You will be asked about diet, mood and sleeping patterns. Diagnosis may also include examination of your tongue for its structure, color and coating and of the pulses at your wrists, ankles or carotid artery in the neck which are felt for their quality, rhythm and strength. According to the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seattle, Washington, the first visit to a practitioner lasts from an hour to an hour and a half. Follow-up visits usually run about an hour. The Needles Acupuncturists can use as many as nine types of acupuncture needles, though only six are commonly used today.
Acupuncture needles are hair-thin and usually made out of stainless steel.
Needles are inserted to a depth of between half an inch to an inch, depending on the treatment. Today, most needles are disposable. They are used once and discarded in accordance with medical biohazard regulations and guidelines. The needles are pushed beneath the skin either directly, by tapping sharply on the top of an introducer tube or by means of a spring-loaded injector. While the needles may feel uncomfortable at times, patients rarely describe the sensation as painful.