The community acupuncture model, where multiple people are treated in a shared space, 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 Roots of Community Acupuncture in the U.S.
Immigrant pioneers formalized the community acupuncture model in the U.S. in the ’70s. Around the same time, The Black Panther Party and the Young Lords offered community acupuncture 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; it’s not only what we acupuncturists are doing. It’s also about the community that shows up for treatment.
Support Community Acupuncture
- Show up for treatment!
In addition to financial support, you are part of the healing that goes on in the shared space - Participate in events and workshops or share your skills and lead one!
- Spread the word!
Tell friends family and coworkers about us/ Leave us a review
POCA, The People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture, is a non profit dedicated to making community acupuncture accessible. POCA helps private practitioners convert to the community acupuncture model. Additionally, POCA has an affordable acupuncture school, POCA Tech, and offers grants to clinics opening in underserved areas.
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!
In our appreciation for your support, POCA community level 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.
Further Resources
Watch Dope is Death about the radical roots of community acupuncture in the U.S.
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.