For Patients

What to Expect on Your First Visit Our Office

Patient’s Evaluation: During your first consultation, we will collect a complete history and detailed evaluation of your condition. We will ask questions relating to many different aspects of your life, not only the condition for which you are seeking treatment. The practitioner will then take your pulse, examine your tongue, and sometimes palpate your abdomen or check for tender areas along the blood vessels. This initial visit usually lasts about 1 hour after which you will be scheduled for your first treatment.

Pulse Diagnosis: Chinese Pulse Diagnosis is considered the gold standard when it comes to knowing what is medically wrong with a patient.

What is Pulse Diagnosis? Simply put, it is interpreting the flow of blood in the radial artery at the wrist. In the hands of an expert practitioner, the pulse can reveal anatomical problems such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety, depression, fatigue, chronic and acute pain, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, ovarian cists, bone spurs, gall stones, varicoceles, sinus infections, gastric or duodenal ulcers, coronary blockages and a host of other physical ailments.

Unfortunately this method is a lost art with very few practitioners in the world competent in its immense subtlety. Probably the world’s foremost living master of Pulse Diagnosis, Dr. Zhang Wei-Yin, personally trained Daniel Rasmussen for several years.

How often do I have to come?

Treatments are done on a weekly basis, usually two times a week for the first few weeks, once a week for a few weeks, and once every two weeks after that. Once the condition has been controlled and you are symptom-free, the treatments are done less frequently to ensure long term correction. Problems that have been around for a long time usually take more treatments to resolve than ones that have come about recently. Your treatment course will be determined after the first visit and reassessed after each session.

How many treatments will I need?

This depends upon the duration, severity, and nature of the complaint. Generally from 10 to 20 treatments are adequate for the majority of chronic disorders. Some acute conditions may only require a single treatment and some degenerative conditions may require as many as 40 treatments. However, the patient has the right to expect that their major complaint will be addressed and treated in a direct and timely manner.

How can I prepare for my session?

It is best to eat a light meal before your appointment so that your body has energy to work with. Sometimes a person who has not eaten will feel lightheaded or weak when receiving an acupuncture treatment. In this case, inform your practitioner immediately and they will take the appropriate actions. It is best to wear shorts or loose clothing so that the arms and legs below the elbows and knees, as well as the abdomen, are accessible. Do not engage in strenuous activity, drink alcohol, smoke excessively, or ingest heavy meals before or after your treatment. This will allow the body to adjust to the effects of the acupuncture.

Can I receive Acupuncture if I am pregnant?

Yes. Because there are some points that are contraindicated during pregnancy, it is important to inform your practitioner if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant.

Will my insurance cover my treatments?

Almost all major insurance companies are required to cover Acupuncture within the state of Washington. When you come to the clinic, please bring your insurance card and we will be more than happy to check your insurance coverage for you. Please call if you have any questions.

More questions?

Please call us at or send us an email. We’re here to help you.