Central Massachusetts Chapter of the Community Acupuncture Network (Central Mass CAN!)
Affordable Acupuncture Comes to Central Mass
By Lynn N. Capri
Three community acupuncturists ~ Tess Bois, Lic.Ac., Erika Ehnstrom-Carr, Lic.Ac., and Emily Konstan, Lic.Ac. ~ united by geography and a profound commitment to a common cause teamed up earlier this year to form the Central Massachusetts Chapter of the Community Acupuncture Network (Central Mass CAN!). The group’s mission is to work together to make acupuncture accessible to the larger community by making it affordable. Central Mass CAN! is reaching out to local businesses, city employees, unions, and non-profits who want to make acupuncture available to their employees or organization members.
These practitioners offer treatments on a sliding scale of $15-$45. “Our goal is to treat people who would not otherwise consider acupuncture because the cost of a typical acupuncture session ranges from $60 to $85,” says Emily Konstan of River Valley Acupuncture in Worcester.
In community acupuncture, patients are treated in recliner chairs in a group setting; this format creates a supportive and relaxing environment. “Community clinics across the country emphasize affordable treatments delivered consistently and frequently, which is the way that acupuncture works best,” Erika Ehnstrom-Carr of Leominster Acupuncture Studio explains.
All three acupuncturists treat a wide variety of ailments such as back pain, allergies, digestive disorders, asthma, fatigue, fibromyalgia, and skin conditions. Tess Bois, owner of One World Community Acupuncture in Fitchburg, notes, “We want our community to be more aware that acupuncture is an affordable option.”
The History of Central Mass CAN!
The community acupuncture movement came to the United States in 2002, with the opening of Working Class Acupuncture (WCA) in Portland, Oregon. The owners of WCA then founded the Community Acupuncture Network, which includes more than 70 acupuncture clinics across the country that follow this business model.
The Central Massachusetts chapter of the Community Acupuncture Network (Central Mass CAN!) formed in May of 2009.
http://centralmasscan.wordpress.com
Thanks to:
Tess Bois, Lic.Ac., One World Community Acupuncture, 244 Walton St.,
Fitchburg, (978) 342-4400
Erika Ehnstrom-Carr, Lic.Ac., Leominster Acupuncture Studio, 44 Lancaster St.
Leominster, (978) 821-1206
Emily Konstan, Lic.Ac., River Valley Acupuncture, 65 James Street, Suite 207,
Worcester, (508) 890-8899