POCA! No, not the dance..

This week we're taking an in-depth look at POCA. 

What is POCA? It stands for the People's Organization of Community Acupuncture. 

It all started when Working Class Acupuncture was founded in Portland, Oregon, in 2002, by acupuncturists Lisa Rohleder and Skip Van Meter. Lisa realized as an acupuncturists that the difference in her patient base was black in white-literally her patients were either extremely wealthy people who could afford the $60-75 price per treatment, or they were impoverished drug addicts she served while in rehab. There was no in between, no middle class, no working class patients. 

According to the POCA site, pocacoop.com:

"The community acupuncture (CA) business model they developed is based on many of the traditional community styles of treatment often practiced in Asia. In setting up the first CA clinic, the founders asked some simple questions: 

What were the barriers to people getting acupuncture? 

What is really necessary for acupuncture treatments? 

How can acupuncturists make a sustainable income providing treatments to more people?

In 2006, the Community Acupuncture Network (CAN, a non-profit) was formed by Lisa, Skip, and several others and by the end of 2006, 11 clinics had started practicing as community acupuncture (CA) clinics. Within two years, 32 clinics were in operation and the CAN forums were bursting with discussion as people continued to simplify and refine the CA model. Growth continued to increase: by 2009, 115 clinics were open, and Lisa, along with several CAN members, published Acupuncture is Like Noodles. The 200th CAN clinic opened in 2011; practitioners and acupuncture students turning to this affordable sliding-scale community model generated a critical mass of energy that propelled the CA movement into its next stage of growth and development.

 

On March 18, 2011, POCA formally incorporated in the state of Oregon to meet the growing demand for more clinics and support. POCA offers membership and leadership to community acupuncture patients, licensed acupuncturists, and those in training programs, community acupuncture clinics, and organizations who support their mission and members. "

When Lisa first started her CA clinic, she treated 12 patients a week. Today, she serves upwards of 850 a week and has more than 20 employees to help with the growing demand for affordable treatment-how incredible!

Today there are over 200 CA clinics in the United States, with clinics also in Canada, Europe, and Australia. I think it's absolutely amazing how much and how quickly Community Acupuncture has grown in the US, I believe it shows how large of a need for it there is . Alternative medicine is usually shunned by the mainstream or discredited, however, thankfully it's becoming more and more accepted. Is is both incredibly fortunate and unfortunate that Maplebrook is the only CA clinic in the state of Oklahoma, hopefully that will change soon. The more people we can treat as soon as possible, the better. 

Until next week,

Daisy

Battlefield Acupuncture

Battlefield Acupuncture

Battlefield acupuncture was developed in 2001 by Richard C. Niemtzow, MD and retired Air Force Colonel, in hopes of finding a more effective treatment for our servicemen and women.

According to a publication by Niemtzow:

“Military use of this technique centers about the pain-free period when a narcotic cannot be used that would produce lethargy and as a result, would cancel a critical mission. Because these points are most likely dealing with pain processing at the central nervous system level, a general quick response to all pain patterns occurs; simple and complex etiologies. Because the ears are most always accessible, this method is very convenient and simple to practice without undressing the patient, especially during combat situations.”

In a newsarticle from the US Department of Defense, Dr. Stephen Burns (a retired Air Force Colonel and full-time Air Force acupuncturist) states:

“He [Richard Niemtzow] localized five points and prioritized them into a protocol that any provider can use…It will take you five minutes or less and chances are you’re going to drastically reduce that patient’s pain.”

Many patients “have complicated medical problems and traditional medicine hasn’t helped them. They’ve been to the orthopedic surgeon, to traditional pain management clinics, to neurologists and dermatologists and they’ve taken drugs for pain relief,” he said.

“The majority of patients come to our clinic seeking relief from pain. The pain medication they’re taking has not been satisfactory or they’ve not responded well,” Niemtzow said.

“For many patients it is a last resort, but our success rate is very high here, which is very rewarding for the patient and also for myself and Doctor Burns,” he [Niemtzow] added.

I think it’s very exciting that now, even the Military is using acupuncture! It is clear that acupuncture is powerful and while it’s acknowledged that it is not a cure all, it is still a very effective and cost efficient alternative.

Until next week!

-Daisy

Here are the links I referenced if you would like to read each article in it’s entirety:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28930238/ns/us_news-military/t/air-force-trains-combat-docs-acupuncture/#.UIGi8K47xGg

http://www.n5ev.com/uploads/1/2/0/1/12016391/pdf_battlefield_acup.pdf

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62053

Qi: What on Earth is it?

