Liberation Acupuncture and Juneteenth

Evolution from Community to Liberation Acupuncture, and how we’re commemorating Juneteenth 2021

When I opened OSCA 10 years ago I aspired to create an ultra relaxing lounge with exceptional acupuncture, accessible to as many as possible. In recent years, inspired by colleagues and sister clinics in POCA, I’ve expanded that vision to “liberation acupuncture“. Liberation acupuncture states “Individual health and disease do not exist, and cannot be understood or addressed, apart from social conditions – particularly injustice, inequality, and the pervasive influence of traumatic stress.”

When I was in acupuncture school we were taught it’s not just the needles that are the treatment. A word, a touch are also treatments. ^be the needle^ they taught. And now liberation acupuncture shows it’s not just the individual but the community that need treatment.

We must be an agent of change where we see stress in our community, not only in the treatment chairs.

To that end this Juneteenth we are giving love to a local black owned bicycling & art enterprise and a community action group. We’ll be donating gift certificates to the Juneteenth Field Trip competitive bike ride sponsored by the Boston Arts Sport Entertainment. And in the clinic on the 19th Juneteenth, we’ll donate 50% of profits to Neighbor to Neighbor, MA combating environmental racism, amongst other societal ills. Because when people of color endure the bulk of our pollution, healing requires more than the stress and physical symptoms that show up in the clinic.