Community Acupuncture
Imagine not being able to afford healthcare. According to a 2019 study from the American Journal of Public Health, approximately 530,000 people reported that medical expenses or illness-related work loss led them to file bankruptcy (Himmelstein, 2019). The fact is, not being able to afford quality health care hits close to home for many of us.
Wellness should be an essential, not a luxury; and community acupuncture allows for greater accessibility to health care at affordable prices.
Community acupuncture at Tigerlily Holistic, Ridgewood Queens
Community acupuncture clinics are known to have a sliding scale business model. Patients pay their desired price within the sliding scale range—which is often significantly cheaper than private clinics. The effects of acupuncture are cumulative and more than one appointment is often necessary. Depending on the condition, at least 4-8 sessions may be necessary to see substantial progress. These weekly sessions can be a burden for many financially, and community acupuncture helps to lessen that burden.
Acupuncture is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and is over 3000 years old. Community clinics can be an introduction to people unfamiliar with the eastern healing arts. Most people have no concept of what alternative and complementary medicine even is; and only find themselves in an acupuncturist’s or herbalist’s office after many years of making their rounds through the modern healthcare system. This needs to change. In order for that to happen more people need to be introduced to the world of Chinese medicine.
At a community acupuncture clinic, patients are treated in a big open space. Treatment tables—as depicted in the image above—can sometimes have dividers between them, but not always. Some facilities prefer patients to notice that there are others around them who are also there for healing. They choose to run their practices without any dividers, thereby adding to the community healing atmosphere. These clinics—though cheaper than private acupuncture clinics—do well to not take away from the quality of services that they offer. Sessions are generally still 60 minutes long and most places will offer additional modalities, such as cupping therapy, with no extra cost.
References
Himmelstein, D., Lawless, R., Thorne, D., et al. Medical bankruptcy: still common despite the Affordable Care Act. Am J Public Health. 2019; 109(3): 431-433. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304901 . - PMC