This week we’re looking at Qi (Pronounced, Chee), the ever mysterious force that acupuncture balances so as to bring good health. But, what is it? About.com explains what Qi is below:

“What Is Qi (Chi)?
Central to Taoist world-view and practice is qi (chi). Qi is life-force -- that which animates the forms of the world. It is the vibratory nature of phenomena -- the flow and tremoring that is happening continuously at molecular, atomic and sub-atomic levels. In Japan it is called “ki,” and in India, “prana” or “shakti.” The ancient Egyptians referred to it as “ka,” and the ancient Greeks as “pneuma.” For Native Americans it is the “Great Spirit” and for Christians, the “Holy Spirit.” In Africa it’s known as “ashe” and in Hawaii as “ha” or “mana.”

Balanced & Free-Flowing Qi = Health
The fundamental insight of qigong and Chinese Medicine (acupuncture and herbal medicine) is that balanced and free-flowing qi results in health; while stagnant or imbalanced qi leads to disease.”

I also found an article on acupuncturetoday.com by Yin Lo, PhD who offers a scientific approach to Qi: 

“What Is Qi?

By Yin Lo, PhD

The standard explanation in the ancient text is: When qi does not flow, pain occurs. When qi flows, pain disappears. Pain is treated to enable the flow of qi. But what is qi?

Normally an acupuncturist will have to wave his arms to explain to his patients with words like, "Qi is a sort of energy that flows in the meridians and carries some information from one acupoint to where the pain is." Can we say something more precise than that now, in scientific terms? Yes. The answer is:

Qi is vibration.

Qi is oscillation of the meridians. More precisely, qi is quantum oscillations on the system of meridians.

Qi is what carries the effect of acupuncture from one acupoint to other parts of the body.

            The oscillations on the meridians are like oscillations on a piano wire. When we hit the piano wire, the wire oscillates, and we hear the sound. We cannot see the propagation of sound from the piano wire to our ear, but we feel the oscillation of the piano wire if we use our hands to touch the wire. The sound in the air is the oscillation of air molecules. We cannot see the oscillation of air molecules, but when sound hits our eardrum, we hear the sound. Sound has energy, and carries a type of message to the ear.

A meridian acts like a pipe guiding qi along its path to various parts of the body. We can understand the above phenomena simply by using the analogy to sound. If we hit a piano wire, we hear a beautiful sound, but if we hit a stone, we hear an ugly sound. If we hit cotton, we hear no sound.

The analogy to sound actually goes further. The smallest lump of sound energy is called a phonon, which is described completely by quantum field. The idea of the phonon is extremely powerful, and goes beyond our daily understanding of sound. It is essential for the establishment of the field of solid-state physics, which is the basis of semiconductors, transistors and computer chips. For example, the energy of phonons accounts for most of the heat energy of a solid. The warmth of a solid is due to the flow of phonons inside the solid. The interaction of phonons with electrons at low temperature is instrumental to bring about superconductivity as first shown in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory more than 40 years ago.

The smallest lump of qi energy is defined by us to be qion. Qion is like phonon and is described as completed by quantum fields. The idea ofqions would become extremely powerful. Qions would be important to human life. Without the flowing of qi or qions, a warm, living human body would become cold and dead.

The only physical theory at the moment that deals with creation and annihilation of anything is quantum field theory. The quantum field theory was originally created to describe the creation and annihilation of light, and then used to describe the creation and annihilation of sound, electrons and other substances. To use quantum field theory to describe the creation of life and death is very natural, because creation and annihilation operations are intrinsically incorporated in each quantum field.”

I personally have often thought of Qi as more of a science than a spiritual force. When I think of Qi, I think of the Law of Conservation of Energy; which states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Humans are energy, so perhaps if you have an imbalance of energy (Qi) in one area of your body, this is what causes stagnation and leads to disease? I’m no Physicist, and I find the matter quite mind-boggling, but it is definitely interesting to delve into all the possible explanations.

Until next week!

-Daisy 

Sciatica: A Real Pain in the Behind

This week our focus is Sciatica. I want to start by acknowledging that I did pull a lot of information from other sites, however, I feel that rather than ramble on I would rather give you something of substance and give you information from the people most knowledgeable on the subject.

What is Sciatica? According to various medical sites, Sciatica is nerve pain from irritation of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body. Sciatic nerve pain is typically felt from the low back to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee.

