Before Your Visit

Here's how to prepare for your first appointment, from completing your paperwork to what to wear.

Complete your online profile. You should have received a welcome email with links to your online scheduling account. If you haven't, please contact us before your scheduled time.
Complete your health history. Your health history can be filled out online through the scheduling portal. Please fill this out before you arrive. If you can't, let us know in advance and plan to arrive 15 minutes early to complete the form before your appointment.
Watch for communication from us. Please review any emails we send, as they often include important details about your appointment. We may also follow up by text or phone, so keep an eye on those channels in the days leading up to your visit.
You don't want to arrive starving or stuffed. A small meal or snack an hour or so before treatment is ideal.
Plan for comfort. Wear or bring something soft and easy to move in — ideally with sleeves and pant legs that roll up easily, or short sleeves and shorts. You can change here, and we have sheets for draping as needed.
Skip heavy caffeine, alcohol, and intense workouts in the hour or so before your visit, if you can.
Arrive a few minutes early. Five minutes will usually suffice. You'll want enough time to use the restroom, settle in, and be ready to start at your appointment time.

What to Expect

Here's what you can expect from any appointment at Olo.

Check-in. Check in at the front desk and get settled before your appointment time. If you have an appointment when no one is working the front desk, have a seat in reception, and your provider will meet you there.
Consultation. Your new patient consultation is a focused time to review your health history and treatment goals, develop a treatment plan, and answer any questions you may have.
Treatment. Your practitioner will guide you through the session at a comfortable pace, checking in with you along the way.
Post-Treatment. Once your treatment is over, take a few minutes to come back to the room. Get up slowly, drink some water, and give yourself a beat before heading to reception to check out and book your next session.

After Your Treatment

We recommend the following for after appointment care whenever possible.

Plan to take it easy. Skip intense exercise, alcohol, and heavy meals.
Get some rest. Many patients feel relaxed, perhaps a little floaty, and noticeably calmer for the rest of the day. We recommend following that up with a good night's rest.
Stay hydrated. Drink enough water to stay properly hydrated.

Acupuncture at Olo

If you're new to acupuncture or just new to Olo, here's a closer look at how we approach care — and what to know about community and private room treatments.

More information is also available on our acupuncture service page.

Foundations in Balance

Every acupuncture patient starts with our Foundations in Balance series of five treatments. Whether you purchase our intro offer, pay as you go, or bill insurance, these five treatments help you better understand how acupuncture can work for you — and help us better understand how your body responds to treatment.

Your Intro Offer

An Intro Offer is available for new acupuncture patients. More information is on our pricing page, and we're happy to talk you through it when you come in or answer questions via email or phone.

Your Acupuncture Appointment, Step by Step

Building on What to Expect above, here's what's specific to an acupuncture session. The information below applies whether you're booked in our community room or a private room — your acupuncturist will guide you through each step.

Treatment. Needles are often placed on your arms, legs, hands, feet, and ears, as well as locally if you're coming in for a pain condition or something similar. Upon insertion, most patients feel little to nothing — sometimes a brief pinch or dull ache that fades. Your acupuncturist may also stimulate the needles during treatment, which can create sensations like warmth, pressure, or a dull ache — always within your comfort level. They'll let you know if they need to access another area and will drape you with a sheet as needed. If you're new to needles or nervous, let your acupuncturist know — they're experienced at adjusting their approach to fit your comfort.
Resting with the needles in. You'll rest for roughly 30 to 40 minutes. Many patients drift into sleep. You'll have a call button to get your acupuncturist's attention if you start to feel uncomfortable or need anything.
Needle removal. Your acupuncturist will check in, remove the needles, and let you take your time before getting up.

Community Room Acupuncture

Our community room is a comfortable and quiet shared space with other patients resting nearby. The flow is the same as the step-by-step above, with a few small things specific to the shared setting.

Community Room Expectations & Etiquette

Prepare before you enter. Do what you can to organize your belongings before stepping into the room — silence your phone, take off your watch or jewelry, and otherwise get your things in order — so you can quietly slip in, stow your items, and get comfortable.
Clothing. Most patients simply roll up their shirt sleeves and pant legs. If your provider needs to access an area that requires removing a piece of clothing, they'll let you know and drape you with a sheet as needed.
Communication. Once you're in the community room, communication happens quietly. You will have reviewed everything at a conversational volume during your consultation beforehand. If you need to get your provider's attention during treatment, eye contact or a small nod is usually enough. You'll also have a call button to get our attention when needed.

The community room at Olo Acupuncture with a patient being treated by a practitioner while two patients rests.

After Your Fifth Visit

At your fifth and final Foundations in Balance appointment, you'll have another consultation to assess your progress and discuss what further treatment could look like. That might be weekly visits for the next month, followed by another reassessment, as-needed visits during flare-ups, or seasonal visits for conditions such as allergies. From here on, appointments are scheduled as "return" community or private room visits, with periodic consultations as your care continues — frequency depends on your health concerns and your progress.

Cancellation Policy

We know life happens. To be fair to our practitioners, staff, and other patients, we ask that you keep a few things in mind:

Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead. Earlier cancellations are no charge; cancellations inside 24 hours are charged in full.
Same-day rescheduling is free. You can move your appointment to any available slot with any practitioner on the same calendar day at no charge.
Arrive on time. Patients more than 5 minutes late may not be able to be seen, and late arrivals are charged in full.
To cancel, please do so online when possible. If you can't, call, text, or email us.

You can read the full policy on our cancellation and lateness page.

Other Services

Additional information for new patients scheduled for acupuncture facials and bodywork is available on those pages.

Your New Patient Guide

On this Page:

Location & Hours

Hours & Schedule