What to expect when you come for treatment

Your acupuncture treatment – what to expect

Acupuncture itself

Fees, payment options and cancellations

My patients enjoy coming for their treatments, and I do my very best to make everyone who walks through my door as warmly welcome as I can. I always work to the highest safety and hygiene standards.

The processes I have in place are regularly reviewed and updated to incorporate stringent guidelines on best practice from my professional body, the British Acupuncture Council.

Your acupuncture treatment: what to expect 

I hope you’ll find the following information helpful. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Preparing for your initial consultation 

  • It will useful if you can have a list the names/doses of any medications you are taking to hand. 

 I will ask you about your current and past health, as well as your general wellbeing. As you know, in Chinese medicine, diagnosis involves looking at the whole person, looking beyond the labels of symptoms or illnesses, so some of my questions may at first seem unrelated to your condition. Please be reassured that I am seeking information in a structured way, in order to make a diagnosis and treatment plan that is customised to you as an individual. You do not need to share any information that makes you feel uncomfortable.  

Your first in-person appointment 

I try to send a reminder text a couple of days before each appointment. If you have any symptoms you’d rather not pass on, please let me know and we can reschedule your appointment.

Informed consent to treatment 

Your signature to consent to treatment is required by my professional body, the British Acupuncture Council. I email the consent form to new patients to read in advance and make time to discuss this in your first session

At last – the acupuncture treatment itself! What does treatment involve? 

I will be using very fine, sterilised, single-use needles for your treatment. The number of needles is kept to a minimum, and I may insert and remove them immediately, or leave them in place for a few minutes. Some people notice a tingling or slight dull ache on some points and not others, while some feel nothing at all. Most find the whole experience very relaxing.  As treatment progresses, I may use additional techniques which I will fully explain and for which I will seek your consent on the day.  

  • It will be very helpful if you keep make up and scented products to a minimum (please do not use perfume, for example), and you may wish to wear loose, comfortable clothing.  
  • It’s good idea to make sure you are hydrated, and you may wish to have a light snack up to an hour before treatment.  

After the treatment 

Some people find that they feel more relaxed, even to the point of being quite sleepy, after their first acupuncture treatment. You will be fine to drive, but you may wish to have a snack and drink in the car for after your appointment.

If you have any questions or concerns whatsoever after your treatment, don’t hesitate to get in touch.  

Data, privacy and marketing consent 

All personal details that you share with me will remain absolutely confidential.  There’s more information on how I comply with data handling legislation in my privacy policy.

Fees and payment options 

First treatments are £80. Each follow-up session is £55. Payments by bank transfer, card or cash. or card. I’m sorry I can’t accept cheques. 

Cancelling or rescheduling an appointment 

If you find you can’t make an appointment, please contact me as soon as possible. I understand that life – and illness – get in the way and am happy to book another appointment that’s convenient for you.  

However, please be aware that I do operate a cancellation policy, which may mean that if you reschedule or cancel your appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice, you may incur the full treatment fee. I always use discretion about applying charges: if you do need to miss or reschedule an appointment, simply contact me as soon as possible.  

For more details of how I keep your data private and secure see my privacy notice page .

Thank you for wading through all this! I look forward to seeing you in my treatment room, for a relaxing and restorative acupuncture treatment.

As always, if you have any questions, please just drop me a line at kaye@kr-acupuncture.com