How should I dress for my appointment?
Structural Integration/Functional Range Systems Dress
Patients will generally be dressed for these appointments. This will usually consist of underwear or bathing suit bottoms. For those who wish to cover the bust a cloth bandeau bra(tube top) is preferred, but a more loose fitting sports bra will work. If the client does not have a tube top, they can be provided with one at the time of the session. This dressed down attire will allow for the treatment work and be able to assess on and off the table.
Acupuncture Treatment Dress
In most cases the patient should come to their appointment with loose fitting pants and shirt. Depending on the particular reason for the visit the same dress as the Structural Integration visits may be needed. Typically most points will be used on the lower leg knee down and and elbow down. Some assessment of the abdomen as well as treatment to this area may be necessary as well.
What to expect on a Functional Range System/Structural Integration appointment?
Typically the appointment will begin with a health history of what the particular chief concern is that is bringing the client in. Using Controlled Articular Rotations and table tests the clients body is assessed to see what particular structural components may be causing current symptoms. Functional Range Release techniques using pinpointed body work and isometric exercises will be performed to various areas dealing with the symptoms. The client should expect to go direct from treatment to assessment throughout the session to continue to further detail the particular issues that may be causing symptoms. Some time will be left at the end to go over additional exercises that will continue the work that has been performed after the session as well as a recommendation for continued treatment sessions.
What to expect on a general treatment session?
In most cases the clients will usually be taken through a very fast description of anything they want focused on. General treatment sessions will typical focus on a broader aspect of the body. In most cases this will consist of the upper body, lower body or full body. As these sessions do not tend to focus on a particular issue clients will usually dress down to their comfort level and stay on the table for the duration of the treatment session. If you need more focused work for a particular issues a Functional Range Systems/Structural Integration appointment may be recommended instead.
What to expect on your Acupuncture visit?
If this is your first acupuncture visit you will have been given an electronic intake to be filled out before the appointment.
When you arrive the practitioner will sit down with you and discuss your reason for the visit today and go over the items that were filled out on the intake.
Once the intake process has finished the patient typically lays face up on the treatment table where the practitioner will take the pulse, observe the tongue and palpate the abdomen to decide the the treatment for the current appointment.
The practitioner will generally palpate different points on the body and compare to to pulse or abdomen to confirm the efficacy of the point. At this point in the treatment the practitioner will either use an acupuncture needle on the point or use a variety of other modalities included bodywork myofascial techniques, moxabustion, or other non insertive techniques. This can be repeated either the patients sides or the back.
Depending on the length of the appointment chosen the next phase of the treatment will include bodywork, herbal prescription and/or patient education by way of exercises and stretches.
At the end of your appointment the practitioner will give the patient a recommendation for future visits if needed.
What is a typical Structural Integration session like?