What to expect at your Geelong Chinese Medicine appointment

What to expect at your first visit

Your first appointment runs for 60 minutes. The first half is a detailed conversation about what is going on, how it started, what makes it better or worse, and how it sits alongside the rest of your health. We will look at your tongue and feel your pulse, both central to how Chinese medicine builds a clinical picture. The second half is your first treatment.

Before you come in, it helps to jot down a few things: your main concern and how it developed, any medications or supplements you are taking, and any relevant test results or imaging. You do not need to have everything perfectly organised. We will work through it together.

Wear something comfortable that rolls up past the elbows and knees, or that is easy to remove. Try not to come on a completely empty or very full stomach, and avoid alcohol beforehand.

What happens during treatment

Once we have a clear picture, we will talk you through what we are seeing and what we recommend. That might be a course of acupuncture on its own, Chinese herbal medicine on its own, or a combination of both. Where relevant, we will also talk through lifestyle, dietary, or self-care practices that fit your pattern. Treatment that holds is usually a combination of what we do in the room and what you do in between. We tailor the plan to you and adjust it as things change.

If you have questions at any point, ask. That is what the consultation time is for.

Follow-up appointments

Follow-up visits are usually 30 minutes, occasionally 45. We check in on how things have responded since last time and adjust the treatment accordingly.

How long does treatment take?

It depends on what we are working with and how long it has been there.

For acute problems, one to two sessions a week over three to four weeks is a common starting point. For chronic or complex conditions, weekly or fortnightly treatment over several months is more realistic. Progress is usually measured across a course of treatments rather than a single session.

With Chinese herbal medicine, acute formulas for things like colds or digestive upsets can show results within days. Formulas for deeper, longer-standing patterns often need weeks or months of consistent use to do their work.

We structure treatment in courses so that we can give the body enough time to respond, track whether the changes are heading in the right direction, and consolidate the gains once they appear. We will be honest with you about how things are progressing, and if we do not think we can help, we will tell you.

For a closer look at how a course of care unfolds across three stages, read about our three-stage approach.