If you have never had acupuncture, the questions stopping you from booking are probably the same three everyone has: does it hurt, how many sessions will I need, and what actually happens when I get there. Most clinic websites answer these with a single reassuring sentence and move on. You deserve the full version, because knowing what to expect is what removes the hesitation.
Does acupuncture hurt?
For most people, no, not in the way they fear, though sensations vary by individual and by technique. Acupuncture needles are roughly the width of a human hair, many times finer than the hollow needles used to draw blood or give an injection. When a needle is inserted you may feel a brief, faint tap, or nothing at all. Once the needles are in place, the more common sensation is a dull heaviness, warmth, or a mild ache around the point, often described as a tugging feeling. In Traditional Chinese Medicine this sensation is called de qi and is generally taken as a sign the point is responding. It is not the sharp pain people picture.
If a particular point feels genuinely sharp or uncomfortable, tell your practitioner. A registered acupuncturist can adjust or reposition the needle. You are never expected to endure pain, and many people are surprised by how relaxed the experience is, to the point that some fall asleep during the session.
What happens at your first visit, step by step
Your first appointment at Herbs Meta is a 75 minute initial treatment, longer than a follow-up, because it includes a full assessment.
It begins with a conversation. Your practitioner reviews your health history, your main concern, your sleep, digestion, stress, and any medications. Traditional Chinese Medicine then adds two assessments that may be new to you: looking at your tongue, and feeling the pulse at both wrists. These give your practitioner information about your overall pattern, not just the symptom you came in with.
From there you rest on a treatment table while fine needles are placed at selected points. Depending on your assessment, your practitioner may also use cupping, gua sha, or moxibustion within the session. The needles typically stay in for roughly 20 to 30 minutes while you rest in a quiet, dimly lit room, with the exact duration tailored to your plan. Many people find this the most restful part of their week. Before you leave, you receive a customized care plan and, where appropriate, recommendations for herbal support.
How many sessions will I need?
This is the honest part most pages skip: it depends, and anyone who promises a fixed number before assessing you is guessing. As a general guide, acute issues often respond in a handful of sessions, while chronic or long-standing concerns usually call for a course of treatment over several weeks. Acupuncture tends to work cumulatively, with each session building on the last, rather than delivering a single dramatic fix. Your practitioner will give you a realistic plan after your first assessment and adjust it based on how you respond, rather than booking you into an open-ended schedule.
How to prepare
Eat something light beforehand, so you are not arriving hungry. Wear loose, comfortable clothing that can be rolled above the elbows and knees, since many common points are on the lower arms and legs. Avoid heavy exercise, alcohol, and large meals right around your appointment. That is genuinely all the preparation needed.
A note on cost and coverage
A first visit is a 75 minute initial treatment at $150, with 60 minute standard treatments at $125 after that. Acupuncture from a registered acupuncturist is not covered by OHIP, but most extended health plans cover it when the practitioner is CTCMPAO-registered, as all of ours are. We direct bill most major insurers through TELUS Health eClaims, so where your plan allows it, you pay only your share at the visit.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are complementary therapies and do not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your physician.
Meet Your Practitioners
Herbs Meta is staffed by registered TCM practitioners serving Richmond Hill.
Andrew Zheng
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription, Meridian Diagnostic
Andrew has dedicated over twenty years to study and practice of medicine. He holds an MD from UMC, Southwest Free Medical University (Sichuan) and completed TCM training at the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He also serves as a TCM college instructor teaching Meridian, Acupuncture, Acupuncture Therapeutics, and Clinical Internship. Fluent in Chinese, English, and Russian.
Melody Tian, R.TCMP, R.Ac
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription, TCM Diagnostics
Melody is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Registered Acupuncturist in Ontario, and an instructor at the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (OCTCM). For nearly five years she has taught TCM diagnosis and supervised clinical internships. She excels in tongue diagnosis and holistic, root-cause approaches to care.
Yi Ling Chan, R. TCMP, R. AC
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription, Women’s Health, Fertility
Yi Ling holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from UM, Southwest Free Medical University (Sichuan) and practiced Western family medicine for six years in Malaysia before undertaking formal TCM training in Canada. Her dual medical background allows her to offer an integrative perspective. Fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and Malay.
Yang Wang, R.Ac, R.TCMP
Chronic Pain, Internal Medicine, Urological Conditions, Acupuncture
Yang Wang is a highly skilled, dual-trained medical professional and fifth-generation TCM practitioner. He holds a Master of Surgery from Peking University and served as a Urologist at Beijing Renhe Hospital for 13 years. He completed an intensive two-year Western Medicine to TCM program at Beijing Xiyuan Hospital and graduated from the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (OCTCM).
Wenhao Yang, R.TCMP, R.Ac
Acupuncture, Herbal Prescription
Eric is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Registered Acupuncturist in Ontario. He graduated from the Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and brings a thorough, patient-centred approach to assessment and treatment, with a focus on individualized care plans for both acute and long-standing health concerns.
Book a Chinese Herbal Medicine Consultation
At Herbs Meta, our CTCMPAO-registered practitioners provide personalized herbal prescriptions and acupuncture treatment plans tailored to your health goals.
- Sleep and stress support
- Digestive health
- Women's health and fertility
- Chronic fatigue
- TELUS Health direct billing available
What happens next:
- Book your first 75 minute visit online.
- Eat lightly and wear loose clothing on the day.
- Your registered practitioner assesses you, treats you, and explains your plan.
- We handle direct billing at the desk where your plan allows.
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