I found the best information on acupuncture and Sciatica from Dr. Mario Dube, DOM, AP who is a Nationally Board Certified Doctor of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture Physician. I wanted to share a piece from his blog on the matter below, because I feel it gives the best short, to the point, condensed explanation of how acupuncture helps heal Sciatica:

“Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that balances energy or Qi, which rebalances harmony in the body removing illness and injury. It treats the body as a whole instead of just treating the sick parts. Acupuncture can relieve sciatica by reducing inflammation, which reduces pain. It stimulates the nerves in the affected muscles also relieving pain through the release of endorphins. It also improves circulation. This in turn improves joint mobility, relaxes muscles and helps to regenerate the sciatic nerve, enabling the patient to become more active. This activity then leads to healing and increased mobility. Acupuncture also increases serotonin and noradrenalin levels. This improves the patient’s sense of wellbeing and overall attitude. All of which are beneficial to healing…For many who find that traditional western drugs are unsafe or unwise, this is a great alternative. Acupuncture can also be used in conjunction with western medical treatment, greatly enhancing its effectiveness.”

I also wanted to share some info from acufinder.com. Joseph Alban, a New York State Licensed Acupuncturist, gives some great information on how Chinese medicine views and deals with Sciatica:

“ How Does Chinese medicine view sciatica?

Chinese medicine states that the body is interconnected; no one part can be separated from another.  The diagnosis and treatment is based upon identifying specific imbalances in the muscles and the body as a whole.  Correcting the imbalance does not just treat the symptoms or mask the condition, but rather corrects the root of the problem by encouraging self-healing of the body.  The most common imbalance in acute sciatica is qi and blood stagnation in the back channels.  But it is also important to treat the underlying imbalance, which may be causing the qi and blood to stagnate.

Qi and blood stagnation in the channels often affects the soft tissue of the lumbar, hips, and pelvis.  This is what causes the muscle spasm and tension that triggers the intense shooting pain of acute sciatica.

Some common underlying imbalances are kidney qi vacuity, spleen qi vacuity with dampness, and liver qi stagnation.  By treating the underlying imbalance, you can prevent the sciatica from returning.

Kidney Qi Vacuity: If your back feels very weak and it does not get better with a lot of rest, the underlying imbalance may be kidney qi vacuity.  Other symptoms include weakness of the knees, extreme fatigue, ringing in the ears, dizziness, and a weak pulse.  

Spleen Qi Vacuity with Dampness:  For those with spleen qi vacuity with dampness, you will also have fatigue and weakness, but the back feels better with rest.  Your body may feel very heavy and you may have poor digestion.

Liver Qi stagnation: Liver qi stagnation causes your muscles to be very tight and in spasm when you become angry or frustrated.  Also, you may suffer from frequent headaches and, in women, painful menses.    

How Does Chinese medicine Treat Sciatica?

It is best to approach sciatica using combination style treatment.  An effective therapy many include acupuncture, Tui Na (Chinese medical massage,) cupping, electric stimulation, and stretching.  The back, hip, and pelvis are very interconnected and the treatment should incorporate all of them.  Overall, the treatment should relax and stretch the tendons and fascia while strengthening the muscles.  This will help release the spastic muscles and strengthen them, allowing the back to naturally heal.  It can even encourage an out of place disc to go back into place, depending on severity. Acupuncture will help to reprogram the muscles to stay relaxed.  In effect, this is working to help the body heal itself.”



I do believe that blood stagnation causes illness. I had felt really physically and emotionally crappy for a looooooong while, not realizing that poor (not just poor, plain awful) diet and lack of exercise was to blame. I started drinking Beet juice and with NO other dietary or lifestyle changes, I lost 20 pounds. That may sound irrelevant, but the beet juice purified my blood and got things moving and my body was able to function properly again, hence the weight loss. If I hadn’t made changes, I can almost assure you that my body would have slowed down to the point that it would have stopped working altogether, and I have no doubt I would have developed Diabetes, Heart Disease, and who knows what else. Acupuncture has given me the same result, with added benefits. Since I have been getting treatments things in my body are moving again and flowing properly, my wellbeing has improved exponentially, I have an immense amount of energy I didn't have before, and I know for a fact that my body is healing itself because I have never felt so great.

If you have Sciatica, please do not let your pain dominate you any longer.  Deana has several patients afflicted with the problem and they have had great and long lasting results. If you mention this blog, you can get your first treatment for FREE! What do you have to lose?

Until next week,

Daisy

A Placebo Effect?

 A Placebo Effect? 

Many skeptics and opponents of acupuncture doubt it's effectiveness because of they believe it is a placebo, which is defined by Oxford as:

1. A harmless pill, medicine, or procedure prescribed more for the psychological benefit to the patient than for any physiological effect.

