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By Julie Lawrence OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer Photography by Whitney Teska E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Julie Lawrence

Published Aug. 26, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.

Tags: acupuncture, community acupuncture, milwaukee community acuouncture, amy severinsen, olive crane

If you're trying to get in shape, going to the gym once isn't going to do much for your cause. Even monthly visits might not get you the results you're looking for.

Getting healthy is something we need to work at regularly in order to benefit, and herein lies the problem that Amy Severinsen and Olive Crane, two Milwaukee acupuncture practitioners, see with the common model of acupuncture clinics in the United States.

The high price tag often prohibits people from getting ongoing treatments, which is really the key to the needles' success. It's a system that's far from ideal, they say, which is why they're helping to change it.

They open Milwaukee Community Acupuncture, 2915 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., on Sept. 1 to be among the first to offer daily community-style acupuncture to Milwaukeeans. Unlike private practitioners, community acupuncturists treat in a group setting, allowing them to see a higher volume of patients in a day and lower the costs.

Acupuncture originates in China, where to this day, community-style acupuncture remains accessible and affordable to almost everyone. But in the States, it's been translated to long, private sessions that charge -- and charge a lot -- by the hour.

"I've been in business for three years now and one of the problems with it is that I know I couldn't personally afford my own service, and my friends and my family couldn't afford it unless I reduce my rates a lot for them," says Severinsen.

"People usually need frequent treatments to cure whatever it is that's going on, and at $60 or $70 or $100 per treatment, it becomes unaffordable out of pocket. When I found out there was another way to set up a clinic where people could pay less, it just made a lot of sense and it made me really motivated."

Severinsen and Crane, who both graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago, modeled their business after Lisa Rohleder's Working Class Acupuncture in Portland, Ore., the first community acupuncture clinic in the country.

Like Rohleder, they will treat patients in recliners in a large room and charge on a sliding scale of $15-$40. Each person sets his or her own price based on what they can afford to pay each week.

"When I got acupuncture treatments before starting school, my practitioner saw me on a sliding scale and there's no way I would have been able to afford it otherwise," says Crane. "I always thought that was important, because it's what got me interested in the field."

When she graduated in May 2009, Crane spent a month in China studying the practice.

"I realized that the way they practice there is really similar to the community acupuncture model here. I really liked how it felt. Everyone was in a room together and there was this collective healing energy that I was really impressed with."

The idea of collective healing is a big part of community acupuncture and the bonding that results, they say, is far more beneficial to our health than the extra privacy of a personal session.

"A big concern that both of us had was that we'd be reducing the quality of care we're giving someone because we're not able to check in with them and talk with them as much," says Severinsen. "But what I've found in my private practice is that all the talking really cuts into their treatment time and what's most beneficial is sitting there with the needles in, not the talking time."

Milwaukee Community Acupuncture is open six days a week: Monday and Wednesday, 4-8 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and Friday and Saturday noon-4 p.m.

29 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by noraneedles on Sept. 3, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. (report)

Congratulations, Amy & Olive! I'm always thrilled to see another Community Acupuncture clinic open, especially here in the Midwest! I'm sure you'll be able to help lots of folks. Hope to be able to do the Wisconsin tour sometime. Best wishes, Nora @ Detroit Community Acupuncture

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Posted by flynnj7 on Sept. 2, 2009 at 3:47 p.m. (report)

I have several beefs with the "movement" CAN. It uses elitist language throughout the philosophy. I see a wolf hiding in sheep's clothing, and I felt the need to confront it. The On Milwaukee article was incredibly one sided, and so I said something. I don't serve a single "Malibu Barbie", and its sad that Jessica and others have posted that they are happy PRA exists to serve the patients they don't want to treat. Who do you think my patients are exactly? Why are you so sure my patients are upper middle class? Why is CAN so incredibly judgmental? This issue has not really been resolved and I'm not sure it ever will. CAN has something to gain from the demeaning language. They inflate their own worth by making themselves "different from the rest", and do it at the expense of harming the credibility of other practitioners and acupuncture as a whole. I have never referred to CA clinics as Acu-mart or any other demeaning language (aside from cult...I'm only human and my buttons where pushed). I have certainly never insulted your patients, or called you a bag of ramen noodles. As a matter of fact, and Jessica knows this to be true, I worked with a non-profit organization to help them set up a CA clinic. At the time I was unaware of how degrading CAN is to other PRA clinics. I'm guessing many CA practitioners are unaware of how hurtful the CAN marketing "movement" is as well. I only hope some of you branch off to start a new movement that is less demeaning and more outside the box. The notion that seeing volumes of people will some how increase the credibility of TCM seems like a contradiction to everything alternative medicine stands to represent. We are an alternative medicine even if you want to pretend we are not. Even the yellow pages agree. Exceptional care is very different from exclusive. Actually, I don't believe most systems of medicine aim to be exclusive. I do believe most systems of medicine aim to be exceptional. I know many PRA clinics which provide low-cost care and/or discounts in order to better serve middle to low income levels. At the same time these clinics do not compromise the complete system of Eastern medicine by restricting their face time with their patients. What is the most common complaint patients have with their doctor? At my clinic patients share horror stories about how their meds didn't combine well, how their doctor missed the initial signs pointing towards the patient having a serious disease, or how their doctor consistently dismisses most of their symptoms because they only spend 10-15 minutes per patient. Yesterday I saw a GP that spent 60 minutes with me, in my working class neighborhood in South Milwaukee. He did a full, almost TCM like intake with me. His treatment course is to see all of his patients every other week for 6 sessions of cranial sacral care. He believes this helps the body recover and heal. He spends 45 minutes per follow up session of one on one care. Can you believe a GP (at a major Milwaukee medical clinic) is spending that kind of time with each patient? I applaud him from moving away from the idea that volume is more important than time spent with his patients. Thanks to his face time with me, I think I will have the most healing relationship I have ever had with a Western doctor. If treating volume becomes the standard for Eastern medicine, I hope there are a few of us who remain passionate enough to continue to provide exceptional care. Take care, Jennifer Flynn

