Expect your first visit to be anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours. Dr. Vickery will ask you a wide-ranging series of questions, take your pulse and look at your tongue before deciding which treatment protocol to use. Although some practitioners use the first visit merely to gather information, Dr. Vickery prefers to include an initial treatment.

You should feel free to ask plenty of questions, especially if this is your first visit, but even if you’re a seasoned veteran. And make sure you bring up anything and everything you’ve been experiencing, whether it seems connected to your current condition or not. Because acupuncture looks at the connection between all the body systems and between the body, mind and spirit, the more information you provide, the more effective your treatments will be.