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Community Acupuncture

At Luna Circle Wellness I provide private acupuncture sessions and consultations, and I provide treatments in our community acupuncture clinic. I also provide community style acupuncture treatments at other locations around town for patient populations that cannot easily make it to the clinic. Because acupuncture has a cumulative effect, that is each treatment builds on the progress made in previous treatments, community acupuncture is often the most convenient way for patients to get the number and frequency of treatments that is ideal for their health. Some patients find that a combination of private treatments and community acupuncture is the best way to nourish their health.

Community acupuncture is acupuncture preformed in a group setting, where several patients relax with needles retained at the same time. Typically, acupuncture needles are retained for 30-60min for one treatment. A group setting allows a doctor to treat several patients an hour, and thus lower the cost per treatment to the patients. In a community acupuncture setting, the doctor selects acupuncture points that are on the arms, legs, ears, and head. Patients remain fully clothed during treatment, but may be asked to roll up their clothing to their elbows and knees to allow for insertion of needles in the limbs.

Advantages

The primary advantage of community acupuncture is cost. At Luna Circle Wellness we charge $25 per treatment with a $15 paperwork fee the on the very first visit. This is much less than $70-$100 for a private treatment. It is an ideal option for patients whose insurance does not cover acupuncture, or whose co-pay/deductible for acupuncture is too high. Because the cost is lower, patients can receive treatments more frequently and see quicker and more lasting results from their course of treatment.

Differences

Community acupuncture takes place in a communal room and there will often be other patients in the same room receiving treatment at the same time. It is my sincere belief that humans need to be in harmony with their environment in order to achieve their best potential. In a city, even one the size of Albuquerque, our environment includes the other people in our community. Because of this, the community setting can be an advantage, allowing members of the community to nourish their individual and communal health in the same space.

There are some aspects of Asian medicine that do not lend themselves to community setting. I do not do moxa, estim, cupping, or tui na (Chinese medical massage) in the community clinic. These procedures are time consuming, and cannot be done effectively given the community setting. If these procedures are recommended for your health, you can discuss a combined treatment plan including community acupuncture and private treatments for the involved procedures. Chinese herbal medicine is best practiced with individualized formulas, which take an in depth patient history and time to prescribe. Herbal consults are available for $40 + the cost of herbs for our community acupuncture patients. Sometimes a prepackaged formula will be enough, and those can be prescribed in conjunction with a community acupuncture treatment. The cost of any herbs or supplements prescribed is not included in the cost of community acupuncture treatment

Effectiveness

Some people fear that if the doctor cannot access the area of discomfort/pain, say the low back, that treatment will be ineffective. This is absolutely not the case. Even in private treatments, acupuncture often uses points that are not adjacent to the area of pain. This is because acupuncture and Asian medicine treat the entire body as a whole system, rather than chasing discrete symptoms. Each part of your body is connected to every other part, so it only makes sense that needles in one part can affect the whole body to improve health and reduce pain.

Pain is not the only disharmony that is effectively treated in community acupuncture. Examples of conditions that I treat in community acupuncture clinic are: hot flashes, hypertension, digestive disorders, fatigue, and insomnia. Of course, that list is not all inclusive, as I don't think any such list can be. I offer free health evaluations Where I discuss with patients if community acupuncture is the best choice for them and their health goals.

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