The things people ask first

Far less than people expect. The needles are about the width of a hair — nothing like a syringe. Insertion is usually unnoticeable; what you feel afterwards is a dull heaviness or warmth spreading from the point, which is the sensation we are looking for. Tell Joy if anything is sharp and it gets adjusted straight away.

Needles are sterile, single-use and disposed of after one patient. Joy is licensed and practises to clean-needle standards. The common side effects are small and short-lived: a little bruising at a point, or feeling deeply relaxed and sleepy for an hour afterwards.

It depends on how long you have had the problem. Something acute can shift in one to three visits. A complaint of several years' standing is usually weekly for four to six weeks, then spaced out as things hold. Joy will give you an honest estimate at the first visit and tell you if it is not working.

This gets checked properly before anything is prescribed, so bring a list of everything you take, including supplements. Some combinations are avoided outright. Herbs come from suppliers who test for heavy metals and contaminants, and Joy does not prescribe anything containing endangered species or undeclared ingredients.

Loose, comfortable clothing that can move above the elbow and knee. Bring your medication and supplement list, plus any recent scans or test results if you have them. Eat something beforehand — treatment on an empty stomach can leave you light-headed.

Yes, with adjustments. Pregnancy changes which points and which herbs are appropriate, and that is routine to work around. Always mention pregnancy, a pacemaker or implanted device, a bleeding disorder or blood thinners, and any recent surgery.

No, and it is not meant to. Chinese medicine works alongside your medical care. Keep taking what you are prescribed, keep your appointments, and if something you describe needs investigating or sits outside Joy's scope, she will tell you plainly and refer you on.