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A first acupuncture appointment goes more smoothly when you share key health details and know which hygiene and consent questions you can ask.

Arriving with the right details

Many people on the lower North Shore put off a first acupuncture booking for weeks, often because they are unsure what actually happens in the room. A calm first appointment usually starts with conversation rather than needles. Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, will want to hear what brought you in, which medicines you take, whether you are or could be pregnant, and whether you have ever fainted during a blood test or injection.

Be honest about how you feel about needles, too. Nervousness is common, and naming it early lets Christine talk through whether needling suits you today, whether a gentler start makes sense, or whether a different option is worth considering.

Hygiene and consent you can ask about

Practical hygiene questions are entirely reasonable. How are hands cleaned before treatment? Are the needles sterile and used only once? How does the practitioner confirm that every needle has been removed at the end? Clear answers to these points can help you settle into the session.

Consent is not a form you sign once and then forget. You may ask Christine to stop, slow down or explain a step again at any moment. Hearing what is proposed, together with the alternatives, means you remain part of each decision rather than a passive observer.

Setting a goal you can review

Before anything begins, try describing two things separately: the symptom bothering you, and what a useful change would look like in ordinary life. For one person that might mean sitting through a long work meeting with less discomfort; for another it could simply be understanding the problem better, or learning when a GP review is the sensible next step.

Ask how the plan will be checked at later visits and what would prompt a change of direction.

Booking your first visit

If you live or work around Lane Cove and would like an unhurried introduction, type your medicine list and a few questions into your phone before you set off. Christine consults at the Lane Cove clinic, and that first meeting is the right moment to decide together whether acupuncture fits what you are hoping for.