Community acupuncture is a way of increasing access to acupuncture for those who can’t afford regular private treatment. Our community room has five zero gravity lounge chairs and one treatment table. In this way, our acupuncturist can treat multiple people per hour using a “pay what you can afford” sliding scale fee structure. Our suggested sliding scale is $15-$60 per treatment. Those who can afford to pay $60 make it possible for us to treat more folks who can only afford $15. The community setting also provides an opportunity for patients to share in the healing energy that gets amplified during community care.

Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing with sleeves and pant legs that pull up easily to allow access to your elbows and knees. If you tend to get cold during treatments, you may want to bring a small blanket.

Community acupuncture can be utilized alone for patients with simpler needs or in combination with regular private acupuncture for those with more complex needs requiring one on one attention. This is a cash only service for which we will not have the capacity to bill insurance.

What we now call “community acupuncture” originated in the 1970s as the Lincoln Acupuncture Detox Collective in the South Bronx. Activists staged an occupation of Lincoln Hospital, a hospital in a low income, largely Black and Latine neighborhood. They demanded better care for their community. One of the outcomes was the Acu Detox Collective, the first community acupuncture clinic in the United States. Practitioners were trained in a 5 point auricular (ear) protocol. This protocol is designed to help patients quit a variety of addictions by balancing the emotions, reducing stress, and thereby reducing triggers for cravings. This treatment is also useful during especially heavy phases of life that stir up multiple emotions at once, such as a divorce or the passing of a loved one.

We are working to secure grant funding that will allow us to give out punch cards through redeemable for 12 free Acu Detox sessions. These cards can be redeemed during community acupuncture days. Patients wishing to receive treatment more frequently can also use the cards to schedule Acu Detox via a private acupuncture appointment.

During community acupuncture days, we will work to have chair massage available as often as is possible. Folks will be able to request a 5 minute or 10 minute massage focusing on the neck and shoulders to relieve stress. This can be a good way to meet our massage therapist and see if booking a longer private massage is right for you. We may also showcase different massage therapists in the area during this time. If you wish to receive acupuncture and massage in the same day, we recommend that you get the massage first.

5 min massage - $8

10 min massage - $15