An appointment with us sets aside clinic facilities and practitioners for you exclusively.
Therefore we require a minimum of 24-hours notice to cancel a scheduled appointment otherwise the session fee is charged.
Please call the clinic as soon as possible should you be unable to attend due to accident or illness.
Also note that appointments made the same day and gift voucher redemptions are subject to this cancellation policy.
Melbourne Acupuncture uses an automated text and email service for all confirmations and reminders. When booking an appointment you should receive an e-mail with your service description, appointment time, date and therapist.
You should also receive an appointment reminder 48 hours prior to your appointment.
This automated service also allows you to change or cancel up to 24 hours before your scheduled session. Alternatively you can call.
These reminder messages are strictly a courtesy and are not a requirement to appear for a service.
It is recommended that upon booking that you note the date and time of your services as sometimes our reminders don’t get through.
Book an Initial Consultation in Acupuncture and we will discuss which Program can suit you.
Packages and plans involve repeat scheduling and can be bought in the clinic or by phone order.
You can complete this online at the base of our About Us page in advance to avoid a reduced treatment time. It provides us with the necessary information to prepare in advance your personal profile and health concerns before arrival to the clinic.
You can book a casual or initial consultation appointment by using the booking buttons on the website.
Clicking the booking buttons will allow you to set up an initial Acupuncture or Herbal consultations or Massage in time slots currently available.
Please note booking ‘Plans’ are only arranged by contacting the clinic directly over the phone or in person.
We can also answer any queries you may have and schedule appointment times for you by calling our clinic on 03 9804 5775.
If the phone is unattended, leave a clear message with your callback details.
Please arrive in at least 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment to allow for a relaxed check in, time to fill out the necessary Health Intake Survey.
Some private health funds cover herbal medicine as well. Please check with your fund for details.
Yes. We are registered with most health funds, Work Cover and TAC. If you are covered for acupuncture with your fund you will be able to claim.The amount you get back will depend on your level of cover. We use the HICAPS point of sale facility so you can process your refund straight away.
A small number of insurers are not linked to HICAPS for acupuncture, your receipt will be sufficient for the claim.
Your massage therapist will conduct a short health history interview if needed and will ask you general questions to establish what areas you would like to be worked on, if there are any conditions needing to be addressed. Your massage therapist may perform certain assessments and testing to evaluate your condition, and to see if you have any presenting complaints. You will then be guided to the massage area in our private air conditioned room where the session will commence.
Melbourne Acupuncture uses the highest graded and vetted herbal medicine available in Australia. Our granular herb dispenser is currently the only PICS GMP certified third party dispensary in Australia. PICS stands for Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification and is the international standard where Australian Therapeutic Goods auditors regularly conduct site inspections and scrutinise quality, audit systems and records. Under the PICS GMP system, everything is traceable and transparent. Batches are assayed prior to release.
Other pill and capsule formulas that we use are sourced from registered Australian manufacturers of practitioner only products with a long track record of superior quality and efficacy.
Our herbal medicines are not to be confused with over the counter herbal products with dubious provenance.
This can be a common experience for some people after a massage that didn’t feel particularly strong at the time. It occurs after an initial massage and is indicative of tension release and increased blood flow through the muscle tissue. This soreness will dissipate over the course of the day. If pain was the subject of the treatment this will also dissipate as well. Taking a warm to hot bath at night on the day of the massage just before bed can improve the massage releasing effects.
Your massage therapist will conduct a short health history interview if needed and will ask you general questions to establish what areas you would like to be worked on, if there are any conditions needing to be addressed. Your massage therapist may perform certain assessments and testing to evaluate your condition, and to see if you have any presenting complaints. You will then be guided to the massage area in our private air conditioned room where the session will commence.
Taking it easy after an session will allow the acupuncture effect to maximise.
Avoid coffee and alcohol that day as they disturb the regulating effect of acupuncture.
If you feel sleepy afterwards you should relax and take a nap if you can.
If you feel a marked increase in energy don’t spend it all on excess activity, it’s best to conserve this. If you have had work on a painful condition use warmth such as heat bags to improve the reduction of the pain.
Icing is not recommended on painful sites as it induces constriction of blood and lymph flow reducing healing times.
If you are currently receiving treatment from your doctor it is sensible to mention that you plan to have acupuncture. Similarly your acupuncturist will want to know of any medications, herbs or supplements you are taking as this may influence your response to the acupuncture treatment.
Acute conditions such as colds and acute muscle sprain can respond immediately or soon after post session.
Chronic conditions generally develop over time and can take weeks or months to resolve.
Lifestyle can also markedly affect how your health benefits progress. Reducing stress, appropriate rest and eating healthily is an important basis for the extraordinary benefits of traditional chinese medicine. Maintaining a treatment programme with continuity produces far better results which accrue progressively over time. Our practitioners will give you realistic time-frames for your specific condition.
Acupuncture treatments consist of needles and additional therapy methods as well. Non needle therapies include laser acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, gua-sha, tui-na and shiatsu acupressure. We can use these and other therapies effectively instead of needles for your specific condition.
In many cases the improvements with acupuncture can be felt straightaway. However each person’s condition is unique with multiple causes leading to symptoms. Progressive improvements occur over time as acupuncture treatments continue within a prescribed timeframe. There are several factors that will determine how many treatments will be needed as an ongoing course commonly shows up an positive trend over time. This trend of change will give insight into the duration of treatments.
We suggest that 5 to 10 regular sessions can give you an appreciation of the effects of acupuncture for your condition.
Naturally to achieve your goals more quickly the more frequently you receive treatments the quicker the progress. Therapeutic programs can have session frequencies ranging from daily in serious cases to once monthly. In most cases regular monthly sessions can consolidate improvements preventing relapse.
Ask the clinic about the savings using a plan.
Mild side effects can occur such as light-headedness, dizziness and nausea which are transient. A small bruise can occasionally occur from the session which will disappear after a few days. Unusually, certain health conditions may flare for a short time afterwards which settle to an improved state which indicates an effective treatment. Acupuncture is very safe when performed by a trained acupuncturist. Any side effects should be reported to your therapist.
Acupuncture needles are not much thicker than a human hair with a very smooth surface. Most people generally feel little sensation other than the therapist’s fingers pressing and feeling for the precise acupoint. Occasionally needle insertion can feel like a pinch which is momentary. Tingling and numbness and heaviness in the local area is a sensation that the acupuncturist may elicit to produce a specific effect. Once inserted they are left for a time and as the treatment proceeds there is usually an increasing sense of relaxation and subtle warmth throughout the body. Many recipients feel deeply relaxed and often fall asleep.
