How does community acupuncture work and what are the benefits?
You may already know what acupuncture is. It’s an ancient technique of inserting fine needles into the body in order to treat physical and mental ailments. The theory behind it is that it stimulates the nervous system and encourages the flow of blood and lymph so that the immune system is activated.
Studies have shown that it is an effective treatment for a variety of conditions that include:
Nausea
Addiction
Headaches
Cramps
Fibromyalgia
Myofascial pain
Arthritis
Back pain
Carpal tunnel
Asthma
One of the drawbacks of the treatment is that regular sessions aren’t accessible to everyone due to the cost.
In recent years, there has been a push for community acupuncture. It has many of the same benefits of a traditional treatment, but comes at a much lower cost.
What is Community Acupuncture?
Community acupuncture is still acupuncture and it’s still done by a professional. The difference is that it’s usually done in the open with other people around. Many clinics allow people to walk in whenever they need treatment while others prefer an appointment. Everything is still customized to your needs, though it won’t be as comprehensive as a private appointment.
With community acupuncture being more affordable, people may opt for more treatments closer together instead of just one done every once in the while. One study pointed out the economic barriers to the treatment are greatly reduced with community acupuncture, allowing people an opportunity to try something new.
Another study done with 113 subjects over the course of 24 weeks concluded that community acupuncture was effective for reducing pain, depression, and arthritis. Each subject received 8 weekly treatments with follow up every 2 weeks during treatment and again 8 and 16 weeks after.
Having clients in an open setting has benefits. It can be comforting to have a friend or family member with you if you’ve never done acupuncture. Doing it together can put some people at ease, especially if needles make them nervous (and trust us- you don’t feel the needle at all!). Some people also feel like having multiple people in the same room during a treatment brings a different energy, almost like extra healing power is in the air around them.
Community Acupuncture at Water House Wellness
Water House Wellness will be adding community acupuncture to our list of services starting on March 16! The sessions will be done by our acupuncturist, Ariel. We will be able to provide a comfortable, peaceful atmosphere for clients, with the work being done in our beautiful meditation room. Although you will be in an open area with other people, the experience will still have a spa-like intimate feel. Clients will be fully clothed and will be seated in a comfortable, relaxing recliner.
Community acupuncture will be available every other Saturday from 2-8 pm. A one hour session is $50 for non-members and $40 for members. We do want customers to make an appointment since there are only a few seats available at a time. Watch our Facebook and Instagram pages for upcoming dates! You can book online now by clicking on or scrolling down to the acupuncture section or give us a call at (339) 707-0476.
