FAQs

Questions will focus on your dietary habits, lifestyle, sleep and energy patterns and your main complaint.

We will look at your tongue, take your pulse and palpate problem areas of the body according to TCM diagnostic techniques.  Please do not scrape/clean your tongue before your appointment.  Your initial consultation will be longer than subsequent appointments. 

Allow 75mins for your initial appointment.    

Acupuncture is the insertion of ultra-fine, sterile needles or pins into the skin/muscle at points carefully chosen for your complaint.   The pins are left in place for anywhere from 5-45 minutes during which time you can relax. 

Commonly the sensations reported include a sense of ‘heaviness, aching, numbness, tingling, unblocking, movement’.  When you let go of fear acupuncture is gently sedating and deeply relaxing. 

Yes.  We can treat babies and young children, but the acupuncture pins are not left in place long at all.  They are inserted, stimulated and quickly withdrawn.  We may follow this with massage techniques to stimulate the body areas into action or to soothe and relax them.  Most babies do not even realise they have had acupuncture.  Children can take herbal medicines.  Tinctures are usually well tolerated.   Tweens and teens can and do love Shiatsu massage therapy.  We regularly mollify stressed and anxious VCE students throughout their final year.

We do not recommend you have acupuncture
- if you are absolutely terrified of the idea
- if you have a long history of fainting
- if you have a bleeding disorder
- if you are exhausted or very hungry/haven’t eaten for a long time

Please let us know if
- you have been recently diagnosed with a disorder
- you may be in early stage pregnancy,
- suffer from seizures
- have high or low blood pressure
- have a blood disease. Hep C, HIV
- you are taking blood thinning medication

Yes, it’s safe.  But we do have procedures we follow in early pregnancy so please let us know if you are pregnant or trying to fall pregnant.

With herbal medicine, most effects are intended.  If you experience any undesirable effect please contact the clinic for reassurance and modifications if required.

After acupuncture, we ask you not to drive until you feel awake and alert.   You might need five minutes transition.  You are welcome to linger after your session, sit and have a sip of tea before facing the world again.

A typical herbal dispensary carries around 400 different ingredients from plants, animals and minerals.  Some Chinese herbs cross over with Naturopathic ingredients like angelica, peppermint, Solomon’s seal.   At Reorient we use Safflower Dispensary to ensure quality of our granulated prescriptions.  Herbal extracts made into tinctures are also available. Some common disorders can be treated with a ready-made pill or capsule, but all herbs will need to be taken usually with a little water, 2 or 3 times per day.  

Let your practitioner know when you are taking any other medications. 
Chinese herbs should be taken 2 hours away from any other medications. 

There should be no undesirable side effects when the diagnosis, treatment and dosage are correct.  If you have any concerns, contact the clinic. 

If you catch a cold or flu or gastro STOP taking your herbal formula until the more recent illness has passed.

As a general guide:

Remedial treatment for chronic or entrenched patterns is suggested weekly for a period of 1-2 months until condition has stabilized.  Then every 3 to 4 weeks as progress determines. Treatment may extend over 12 months.  For example, to prevent arthritis worsening and resolve pain we recommended fortnightly acupuncture over 12-18 months.   To treat frozen shoulder – 15 to 20 sessions over 2-3 months

Acute disorders can be resolved in 1-6 treatments.  May require 2 sessions within one week initially.

Menstrual disorders are treated in step with the problematic times of the cycle.  Contact once or twice per month is common for 3-9 months. 

Health maintenance sessions, once every 4-8 weeks.