In the West, acupuncture is still most commonly practiced privately, with one
patient seeing one practitioner for around 45 minutes to an hour per treatment,
and usually being required to pay anything between £30 and £200
per treatment.
Some people can afford this whenever they chose; plenty of people in the UK
can afford to pay this once in a while; but lots of people will find it hard to
pay this price regularly, and it is vital that you can have treatment frequently
enough and for long enough to get better and stay better.
So, if one-to-one acupuncture is only affordable for some people, is there a
way to provide acupuncture that is affordable for more people in our community?
The answer is yes: “multibed” or “community” acupuncture clinics!
What is a multibed acupuncture clinic?
In a ‘multibed’ clinic, several people are treated together in one large
room, hence the term.
It is possible for acupuncturists to offer this type of service because
acupuncture needles usually take 20-45 minutes to do their work, so the
practitioner can place needles in one patient, leave them to relax into their
treatment, and then move on to another patient.
By treating more than one patient each hour, a practitioner can significantly
reduce the price of each treatment. Also, rent costs per patient can be much
reduced, and these savings can be passed on to you, the patient.
Do people mind being treated together?
As well as the reduced cost, an extra benefit of multibed clinics is the
community spirit that emerges when several people are treated together. Patients
consistently report that they like the sense of togetherness and humanity they
find there. Further to this, an energy field or ‘chi’ field is created when
several people are treated together and this can enhance the power of one’s
healing experience, just as practicing yoga or tai chi alongside several other
people can make it seem to flow more easily and more powerfully.
The vast majority of patients feel very comfortable receiving acupuncture in
this setting.
For a small number of patients, receiving acupuncture treatment in a space
with other people may feel unacceptable. If you are feeling uncomfortable, ask
for time to talk this over with your practitioner, and if necessary you can talk
about finding a suitable one-to-one practitioner to continue your treatment.
Why is it important that acupuncture is more affordable?
Multibed clinics reduce the cost of acupuncture treatments as described
above. This is important because it means that more patients are able to access
treatment frequently enough and for long enough to get better
and stay better. If you only have a few treatments, or your treatments are too
infrequent, the acupuncture may not build up the momentum to give you the
healing you seek.
How will my dignity be protected when I have treatment in a multibed
clinic?
It is possible to offer more affordable acupuncture by treating people
together in the same space. Obviously this may impact patients’ privacy during
treatment. We are well aware of this and take steps to ensure high quality
patient care.
It is rare to have to remove
clothes, as the most-frequently used points are on the arms and legs. Trousers
and sleeves can be rolled up, or a skirt moved to one side, for example. For
this reason, please wear loose clothing when you attend your clinic.
It is the duty of your practitioner to ensure that you feel well cared for in
the shared space. However, different patients have different needs, and the
issue of privacy may be more of a concern for some patients than others.
Please talk to your practitioner about how you
will be treated before you agree to start your treatment.
During your treatment, if you feel
that you would like more privacy, either to talk about personal issues or
during your treatment, please let your practitioner know and they will be happy
to help.