The community acupuncture model, where multiple people are treated in a shared space, is rooted in thousands of years of history.
Acupuncturists accross China and other parts of Asia traditionally treated multiple people together in communal spaces. Patients came frequently, even daily, until symptoms resolved.
Immigrant pioneers formalized the community acupuncture model in the U.S. in the ’70s. Around the same time, a Black Panther party delegation went to China and trained in acupuncture. Together with allies like Dr. Michael Smith, these social movements offered community style acupuncture clinics at the Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. “Their toolkit care was born not necessarily out of desperation but rather a desire to reclaim authority and the right to heal.”
No Community Acupuncture Without Community
Community Acupuncture is not a one-way relationship; not only about what we acupuncturists are doing. It’s also about the community that shows up for treatment.
How to spport Community Acupuncture:
- Show up for treatment! In addition to financial support, you are part of the healing that goes on in the shared space =collective nervous system regulation
- Share skills / participate in events and workshops
- Spread the word! Tell friends family and coworkers about Community Acupuncture.
The People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA)
The Community Acupuncture Movement is a progressive movement within the U.S. acupuncture world founded by P.O.C.A., The People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture. POCA, originally a multi-stakeholder cooperative, now a non profit, has helped private practice acupuncturists convert to the community model, has fostered clinics in underserved areas, and has opened an affordable acupuncture school, POCA Tech.
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
- Become a POCA member: Patients can be POCA members! Go to <pocacoop.com>. Being a member is on a $25-$100 per year sliding scale. In our appreciation for your support, POCA members get unlimited reduced cost treatments at OSCA every May and October, as well as other perks. Looking for community acupuncture outside of Somerville? go to the POCA website and click on ‘locate a clinic’ to search for the location of any POCA clinic nationwide.
(CA Lifestyle watercolor by James Lorr and Laura Gillen)
Check out this terrific introductory video by Media Awakenings.
… and the Official CA Documentary,
Community Acupuncture: The Calmest Revolution Ever Staged – directed by Brian Lindstrom
… listen to Acupuncture Touted for Low-Cost Care on National Public Radio’s ‘Marketplace’ program.
One of the main ways that you can help support the clinic is to tell your friends! Spread the word about us and Community Acupuncture!
Community Acupuncture Statement
- Because acupuncture does not have to be expensive in order to be effective ❧ Because military budgets balloon while health care is cut ❧ Because nothing breaks through the isolation of pain, illness and depression like healing in a room with other humans ❧ Because our favourite way to spread the word about how well acupuncture works is to make it available to people ❧ Because we are pleased to challenge the notion of value being attached to price ❧ Because there aren’t enough spaces where strangers switch off cell phones and slumber side by side ❧ Because for thousands of years acupuncture has been practiced in groups ❧ Because returning acupuncture to its roots makes us the happiest of humble radicals ❧ Because the vast majority of us love our work so much we couldn’t imagine doing anything else – We are a part of the community acupuncture movement