Let's say the placebo effect is real in acupuncture and that's what makes it effective--So, what's wrong with that? You could pay over $100 for a doctors visit with no insurance and have to buy a $150/month lifetime prescription that will only treat your symptoms and not the actual cause of the pain, OR you can pay $15 once a week for something that will not harm your body and that gives you instant relief and long lasting results. 

Western Medicine's focus is how and why something works. Really, I feel the same is true with everything in the west. I think the thing that has everyone completely dumbfounded is that they cannot explain how exactly acupuncture works. Perhaps the real issue is our inability to cope with not having all the answers. Why are we so concerned with how and why something works? Can we not be content with simply knowing that it does?

I firmly believe that one should question EVERYTHING, but when I feel as good as I do and have seen the same results in others, there isn't anything to question in terms of its effectiveness.

I feel the evidence that acupuncture works is overwhelming; however, skeptics and those who have an agenda to push or a pocket to pad would have you believe otherwise. If you google "Acupuncture works, acupuncture study", much of what you'll find is skeptics invalidating the practice or studies that claim it's of little benefit. Why is it that everyone I have come into contact with at our clinic has experienced positive improvement (myself included), yet all I can find on the internet is that acupuncture doesn't work? Imagine how much money the medical industry makes off of illness, think of how much money the pharmaceutical industry makes off of medicating everyone to high heaven...if you were making billions of dollars a year keeping people sick, would you really want to come out in support of something that would cripple your profits?

I will say, I was a HUGE skeptic at first, I am skeptical of literally everything. But I cannot deny how amazing I feel; mind, body, and soul. My stress is gone, tension is gone, I feel energized enough that I have been exercising every day or every other day for the last month--from someone with Narcolepsy (I battle with constant drowsiness), this is incredible. I have seen with my own eyes people that came into the clinic looking sickly and drained and after 2 months worth of treatments they look radiant, lively, happy and are practically skipping out the door. 

If you think about it simply, acupuncture has been used in China for over 2,500 years. If it was a placebo or simply did not work, don't you think they would have stopped using it by now? 

Until next week,

Daisy

Acupuncture: The Alternative

Hey, everyone!

 

We hope this week finds you well rested and happy.

In trying to educate you, our patients, we'd like to touch on what acupuncture is effective at treating and how it can be a great alternative to Western medicine.

Here is the link to a lengthy report from the World Health Organization on the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating a wide range of ailments:

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/pdf/s4926e/s4926e.pdf

For convenience purposes I wanted to just cut to the chase (that report is 81 pages long, for goodness' sakes!) and list exactly what acupuncture is effective at treating below (this list starts on page 23 of the report):

 

1. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved—through controlled trials—to be an effective treatment:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy

Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)

Biliary colic

Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following

stroke)

Dysentery, acute bacillary

Dysmenorrhoea, primary

Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and

gastrospasm)

Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)

Headache

Hypertension, essential

Hypotension, primary

Induction of labour

Knee pain

Leukopenia                                                     

Low back pain

Malposition of fetus, correction of

Morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting

Neck pain

Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular

dysfunction)

Periarthritis of shoulder

Postoperative pain

Renal colic

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sciatica

Sprain

Stroke

Tennis elbow

 

2. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed:

Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)

Acne vulgaris

Alcohol dependence and detoxification

Bell’s palsy

Bronchial asthma

Cancer pain

Cardiac neurosis                        

Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation

Cholelithiasis

Competition stress syndrome

Craniocerebral injury, closed

Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent

Earache

Epidemic haemorrhagic fever

Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)

Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection

Female infertility

Facial spasm

Female urethral syndrome

Fibromyalgia and fasciitis

Gastrokinetic disturbance

Gouty arthritis

Hepatitis B virus carrier status

Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)

Hyperlipaemia

Hypo-ovarianism

Insomnia

Labour pain

Lactation, deficiency

Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic

Ménière disease

Neuralgia, post-herpetic

Neurodermatitis

Obesity

Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence

Osteoarthritis

Pain due to endoscopic examination

Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans

Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein–Leventhal syndrome)

Postextubation in children

Postoperative convalescence

Premenstrual syndrome

Prostatitis, chronic

Pruritus

Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome

Raynaud syndrome, primary

Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy

Retention of urine, traumatic

Schizophrenia

Sialism, drug-induced

Sjögren syndrome

Sore throat (including tonsillitis)

