YES! Your active participation is directly related to your success. Only you can tell me what is going on with your body, and that information helps us manage your treatment.

First we want you to heal so that your symptoms go away. The amount of time that this takes depends on what we are treating. Most health problems don’t happen overnight or can be severe in intensity, so healing may take some time. With Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, we are initiating and speeding up the healing process. We are giving your body signals to heal itself. To get the momentum going so your body can mend itself, allow 6 visits to determine how your body is responding to treatment. After a course of 12 treatments, the healing may be complete or we may need to do another series to continue the healing. Once your symptoms are gone, we encourage you to come in for Monthly Maintenance, or more often, to incorporate Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine into your lifestyle.

In some situations we recommend treatments over consecutive days to help relieve pain, build your immune system, or for your other health goals. Acupuncture works cumulatively. What this means is that you will notice improvement after your treatment, and you will want your next treatment to take place before this improvement decreases so that we can build on it. With this method, we will improve your health in a shorter amount of time, and that’s our goal–-to have you feeling better as fast as we can with long-lasting effects.

A large part of that depends on you. Acupuncture sends signals to your body to let it know what it needs to do to heal and Acupuncture re-circuits the circuitry of your body so that these changes will stay for longer and longer periods of time. Questions to ask yourself: Are you following your prescribed treatment protocol? What is your lifestyle like? Are you continuing to re-injure yourself? Between treatments, are you stretching to continue the positive effects of the treatment? Are you drinking enough water after your treatment? What are you eating? Dr. Marco can prescribe Chinese Herbal Formulas that are specific to you to help you shift your biochemistry so you can achieve your desired goals. These are all areas that we will discuss throughout your treatments. We are aiming for permanent relief and optimal health, by utilizing your body’s own healing mechanisms. The slow and steady pace of Holistic Medicine allows your body to mend and stay healthy.

Please call at least 48 hours in advance (even on Sundays) to reschedule your time. Please leave a message if the front desk staff is not available. Because your treatment room is reserved for you, with less than 24 hour’s notice, you will be responsible for the charge of the appointment. If you have a friend or family member that can take your place and pay for your appointment time or use their package, this is a great way to avoid your cancellation fee. Please call Stonington Natural Health Center at 860-536-3880. Your cooperation on this is vitally important to our mutual success.

Please ask to have your name put on the waiting list. When an appointment opens or if we are able to shift the schedule, then we will contact you as soon as possible to get you in.

Most of the time, you won’t feel anything at all. Occasionally you might feel a little pinch. Once the needle is in, you may experience warmth, tingling, or numbness, which indicates an increase in blood flow and that the point is active. These are good sensations as they indicate that the point is working and we are in the right spots. For the most part, you will barely be aware that the point has been placed.

We use the word point instead of needle because the word needle is often associated with the needle or syringe used for getting shots. On the other hand, Acupuncture needles are as thin as a hair, and much thinner than syringes or sewing needles. Did you know that eight Acupuncture needles can fit into the hole of a syringe? We also use the word point in reference to the spots along the energy channels on the body—these are the points that influence positive change and healthy re-patterning of your body.

A “zing”, warmth, tingling, or numbness indicates that we found the right spot. When you feel any of these, just say “got it!” and then we’ll know that we “got the qi.” When we have found the right spots, these areas are often where there is a blockage in your system. By freeing up the blockages, the energy can move through your body. If you think of the channels as being pipes with clogs in them, the Acupuncture acts like energetic drain-o and gets the energy flowing. During treatments, I may ask you to take a deep breath. Breathing helps to easy any discomfort or nervousness plus breathing brings lots of fresh oxygen into your body to help with healing.

Yes! Please let me know if you are ever uncomfortable during your treatment. Often a point just needs to be slightly adjusted, and then it is comfortable again. Also, let me know if you would like anything adjusted for your comfort--the temperature of the room, the volume of the music, if you would like a sip of water, the position of a pillow, anything affecting your ability to relax.

Usually jewelry, shoes, and socks are the only things that need to be removed. It is helpful for you to wear loose clothing so that we can get to your knees, elbows, and shoulders. To get to hard to reach areas and during the tui na therapeutic massage, you may need to remove certain articles of clothing; we always use proper draping techniques, however, to ensure each person’s privacy and comfort.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine help you to feel good and healthy. A pro is that Acupuncture often triggers your body to detoxify--these toxins have been sitting in your muscles, organs, and fat. The day of and day after your treatment, it is especially important for you to drink water to flush these toxins out of your body. You may find that you feel a little worse before you feel better. Occasionally you may experience a temporary bruise or some local soreness.

Yes, water helps your body cleanse itself of the toxins that were released during your treatment and is essential to your healing. For the most comfort, please make sure to use the bathroom before your treatment.

Your insurance may not cover acupuncture because of a Legislature Act. We encourage all patients to call their insurance representatives.