Your First Visit at Lok Acupuncture Clinic in Las Vegas
At Lok Acupuncture clinic in Las Vegas our goal is to understand the patterns of disease of the patient at the time of examination. Each patient will be approached differently based on his or her problems.
Depending on the medical complaints, Dr. Lok may assess the patient’s physical condition, identify the symptoms, and uncover his or her medical history through an interview. Dr. Lok may observe your expressions, facial color, and body structure. He may inspect the tongue’s shape, coating, moisture and mobility. He may listen to respiration, speech characteristics, cough and even consider bodily odors.
During the patient’s initial visit, he will examine the patient’s pulses by feeling three different regions on each wrist. Each region reflects the conditions of the heart, liver, right and left kidneys, lungs and spleen. Additionally, he will perform palpation techniques of various acupuncture channels and points, with the aim of discovering abnormal reactions that occur when the body is diseased. Based upon all of the collected information, Dr. Lok will determine the stage to which the diseases have developed, the location of the diseases and the amount of the body’s strength and resistance to fight the diseases. Dr. Lok then selects the appropriate acupuncture points as well as other possible techniques and methods, (including cupping, electro-acupuncture, and heat), to be used in order to regulate and bring the body into balance.
For treatment, the patient may be sitting or positioned on a treatment table while disposable, hair-thin needles are inserted into the acupuncture points. Needles come in different lengths and widths, according to the depth of the insertion. The procedure is generally not painful. Most people feel very peaceful and may even fall asleep. The needles are usually in place for 20-30 minutes or more. Each condition requires a different number of needles at various acupuncture points. A typical treatment usually requires between 4 and 20 needles.
Depending on the nature and the severity of the problems being treated, 1 to 12 treatments are usually needed. Some chronic diseases, such as asthma, neuropathy, or paralysis, require extended treatment plans. Dr. Lok may be able to assess the approximate amount of treatments needed after the first visit.
THE FIRST VISIT
Acupuncture is a treatment that strives to heal the patient’s area of pain, with the recognition that the area of pain is just one part of the body, which is a dynamic and comprehensive system. One area that reflects pain may be directly related to another area that is not showing signs of pain. Dr. Lok wants to make sure that the treatments are as effective and efficient as possible. To facilitate these shared goals, the patient should think about his or her medical history and issues before the first visit.
The patient’s medical history generally consists of three parts:
1. Physical History of the Area in Pain – Let us know about the current pain and any recent trauma to this area. The patient’s medical history should include all relevant medical records, test results from x-rays, MRIs, prescriptions with dosages, blood tests, and other treatments.
2. Physical History of the Body in General – The body is a complex system, and there are many relationships between areas of the body that may not be obvious at first glance. As such, we encourage the patient to think about other seemingly unrelated ailments or issues. We also would like to know if any of your immediate family members are experiencing similar complaints as there are often shared similarities amongst family members.
3. Emotional Status – Important life events and the resulting emotions (anger, sadness, fear, worry, joy, fatigue, and stress) can have significant impact on the body. It is helpful to know if there are any recent events that may have contributed to the patient’s medical issues.
Before a course of treatment can be determined, we will evaluate the patient’s medical condition to ensure that our treatments will accurately address the issues. Acupuncture seeks to heal the body as a whole, and as such, we may include diet, lifestyle and exercise recommendations to facilitate maximum healing. We are dedicated to our goal of trying to make sure that our patients feel better.
After we learn more about you, we will discuss a treatment plan with you. This treatment plan will help identify the cause of your pain as well as treat the area in which you feel pain and the types of treatments needed.