What to Expect

Robin Costello BSc. DipAc. MBAcC. CertAc(China)
Duryard Valley Clinic, 5 High Croft, Exeter EX4 4JQ
Tel: 01392 424276

You can expect an individual diagnosis and treatment on all levels requiring attention – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. This is a medicine which does not draw artificial distinctions between the different aspects of you.

I will be looking to work in partnership with you, whereby with guidance, you can explore different ways of living which will facilitate your healing process. The aim is to help you towards a permanently improved state of wellbeing, after the course of treatment is over. Advice may encompass anything from recommendations about diet, rest or exercise, to the growth of alternative attitudes to well-being, work, family etc.

I believe diet and lifestyle to be the cornerstones of good health.

At an initial consultation, I am interested to learn not only about your primary complaint, but also your health in general and any other conditions, whether regular or infrequent, which you experience. I may ask about your living circumstances, your outlook and your attitudes in life. All of these may be relevant and by taking account of them, I like to ensure a thorough understanding of your problem, leading to the most appropriate treatment for you.

Provided there is time in our first session, some gentle introductory acupuncture will then be offered, using perhaps just a few needles. These will not necessarily be inserted close to the part of the body where you experience the problem. Your session will take place in a clean and calm environment, and only sterile, disposable needles are used. While the needles are in, you have the opportunity to just rest quietly.

After you have had the opportunity to experience treatment, I will explain in straightforward terms what I feel is wrong, why it may have happened, and how I may be able to help. I will devise and outline a treatment plan. This will include lifestyle advice and the offer of a fixed number of visits, at the end of which we will together review progress, and agree on anything else still to be done. Acupuncture is a gentle medicine, which has a cumulative effect over time. The initial number of sessions I suggest, will be based upon the condition you would like treated, the length of time for which you have had it, your age and overall health, and any living circumstances or occupational factors which are suspected of perpetuating the problem.

If there is anything about which you are unclear, there is ample time to discuss it. Take a look also at my Frequently- Asked Questions.