Black History Month is observed internationally in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. during the month of February each year.
In the spirit of joining the celebration, we'd like to highlight the large role that a group of community-minded African-American men and women played in widening access to acupuncture in their communities.
Our friend Greg Jones from St. Pete Community Acupuncture has put together an excellent, brief informational flier about the use of acupuncture at a pivotal time in US history within an influential group of African-American providers in New York City during the 1970's, among others. See below.
(If you'd like to read a more in-depth version of Greg's 'zine, email us using the Contact Us form. We'd be happy to forward over a copy to you, with Greg's blessing. It's simply too large to post here.)
Acupuncture's a curious technology. The number of ways it can prove a useful tool has remained wide and deep for a very long time.
At the same time, there remain a smaller armful of illnesses that, under almost any circumstance acupuncture should, in our opinion, be used right away as its utility is without reproach. (Check question #3B in our little book). Among them include a common cardiac-related issue.
It remains surprising to most folks for whom acupuncture is unfamiliar, that a variety of heart-related issues can be treated and/or managed quite well through the parasympathetic response acupuncture almost universally offers in the form of an uncanny and deep rest. It is common in our experience to work alongside people who are using acupuncture to better manage palpitations, various arrhythmias or high blood pressure, as frequent examples seen in clinic on a daily basis.
In order to emphasize this point, we'd like to share the following:
Preliminary studies show that acupuncture can reduce blood pressure. According to one study by Dr. John Longhurst, professor of medicine at University of California Irvine. Longhurst says that "a substantial number of our patients have responded with significant reductions in blood pressure."
He says that cells "quiet down" after acupuncture, leading to blood vessels becoming less rigid.
Read more about Longhurst's study.
We love this article by Sara Calabro, about why people who have packed schedules should make time for acupuncture. It sums up why we are committed to offer affordable and accessible treatments.
People are often pleasantly surprised that our schedule is so accommodating. We've been offering treatments 365 days each year in Manchester since 2011. It's our goal to open 7 days a week in Nashua, as well.
A brilliant colleague once opined that POCA clinics approach providing acupuncture treatments like a public utility;
That is, work to keep access to it on as often as possible, while figuring out how to provide it to those who cannot ordinarily afford it.
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Open every day of the year in Manchester along with ever- expanding hours in Nashua, NH, MAS is here for you.
Another way to look at the Dark Days of Winter is to not focus on the diets, cleanses and 30-day challenges, but to instead get warm and quiet. Winter is a great time to pause and reflect. Consider moving with the pace of nature. Slow down. Hibernate.
....Just a thought....
