Your Free 15 Minute Consultation

Each new patient is encouraged to book a FREE 15 MINUTE CONSULTATION. For your convenience, we usually do these by phone or online, but you can also come in person if you wish. In this consultation, you can meet us, ask questions about your situation and whether or not we can help with your health goals, and determine if it’s a good fit to work together. (Please note, we won’t have time to do a full assessment and diagnosis in this free consult.)

Your Initial Intake & Treatment Plan

Once you decide you’d like to work with us, you’ll have an initial visit. This can be either in person (90 minutes including acupuncture), or online (75 minutes).

ONLINE: The online intake is most suitable for those with complex conditions (such as cancer) with a lot to discuss, or for those who live far away and want virtual treatment with herbs, nutrition, self-acupressure or other consultation. Herbs can be mailed to you.

IN PERSON: The in-person intake appointment is most suitable for those who are interested in having acupuncture in their first visit. Since we’ll leave time for the acupuncture treatment, the talking portion of this intake session is usually 30-40 minutes or so. Please click here before your appointment to learn all our COVID-19 procedures, how to prepare for your in-person visit, and all the safety and hygiene procedures we’ll be following.

In either the online or in-person intake, we’ll go through your health questionnaire and ask you detailed questions about your medical history, symptoms, and main problems you’re coming to solve.

If you have any recent lab or imaging reports from other health providers that might be helpful, please bring them along, email them in advance, or invite us to view your secure hospital medical record online (MyChart and MyUHN both allow you to add a user for shared access. You can add info@oncologyacupuncture.ca).

We’ll then do a traditional tongue diagnosis and ask if you have any questions or concerns about the treatment risks or benefits. If you are ready to proceed, you’ll sign the Consent to Treatment form. We’ll then propose a Treatment Plan made specifically for your own needs and history.

Depending on your goals, the Treatment Plan might include dietary, exercise, or lifestyle suggestions, herbal prescriptions, self-acupressure protocols, meditations, or more. We’ll also talk about how often you should have follow-up appointments, how long the follow-ups should be, and how many should be in-person versus phone/online sessions. (Our goal is to minimize your risk while maximizing the benefits you’ll get from treatment.)

If you chose the in-person initial visit, you’ll then have an acupuncture treatment, time-permitting.

Your First Acupuncture / In-Person Treatment (if applicable)

We’ll take your pulse and may also check your abdomen. You are welcome to ask questions at any point before or during the treatment, and if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can withdraw your consent to treatment anytime.  For those who are nervous about needles, we’ll start with very thin needles and gentle treatment. You’ll probably be surprised how painless it is! A few more notes for your first in-person clinical treatment:

• It’s best not to have acupuncture on a complete empty stomach, if possible. Try to have a light snack or meal within 2 hours of your appointment.
• Please do your best to be punctual, and we will do the same!

What to Expect AFTER the First Visit

If this is your first time getting acupuncture, you might notice feeling relaxed or a bit sleepy after the treatment. This is normal. If you need to drive, you might want to wait a bit before leaving. Let us know if you want some water to drink.

In terms of results, some people have a big reaction after the first treatment, but most people will notice gradual change after several treatments. 6-10 treatments is a typical number of sessions in the first series, depending on your issue, and then we reassess your progress after that.

Progress is usually up and down instead of a straight line upward, so when it dips back down, try not to get too discouraged. As long as the overall trend is in the right direction, that’s a good sign that we’re making progress.

For herbal treatment, we’ll typically check in every 2-3 weeks at the beginning and adjust your herbs as needed to make sure you have no unwanted side effects and that we see things moving in the right direction. The length of time you’ll need to take herbs depends on your health condition and goals. You can ask your practitioner about all this during the free consult and initial treatment planning.

AN EXCEPTIONAL TRACK RECORD OF EXCELLENCE

Your initial consultation is FREE. Come meet us and learn more, with no obligation to book.

Or, just call 416-890-7770 or 705-409-9850 and we'll be happy to answer your questions.

Read more about:  Our Team | Our Mission | Our History | Our Services | Frequently Asked Questions

* Individual results vary. No guarantee of specific results is warranted or implied and your results will depend on many factors (full disclaimer).