and stiffness. Reddish or purplish traces may appear for 3 to 5 days: passing marks, unrelated to how well the treatment works.

    Offered as a complement
An acupuncture session: a needle placed at the foot, the person lying down and relaxed
Which visit?

Book the right visit

Four situations, four doors. Yours decides which appointment to pick in Jane.

  1. First acupuncture visitNew to the clinic? Choose “Première visite” (first visit), with Justin or Jessica.90 minutes with Justin · 75 minutes with Jessica · $110 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Acupuncture follow-upYour file is already open: book a follow-up, directly with your usual therapist.70 minutes with Justin · 60 minutes with Jessica · $95 (opens in a new tab)
  3. PhysiotherapyWith Josh. First appointment: choose “Ouverture de dossier” (initial assessment); 45- or 30-minute follow-ups come next.“Ouverture de dossier” · 60 minutes · $135 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Cosmetic acupunctureWith Justin. A protocol of its own, distinct from the regular follow-up; book it as is.75 minutes · $140 (opens in a new tab)

Special cases: CNESST files (with Jessica)SAAQ filescupping. The page for each one explains what to prepare before you book.

Ready for your first session?

Allow 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the practitioner: time to talk, to examine and to treat, without rushing you. Insurance receipts issued on site.

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