Why Choose Community Acupuncture?

The Experience
Community acupuncture is done in a group setting. Patients remain fully clothed and are treated in reclining chairs, making the feel of the space less clinical and more like someone’s living room or community center. Because of the group setting, there is more appointment availability and many patients choose to come in with friends or family members. This makes the experience less isolating than being alone in a treatment room.

The group setting is closer to the way acupuncture is practiced traditionally in China. It also contributes to what we call “group Qi”: people seem to relax more deeply and experience better results from the treatment when they are treated in a room with other people.

Although the treatment rooms are quiet and relaxing, community acupuncture is a no-fuss process. Your practitioner will not spend much time chatting with you or offering extra services like massage. Since acupuncture stimulates the healing process of your own body, we believe that simplicity of both setting and treatment leads to better outcomes.

The Practitioner
Since your community acupuncturist performs many treatments each week and sees a wide variety of patients, you get the benefit of a practitioner with experience treating a broad range of conditions. The support of the Community Acupuncture Network enables practitioners to tap into the collective experience of hundreds of other acupuncturists to help with challenging cases.

Community acupuncturists see ourselves as part of the community, not as experts above our patients. Treating patients and helping them get better is our primary focus.

The Community
Community acupuncture means more than just group treatments. It means a practitioner and a business model that are committed to the growth and health of the community. Community acupuncturists actively seek out ways to be part of the community and support local programs through activities such as being a drop-off point for CSAs, displaying the work of local artists, and volunteering at veterans acupuncture programs.

Everyone benefits when more people have access to affordable acupuncture. Neighborhoods become physically healthier and more able to manage stress. Practitioners and patients work together to make the acupuncture experience better for the community.

The Financials
The current market rates for private acupuncture range from $50-$90, and sometimes higher. Community practices pledge to keep rates low, using a sliding scale of $15-$45 or a flat rate of less than $30.

Although many people could afford market rates for acupuncture every once in a while, if you have an ongoing health condition or one that is that is moderate or severe, you will need multiple acupuncture treatments. As with most healthy choices, frequency of acupuncture is important for it to be maximally effective (think: would you take a multivitamin once a week?). It is also the way acupuncture historically was designed to be used, and how it is currently used in China.

Most people, unless you are in the upper 10-15% income bracket, cannot afford to pay private rates for an extended period. Even in the rare case that insurance covers a portion of your acupuncture treatment, most companies won’t pay for a sufficient course of treatment.

Community Acupuncturists believe that “healing is not an elitist commodity.”* The sliding scale system is empowering to the patient, and its reliance on the honor system (no income verification is required) creates trust within community.

*The Remedy: Integrating Acupuncture Into American Health Care by Lisa Rohleder.

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