At my clinic, the first visit usually takes 60–80 minutes. It includes a detailed analysis of your current condition and health history (even your family’s), pulse and tongue examination, and your first acupuncture treatment. The analysis is based on a health form you complete online before we meet. From this, I create an individual treatment plan – tailored to you, not just to the name of your condition.

What does the first visit look like, step by step?

Online booking and health form. Visits are booked online only, through my website jolantapressakupunktura.pl. Right after booking, you automatically receive an email with a link to the health history form. There you describe your symptoms, health history, lifestyle and the reason for your visit. This way we don’t start the interview from scratch – the conversation at the clinic is shorter and more focused, and more time is left for the treatment itself.

Analysis and observation. I begin the visit with what you have already shared in the form. The form is comprehensive, but quick to complete – it is mostly a matter of ticking answers. I designed it myself in the system, working on it for about a month “after hours”. Gathering this much information about your health in a spoken interview would take several hours. During the visit I only ask about small details, and then I focus on observation. I examine your pulse and look at your tongue – in Chinese medicine, these are two fundamental diagnostic tools. The colour, shape and coating of the tongue, and the quality of the pulse at the wrist, reflect the state of Qi (vital energy), Blood and the individual organs. They help me understand what is happening in the whole body, not only where it hurts. Observation doesn’t end with the pulse and tongue, though – I also pay attention to posture, the way you move, your skin and the tone of your voice.

First acupuncture treatment. To save your valuable time, I give the first treatment already during the first visit. Drawing on Classical Chinese Medicine, supported by many years of experience, I develop my own treatment strategies and select the points. Sometimes I also use strategies from the Balance Method. I usually use acupuncture points away from the place of pain or injury. I treat the patient, not the disease – taking into account your overall health, both physical and emotional, the duration, intensity and stage of the condition, and often additional circumstances such as the time of day, the season, or how you are on that particular day. I don’t follow any fixed protocols.

Choosing the needles. I use needles in many different sizes and choose them according to each person’s psychophysical constitution and sensitivity. I work differently with a more sensitive person than with someone who tolerates stronger stimulation well.

Time to rest. During the treatment the needles usually stay in for 30, 45 or 60 minutes (sometimes even longer) – longer than in most clinics, where a treatment typically lasts 20–30 minutes. Meanwhile, you rest in a cosy room with relaxing music. The whole clinic is quiet, apart from gentle music, and many people simply fall asleep.

Complementary methods. Over time, depending on your needs, I may complement acupuncture with other methods of Chinese medicine:

• cupping – often for so-called “blood stagnation”, meaning impaired blood flow in a particular area,
• Tuina – Chinese therapeutic massage,
• moxibustion, i.e. warming acupuncture points – you can use it yourself at home, following my instructions: which points, how long and how often,
• individually prescribed herbal formulas (powdered extracts or liquid essences) – matched to your current needs and your body.

Treatment plan. Finally, I determine how many treatments you will need and how often. This depends above all on whether the condition is acute, chronic or internal (related to the internal organs). We usually start with 2–3 visits a week for the first 3–4 weeks, then move to 1–2 visits a week until the desired results are achieved. Once the symptoms have eased, it’s worth continuing with maintenance treatments – once or twice a month. For healthy people I recommend preventive treatments, and with everyday stress even once a week. Such treatments support the whole body: they help release stress and support better sleep, immunity and a healthy appearance. They support not only longevity, but a long life in good health and well-being.

Hygiene and care for the environment

At my clinic I care about hygiene and the environment – and about people prone to allergies. The needles are sterile and single-use, and after use I collect them in special containers and send them for recycling. I wash my hands often and also disinfect them before every treatment. For drying hands, patients have cotton towels, which I wash myself in a hypoallergenic washing powder I make myself. Only natural, ecological and simple cleaning products are used – no harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances. You leave your outdoor shoes at reception, salt lamps ionise the air, and on hot days there is air conditioning.

Common questions and concerns before the first visit

Does acupuncture hurt?

Acupuncture needles are very thin – many times thinner than injection needles, roughly the thickness of a hair. Most patients describe the sensation as a slight tingling, warmth or a deeper pressure, not pain. I also adjust the needle size and the way of stimulation to each person’s sensitivity.

I’m afraid of needles. Can I still come?

Of course. In that case I use thinner needles and insert them more slowly, carefully watching your reactions. After inserting the first needle, I ask how you feel and adjust what I do next. It matters to me that you feel calm and safe the whole time.

Do I have to fill in a form before the visit?

Yes – it’s a simple online form, and you automatically receive your own secure link to it after booking. Thanks to it, I get to know your history quickly and can give you more time for treatment.

What can I expect after the treatment?

Most often deep relaxation, sometimes sleepiness. In some people, especially with chronic conditions, a temporary dip in well-being may appear. This is a very good sign of the body returning to health – a true “reset”. It usually passes quickly, most often within a day. Rarely, slight redness or tenderness appears where a needle was inserted – a normal, mild and temporary skin reaction.

Can I go back to my daily activities after the treatment?

Yes. I only recommend an hour of calm after the treatment and avoiding heavy physical exertion for the rest of the day.

How should I prepare for the visit?

That’s a topic for a separate post.

From my experience

I have been practising Chinese medicine since 2005 – today in Warsaw, and previously also as a visiting practitioner in the United States and Europe. I trained at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, where I did my clinical practice at the Acupuncture Hospital and the WHO Collaborating Institute. Later I had the honour of being mentored by Eileen Yue-Ling Han, PhD, the direct successor of Dr. Richard Tan’s Balance Method. Today I continue to explore the nuances of Classical Chinese Medicine under Jeffrey Yuen – one of the few experts in this field worldwide. I also give lectures and training in Chinese medicine for professionals, and classes in Chinese health arts for patients.

At my clinic at ul. Stefanii Sempołowskiej 3 in Warsaw, I have observed for years that new patients who have never had acupuncture are worried not so much by acupuncture itself as by uncertainty: “what is going to happen?”. Most often they fear pain – and almost always they are surprised how gentle the treatment is. The second common concern is whether one visit “will do anything”. The first visit is a good beginning: diagnosis, the first treatment and a clear plan for the next steps. I want everyone to leave it calmer and knowing what comes next.

Summary

• The first visit takes 60–80 minutes, and booking is online only
• You complete the health form before the visit – it shortens the conversation and leaves more time for treatment
• Diagnosis is based on a detailed analysis of your condition and health history, plus pulse and tongue examination, and the first acupuncture treatment is given already at the first visit
• I choose the needles to suit your sensitivity, and the treatment plan based on my holistic analysis of your health

If you are wondering whether Chinese medicine could help in your situation, you are welcome to book an initial visit through my website jolantapressakupunktura.pl.

Jolanta Press – Chinese Medicine Physician, Acupuncturist. She has practised Chinese medicine since 2005, trained at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, and continually deepens her knowledge of the nuances of Classical Chinese Medicine under Jeffrey Yuen, one of the few experts in this field worldwide. She was previously mentored by Eileen Yue-Ling Han, PhD, the direct successor of Dr. Richard Tan’s Balance Method.