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Posted by MCAcu on Sept. 2, 2009 at 12:09 a.m. (report)

Hi all, This is Amy Severinsen of Milwaukee Community Acupuncture. I'd like to clarify that our intentions were not to disparage or offend anyone. Our only intention with this article was to get the word out about our new clinic which may open the door for more people to receive acupuncture. Let me start by saying that I have a deep love and respect for this medicine. I'm three years into my practice, and I find myself more and more amazed by it's effectiveness. One of the most astounding discoveries I've made throughout my studies and practice has been this: "There is no "right" point for any one disease." That's right, you heard me. There are points that we classify as being good for this or that, but there isn't anything that is considered to be the perfect treatment. This then leads us to the different systems that have come about over the years. There are Traditional Chinese systems, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, Taoist, etc. There are literally countless ways to treat someone with Oriental Medicine. You'll rarely find two pracitioners that will give the same exact treatment. There are numerous styles and systems, numerous modalities, and all of them are valuable. There is such a rich diversity to the medicine, and we have to remember this. In a time of such great upheavel with our current health care system, I think now, more than ever we need to stick together and respect each others systems, even if we have a personal preference for one kind over the other. We all have something of value to give. Private practioners of Milwaukee, the city of Milwaukee itself is diverse, but segregated. Please let's not echo this segregation within our profession. Let's work together in our common goal, which is to get acupuncture to the people and help create a healthy community. If anyone would like to further discuss community acupuncture, please don't hesitate to contact me or stop by the clinic. We'd be happy to give you a tour! In conclusion, I'd like to clear up a few misunderstandings regarding our clinic: - We do offer acupuncture, herbal formulas, gua sha, cupping, and moxa - We are both OSHA trained, and compliant with clean needle technique. Our chairs are all clean and covered in white linens. We also offer two massage tables for those who prefer to lay down. ____________________ Milwaukee Community Acupuncture, LLC www.milwaukeecommunityacupuncture.com 414.943.2915

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Posted by Phoebos_Aqueous on Sept. 1, 2009 at 3:58 p.m. (report)

I personally have no issue whatsoever with the practice of community acupuncture. I believe that anyone can run their business in whatever manner they choose and are more than welcome to do so. Honestly, my only issue is with the terms through which CA seems to describe a contrasting method of practice management. I take little comfort in the presentation of the dictionary definition of the word Boutique. This seems to me to be a rather political talking point through which one can sidestep the issue. There is a subtext to the use of this word that implies something different from what small clinics offer. It implies exclusivity and lavishness simply for it's own sake, which is simply not the case at all. As stated in other posts about this topic, I do not know of a single acupuncturist that I have met that does not offer some sort of a rate reduction for people who have difficulty affording service. Several have offered treatments on a pro bono basis. There is nothing exclusive about this. An illustration: If I were to use the word "cheap" to describe Community Acupuncture, there would be a certain connotation about what I might be saying. However, I might be referring directly and solely to the relative cost of the service. To summarize the most relevant points of the dictionary definition in relation to the context within which I would be using the word. cheap adjective - costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive: a cheap dress. - charging low prices: a very cheap store. - obtainable at a low rate of interest: when money is cheap. If I were to begin to refer to Community Acupuncture as "Cheap Acupuncture" (especially when contrasting Community practices to more conventional ones) and use the acronym of CA (ok, not the best example in a practical sense, but lets pretend that CA didn't already signify "Community Acupuncture" for a second) to describe it, there would be an implication within it that would present Community practices in a negative light. It denotes poor value, lack of results, etc. which serves to diminish the actual potential of the service. Words are defined by their contexts as much as their isolated definitions. A simple presentation of a word's definition does very little to divorce it from the larger framework within which it is used. I also disagree that anyone would be honored to have their medical services referred to as "boutique" in this context any more than one would be honored to have their medical services referred to as "cheap." I do not believe that Community Acupuncture lacks value any more than I believe that conventional acupuncture is exclusive or wastefully luxurious. Lets all consider the fact that we're discussing two sides of the exact same coin here that each have their respective strong and weak points. I know that everyone thinks that their way is the best way, but can we please reduce the defamation on both sides. In my eyes, this issue has more to do with the mutually present misrepresentations on either side than anything else.

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Posted by wspatterson on Sept. 1, 2009 at 11:56 a.m. (report)

First off, I'd like to congratulate these two women on their new clinic. Community acupuncture is something I've actually considered in the past. I think it's a good idea that fills a niche in the market well. As has been stated, both sides of this argument have made some valid points. And there has been a lot of passion. Probably too much. The CAN folk are using the dictionary definition of 'boutique' to defend their use of it, but to be honest, that strikes me as disengenuous. I know when I see the word, certain things come to mind, and many of them aren't really that good. Thanks to the power of the internet, I was able to ask a number of people what came to mind when they read 'boutique acupuncture' and every single one of them had a negative reaction. I suspect the CAN people know this is how people are going to react and that's why they use the term in their marketting. Now, I don't sit down at their meetings. Perhaps they just don't realise the potential impact their words can have, but perhaps they could be more mindful. Because regardless of their intent, the term is derogatory and negative.

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