Good news folks! We are seeing signs that community acupuncture is coming online as a concept in Oregon City. We estimated it could take up to 1 or even 2 years for word to get out that group acupuncture sessions have similar results to private ones — if we’re going by the evidence that’s available and our personal experience. Slowly but surely, the clinic will fill up and people will get to receive acupuncture next to their friends, family, and neighbors. Nothing makes us more happy!
The Qigong Class is also growing and showing results. When a group of people come together to heal and share openness in a space, magic happens. Studies show that “interpersonal ties, support and aspects of the social environment can impair or promote effective adaptation to chronic pain through changes in pain perception, coping and emotional states” (Sturgeon & Zautra, 2016). Pain is complex, and we believe that the way we operate the clinic can help in addition to the therapies we provide.
Letting others see us as we’re going through a tough time can be challenging, as it’s a form of vulnerability that the modern spa environment conceals through expensive decor, one on one treatments, and an extensive list of gadgets and services all marketed to your personal psychology, so you’ll spend as much as possible before leaving.
One of our acupuncturists, Zachary, has been through a wide range of alternative medicine services in his recovery, and is constantly reviewing the evidence base to make sure our patients are getting the best care and aren’t left penniless. It might surprise you, quite a lot of what is out there has little to no evidence that it works! A strong sense of ethics and compassion made us go into community service instead of hiring business coaches and going the traditional route. This strategy depends on community support.
Our most important goal for the rest of 2024 and 2025 is to get to know Oregon City and support people who are going through tough times. In a world where so much is monetized to the max, focused on the reimbursable, AI generated, and rewritten by ChatGPT for maximum effectiveness, we aspire to bring a hyper local and heartfelt touch to everything we do.
While the technology and gadgets are cool and interesting, we know that there is a natural method for healing that is common and shared between acupuncture, Qigong, herbal medicine, and tea culture that we feel obligated to keep putting out to the world. We hope you like it as much as we do and will come back to support our local business. Soon we hope to announce more blogs about specific conditions like TMJ, and also another free community acupuncture and tea day.
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References:
Sturgeon, J. A., & Zautra, A. J. (2016). Social pain and physical pain: shared paths to resilience. Pain management, 6(1), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt.15.56