Spine pain, acute

Stiff neck

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

Tietze syndrome

Tobacco dependence

Tourette syndrome

Ulcerative colitis, chronic

Urolithiasis

Vascular dementia

Whooping cough (pertussis)

 

3. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which there are only individual controlled trials reporting some therapeutic effects, but for which acupuncture is worth trying because treatment by conventional and other therapies is difficult:

Chloasma

Choroidopathy, central serous

Colour blindness

Deafness

Hypophrenia

Irritable colon syndrome

Neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury

Pulmonary heart disease, chronic

Small airway obstruction

 

4. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture may be tried provided the practitioner has special modern medical knowledge and adequate monitoring equipment:

Breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Coma

Convulsions in infants

Coronary heart disease (angina pectoris)

Diarrhoea in infants and young children

Encephalitis, viral, in children, late stage

Paralysis, progressive bulbar and pseudobulbar

Treatments cost between $15-$35, you pay what you can afford. You can spend as little as 15 minutes or up to 2 hours to relax and rest-it's your choice how long you stay. When you think about how invasive surgery is and how harsh medications can be on your body, acupuncture is definitely a safe, non-invasive alternative (providing your acupuncturist is a highly trained and educated--Deana has been practicing for over 12 years).

When you consider the cost, time, and convenience of acupuncture compared to traditional Western medicine as well as the control you have over your own health, acupuncture can be a great supplement to your current health care regimen or a great alternative on its own. Help us spread the word!

To happiness and health!

-Daisy

What is Community Acupuncture? From an outsider looking in

Hey, everyone!

We want to use this blog as a way of communicating to our clients, it's a bit more in-depth than a Facebook status or Tweet. We also want to be proactive in educating our customers, because we feel that it empowers you to make the best choices for you. You deserve to be in control of your health. 

Maplebrook uses a Community Acupuncture business model, but what does that mean? When I was first told by a dear friend that I needed to go to her Community Acupuncture clinic, the first thing I thought was, "Hippie, hole in the wall, creepy place!" and naturally some red flags went up-especially never having had acupuncture at all. Below is an explanation of what Community acupuncture is straight from pocacoop.com (the website of POCA - People's Organization of Community Acupuncture, the people who created the Community Acupuncture business model).

The Short Version

We define Community Acupuncture as the practice of offering acupuncture:
1) in a setting where multiple patients receive treatments at the same time;

2) by financially sustainable and accountable means, whereby community acupuncture clinics depend directly on the support of the people who receive acupuncture in them, rather than on grants, donations, or other funding;

3) within a context of accessibility, which we create by providing consistent hours, by making frequent treatments readily available, by offering affordable services, and by lowering all the barriers to treatment that we possibly can, for as many people as we possibly can, while continuing to be financially self-sustaining.

When the cost is lowered from $60 per treatment to $15-$35 per treatment, we are able to treat many more patients and offer an affordable service. I was baffled to learn about the sliding scale of $15-35--but I was also confused. I figured you only got as many needles as you paid for so if you paid $15, you only got a few needles and if you paid $35, well, you would end up looking like a porcupine. Not so! You get treated the same, no matter what you pay. When the issue of money is removed from the equation everyone is happy and there is a true mutual benefit. 

Just in case you were still wondering, Maplebrook is the furthest thing from a "hippie, hole in the wall, creepy place". It is a professional clinic with a setting similar to a doctors office, but much more relaxing. We have a reception area for our customers to fill out paperwork and in the back we have our 2 patient rooms, full of covered recliners (for optimal cleanliness), comfy blankets (for optimal coziness), and soothing music (for optimal relaxation).

Needless to say, my preconceived notion of what Community Acupuncture was disappeared. In fact, I did a 180 and started volunteering after my first treatment this past July. Once Deana educated me on the Community business model and working class movement, I was hooked. I volunteer because I wholeheartedly support the principles behind this business model. Rather than force someone into providing cheaper healthcare, rather than have all this unnecessary overhead that ALL of your profits go into employing, rather than have 50 million managers who do less and less as you go higher up; let people provide cheaper healthcare on their own accord, create an environment where savings can be passed directly to the patients, let's support clinics with ONE boss-the owner. In our society, all we do is complain, but what do we actually do to change things? This movement has gained so much momentum because they are taking action.

So, please, tell everyone you know! The more patients we are able to treat, the more hours we are able to offer our services and the longer we can ensure the continuation of the Community business model. We depend on you just as much as you depend on us.  

Thank you for checking out our blog and for allowing us to help you reach optimal health! Until next week!

-Daisy