Community Acupuncture
Community Acupuncture is practiced in a group setting.
In our clinic, we have 12 recliners in a spacious and relaxing room. Individuals still
schedule their own individual appointments,but everyone relaxes with the needles in the
same common area. We have a sliding fee scale and discounted fees for the 2nd –5th appointments in the same week in order to allow people to commit to their course of treatment.
Typically, acupuncture in the US is not practiced this way. Usually, an acupuncturist will see 1-2 patients an hour with fees ranging from $60 - $180 per treatment. The result of this model is that many people can’t even afford to try acupuncture. Or, people may try it, but often can’t afford to continue receiving acupuncture frequently enough and/or long enough to fully treat their condition. Insurance coverage for acupuncture is not widely available, and in cases where there is coverage, there are often limits placed on the number of treatments a person can receive.
In our clinic, we practice a style of acupuncture which primarily uses the acupuncture points on legs (between the knees and the tips of the toes), on arms, (between the elbows and the finger tips), and on the head. Due to the far-reaching effects of acupuncture points, it is possible to treat the whole body while needling only these areas. This style of acupuncture is particularly well suited to community acupuncture because a person can be treated for any condition while remaining fully clothed. For example, we treat lots of low back pain, hip pain, and shoulder pain in our clinic without exposing or needling these areas.
Training
We have received training in all aspects of Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, herbs, moxibustion, cupping, diet therapy and qi gong. We both attended and graduated from the Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies, which is now a part of the Northwestern Health Sciences University.
First Visit
We ask that you download and complete the forms in the Forms section and bring these to your first appointment. It is helpful if you wear loose clothing that can be moved to access elbows and knees. We also recommend planning to be at our clinic up to an hour and a half for your first visit.
At your first visit, we will ask you to fill out a health history form. We will review it, ask you a few questions, look at your tongue, take your pulse, and make other observations according to the principles of Chinese medicine. This lets us know which channels are out of balance. Based on this information, we are able to tailor your treatment to your specific needs by choosing the appropriate acupuncture points for needling. We use only sterile,disposable, stainless steel needles for one time use. Most people are pleasantly surprised at the lack of discomfort that comes with needling, and find the treatment very relaxing. Optimal results come when a person can relax with the needlesand we find for most people this takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Inspiration
We have been greatly inspired by the Working Class Acupuncture Clinic and its founders in Portland, Oregon. They introduced the concept of “Community Acupuncture” that is gaining popularity among acupuncturists like us who believe acupuncture can be for everyone.