What to Expect at
Ronald Pratt Acupuncture

We take your health very seriously. We are following guidelines recommended by New York State, the Acupuncture Society of New York and the American Acupuncture Council. We are prescreening all patients prior to appointments. Upon arrival, patients have a secondary screening with temperature checks and oximeter readings. We are building15 minutes between each appointment to allow for thorough cleaning and disinfection. Since we only treat one patient at at time we are able to limit patients passing each other in the waiting room as well.

Initial Appointments are 2 hours in length. During the appointment we discuss your current condition, review your full health history, perform diagnostic testing and conduct your first Acupuncture treatment.

Everyone is different but there are some trends. A number of factors play a role in healing time including: lifestyle, diet, and rest, along with whether your condition is chronic or acute. Acute injuries generally heal faster, 4-6 appointments. Chronic conditions tend to take longer, 8-10 appointments.

We are a wellness focused practice and we have a number of patients that we see ongoing for stress, anxiety energy, focus and pain management. This is not a requirement but many find Acupuncture can be helpful mitigating the impact of our modern, fast-paced lifestyle. At its core, Acupuncture is about keeping people well.

Everyone is different. When the needle is inserted some people feel nothing, others feel a prick or something slightly stronger. Sensations can vary for different parts of the body. The good news is once the needles are inserted, the sensation dissipates quickly.

We all experience acupuncture in different ways, and every acupuncture point feels a bit different. Some treatments involve almost no sensation. Other treatments are designed to be stimulating and moving. People have described sensations as “dull,” “achy,” “moving,” “crampy,” “electric,” and sometimes “sharp.” Whatever the sensation may be, it only lasts a split second and is generally followed by a sense of relaxation.

Immediately after treatment you will often feel relief from pain, discomfort and symptoms. You may notice a continued reduction following treatment. You also may feel more relaxed and at the same time energized.

Please bring any lab work or imaging results related to your condition. Be prepared to provide a list of any medications or supplements you’re currently taking. On the day of treatment eat a light meal or snack an hour or two before treatment. It’s best to avoid alcohol, excessive caffeine, fasting and any new activities on the day of treatment.

On the day of your Initial Acupuncture Appointment, you will find a clipboard in the waiting room with paperwork to fill out. Please arrive a few minutes early to complete this.

Dress however you want we can always accommodate with drapes. For most treatments the majority of points are located on arms and lower legs so it’s helpful if you can wear clothing that can be pulled up to the knee and elbow. If we need to access points on the torso or upper leg, we can drape you. Your comfort is of utmost importance to us.

Daily by appointment, including evening hours during the week and Saturdays.

Holidays and travel between offices can affect available hours. Please see our most current availability using our online scheduling tool:

https://ronaldprattacu.com/locations/

If you don’t see something that works call or email us, sometimes we are more flexible than our website tools.

Life happens and sometimes people need to reschedule. Not a problem! We ask that you provide 24 hours for any cancellations and rescheduling. Our biggest concern is you. We never overbook or rush treatments. We provide consistent, compassionate care, and generally run on time. In order to deliver this kind of care, we rely on the following cancellation, late or no-show policy.

Cancellations must be made a full 24 hours in advance. This is so that we have time the day before your appointment to offer your space to someone on the wait list. No shows and cancellations that are made with less than 24 hours notice are automatically billed a missed appointment fee equal to the full appointment fee. In the event you cancel in less than 24 hours and we are able to fill your spot, we will not bill you.

If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, we may not be able to provide the treatment you deserve without compromising the treatment of the person after you. In the interest of providing quality care, we will reschedule your appointment and charge you the missed appointment fee.

Additional location specific FAQs are available on the practice location pages:

Brooklyn

Rochester

Otherwise, feel free to call, email or use our online scheduling tool to setup an appointment.

If I’m with patients I’m not able to answer calls. The fastest way to confirm a time to talk is to sign up for a complimentary phone consultation.

This will allow you to block off a specific time to get all your questions answered. Phone consultations are 20 minutes on our schedule so that we can focus exclusively on you.

If you want to get started as soon as possible and don’t need a phone consultation, you can schedule your 2-hour initial appointment online as well.