What is community acupuncture?
The community acupuncture model is rooted in thousands of years of history.
Acupuncturists in Asia traditionally treated multiple people together in communal spaces.
Patients came frequently, even daily, until symptoms resolved.
The Radical History of community acupuncture in the U.S.
OSCA is a clinic member of POCA and many of our staff and patients are members too. We are working together towards a common goal of affordable acupuncture.
You can join too! We appreciate the support & offer perks!
Community Acupuncture thrives in the U.S. thanks to the brave dedication of activists. Immigrant acupuncturists like Miriam Lee pioneered group acupuncture on the west coast in the 70’s around the same time the Black Panthers and Young Lords were introducing group acupuncture at Lincoln Detox in New York
The ear acupuncture protocol practiced at Lincoln Detox led to the creation of NADA, the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association
“Their toolkit care was born out of… a desire to reclaim authority and the right to heal”
Community Acupuncture Movement
Today’s Community Acupuncture Movement owes a LOT to the inspired work of folks at Working Class Acupuncture in Portland OR, who started up POCA, the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture.
OSCA exists thanks to POCA! POCA supports affordable community acupuncture clinics like OSCA to spread throughout the U.S. and even abroad. Learn more about POCA and the roots of NADA below.
Mutulu Shakur, stepfather to Tupac Shakur, along with members of the Black Panther Party and the Young Lords, pioneered America’s first acupuncture detoxification program by blending community health efforts with radical political action. Their goal was to find a holistic method to help Black and Hispanic communities overcome heroin addiction.
Acknowledgement of our Debt
We acknowledge the debt we owe, as community acupuncturists, to immigrant pioneers like Miriam Lee and activists like the Young Lords and the Black Panthers who challenged racism and oppression & fought to bring affordable group acupuncture into their communities. We acknowledge the wonderful work of WCA to trailblaze community acupuncture today giving clinics like OSCA the support we need to thrive.
POCA is a member-run non-profit organization whose mission is to work cooperatively to increase accessibility to and availability of affordable group acupuncture treatments. We envision a world in which every community has access to local, affordable acupuncture to reduce collective and individual suffering and to nurture resilience.
What are you waiting for... book an appointment today
Our skilled acupuncturists have delivered over 30,000 acupuncture treatments since we opened, May 1st 2011.
