Section 1: - Welcome and information (for new clients)
Section 2: - Additional Information for Attending Belfast Community Acupuncture During Covid-19 (for all clients)
Section 2: - Additional Information for Attending Belfast Community Acupuncture During Covid-19 (for all clients)
Belfast Community Acupuncture – Welcome and information for new clients
A warm welcome to Belfast Community Acupuncture! We are a local, privately run acupuncture clinic emphasizing professional, ethical, evidence-informed treatments for pain, stress and chronic illness. We began life as a ‘community clinic’ offering cheaper appointments in a no-frills, multi-bed shared space. However since the pandemic we offer 1-2-1 appointments only.
Should you contact your GP? Qualified medical advice should always be sought if you have symptoms which cause you concern. There is no substitute for proper medical tests to rule out a potentially serious condition.
What can you expect from acupuncture? For your first treatment you will have the chance to discuss your health concerns in detail, and agree some treatment goals. Generally speaking, we aim to help achieve mild to moderate relief of symptoms following a first treatment, improving over a few weeks of treatment depending upon how long you've had those symptoms. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to see gains, but if no improvement has occurred within four sessions we would question the value of continuing. We may discuss a Chinese Medicine perspective, or current western clinical research according to our individual training. Recovering from ill health is a challenging journey with ups and downs, and while some people respond very quickly it is normal to expect flare-ups along the way, whether you are using acupuncture or any other modality. We aim to help you become more resilient against these flare-ups. With chronic health problems, realistic goals are important so your treatments should be an ongoing dialogue with your practitioner, ‘mutually tuning’ your goals within the scope and limitations of acupuncture therapy. Your priorities will naturally change so please keep this conversation going!
What to do before and after your treatment
You should eat something light before your appointment but not arrive full. It can be helpful to inform us of anything you feel we should know (medications, allergies, infections, clotting disorders, pacemaker, history of seizures or fainting). There is no reason not to resume normal activities after acupuncture, but we recommend avoiding any activity that might exacerbate your condition. Please ask if in doubt.
FEES (from April 2022) see here
CANCELLATION POLICY - To sustain the lowest fees possible, a STRICT CANCELLATION FEE of £20 applies to cancellations of less than 24 hrs. and no shows.
(If you need to cancel at the last minute due to Covid-19, NO cancellation fee will apply but please give us as much notice as possible so that someone else can be offered the empty slot).
What Are The Risks/Side Effects? Mary and Emma are fully trained and professionally registered practitioners. In properly trained hands, acupuncture is a safe therapy with minimal side effects. In a survey of 9408 patients in the U.K., 10.7% of respondents reported adverse events, which most commonly included post-treatment tiredness/exhaustion, headaches, temporary needling pain or bruising (Macpherson et al., 2004)[1]. Cupping may cause temporary marking, which can last a couple of days. Some individuals report a temporary aggravation of symptoms immediately following treatment, but this will not last. Subsequent treatments can be adjusted to make a reoccurrence less likely. Indeed it can be a positive sign, if it quickly progresses to a better outcome. If you experience a flare up at a later stage, or another unrelated symptom, then this unlikely to be triggered by acupuncture. Acupuncture should be painless but please help us make your experience enjoyable by letting us know if you are uncomfortable. Acupuncture should however stimulate a tolerable sensation called “deqi” where the local area might for example feel heavy, or achy. Particularly tense, tender spots (ashi points, or trigger points) may produce a strong deqi also called a ‘twitch response’. This is considered part of the treatment, and is nothing to worry about. ‘Dose’ (number of needles, intensity of deqi sensations, adding electro-stimulation) will be adjusted during your treatment or during subsequent visits to ensure it is comfortable, or to improve response, or to avoid a reoccurrence of any previous aggravation. It is therefore essential that you tell us how you feel during and after treatment so that we can tailor the treatment to suit you as an individual person.
Additional Information for Attending Belfast Community Acupuncture During Covid-19 (for all clients)
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT:
1. Intake procedure: When you contact us, we will take some initial details. We will also offer you an opportunity to download and complete an intake form in advance. This is a standard form asking for information we need to treat you and will be kept confidential in accordance with our data protection policy. You can type in out or print and write on it if you prefer, then bring it with you to your first appointment. It is not possible to admit an accompanying person unless (1) absolutely necessary e.g. a carer, and (2) prior notice is given.
2. Exclusions:
1) You must not attend if you have symptoms of Covid-19 (a high temperature, a new continuous cough, loss or change in your normal sense of smell or taste), or if you have had these symptoms within the past 10 days.
2) You must not attend if you are self-isolating or required to quarantine
3) For current guidelines see: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19
ARRIVING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT:
2. Arriving at clinic: Try to arrive at the time of your appointment, no more than 5 minutes early. We have allocated extra time for cleaning and disinfecting the treatment area between clients, but we advise not using the waiting area at the current time.
3. Masks: Government guidelines are to wear a mask in healthcare settings or crowded indoor spaces. Acupuncture professional guidelines have made this a mandatory requirement. You should arrive wearing a mask (a reusable cloth masks is sufficient). If you forget your mask you will be given one. If you have a medical reason that you cannot wear a mask please let us know in advance.
4. Hygiene: Please sanitise your hands at the earliest opportunity. Sanitising stations are available at the entrance to the clinic room and at other strategic locations in the building
5. Social distancing: You should continue to respect the 2m social distancing guidelines
6. Make your way to the clinic room as directed.
7. Consultation: We will complete the consultation at this stage before beginning your treatment. Feel free to ask questions now or later during your treatment.
8. Masks: You are expected to retain your mask during the treatment unless there is a good reason that you are not able to do so, so if you need to remove it, please let us know beforehand. You should sanitise your hands before and after touching your face mask.
9. Treatment: If you have had acupuncture before, this should be a normal treatment apart from special Covid-19 precautions. You can ask questions or tell us anything relevant to your treatment and we can discuss your goals further.
10. Post-treatment: We will ask for feedback at your next treatment, so pay attention to how you felt over the first 24-48 hours after your session.
11. Payment: We accept contactless payments
12. Follow-up appointments. As soon as you have had a treatment with us you are a priority client for next available appointments. If you are diagnosed with Covid-19 within 10 days of your appointment you must notify your therapist immediately. (Please don’t leave it until the last minute as someone else may benefit from the slot).
Feel free to ask us anything else, otherwise we look forward to welcoming you.
Emma Van Loock, MSc, Lic.Ac and Mary Gribbin BSc. Pharm, Lic.Ac
Download this handout
[1] [1] Macpherson, H., Scullion, A., Thomas, K. J., & Walters, S. (2004). Patient reports of adverse events associated with acupuncture treatment: a prospective national survey. Quality & Safety in Health Care, 13(5), 349–355. https://doi.org/10.1136/qhc.13.5.349
