Its Thank a G.I and Veterans Week at NAP next week

Thank a G.I. week March 5-10th

In March NAP is celebrating all those who are serving our country. All military and veterans can recieve unlimted $10 treatments from March  5th-10th. 

You may have noticed that acupuncture has been getting alot of press lately due to the military's use and research of acupuncture for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and pain management. 

Please help us spread the word! 

People's Organization of Community Acupuncture

Some of you may or may not know that community acupuncture was started in Portland Oregon by Working Class Acupuncture in 2002 as a way to make acupuncture available and affordable to every day people and later as a way to make living wage jobs available to acupuncturists. Working Class started teaching other acupuncturists how to do the same thing through a non-for-profit called Community Acupuncture Network.

A little over 2 years ago I heard about community acupuncture and started doing some research because it made a lot of sense to me. I changed my practice almost over night from charging $70 a treatment, treating one patient at a time on a massage table letting them rest for 20-30 minutes as I was taught in school to treating patients in recliners in a group setting charging $15-40 (patients choose what works for them) where people could rest for as long as they liked. This set up is exactly how I saw acupuncture practiced when I studied in China. What happened was that the office got busier and people got better a whole lot faster. Many people worried about how I would pay my overhead charging so low but that was never a problem either and I don't stay up nights worrying about patients that were getting better but had to stop coming because they just couldn't afford to anymore. I love that now whole families can come get acupuncture together.

Recently the community acupuncture movement, as it has become known, has made strides to become even more inclusive with the formation of the cooperative People's Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA). Students, Acupuncturists, Community Acupuncture Clinics, patients, and regular old people can get involved in the coop. Now when patients have friends in a city with no affordable acupuncture available they can rally together with POCA to recruit an acupuncturist to set up a community acupuncture clinic. There are lots of other ways to get involved as well. One way is by becoming a volunteer at your local community acupuncture clinic. Volunteers can have many tasks but mostly its the tasks that you are best at and helps to keep community acupuncture sustainable.

NAP recently recruited two awesome volunteers to help out at the front desk because it seems our phone never rings unless we are in the treatment room with patients. This has been a huge benefit for myself and Marguerite to have help so we can better attend to patients. We still have some reception shifts available if you might be interested in helping out. There are several other projects we'd love volunteers helping out with as well.

As a POCA volunteer you get some great perks.
* 3 free treatment cards for your friends and family that can be used at any POCA community acupuncture clinic
* Free treatment on your birthday to be used at any POCA community clinic
* 1 year membership to POCA paid for by NAP
* (and probably the best part) unlimited acupuncture treatments at NAP for as long as you have commited to being a volunteer with us.

If you are interested ask us for an application, we'd love to have you be apart of our growing community!

Sarah Canga-Arguelles LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com

A Great Documentary About Community Acupuncture

A recent documentary was filmed about the community acupuncture movement. Thank you to Brian Lindstrom who took the time to really *get* what Community Acupuncture is about, and then captured that with his talents in film making. Special thanks to the patients of Working Class Acupuncture and Philadelphia Community Acupuncture for their patience and participation in this endeavor.

Filmed & Directed by:

• Brian Lindstrom

Co-Produced by:

• Moses Cooper
• Jessica Feltz
• Lisa Rohleder
• Ellen Vincent
• CAN Board of Directors

“Like” the Facebook Page and share your comments here!

Many of you who have come in for treatment at NAP may not be aware of this movement. It was started in 2006 to help acupuncturists help patients by essentially bringing acupuncture back to its roots and offering low cost treatments in a shared space much the same way acupuncture has been practice across Asia for its long history and is still practiced today. This is a social business model which means the intent of the business is create a stable job with a livable wage for those that are employed there, any profits are put back into the community as social dividends. The Community Acupuncture Network (CAN) a non for profit that has been supporting acupuncturists learn about community acupuncture has evolved into the cooperative People's Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA). Which I will get more into later. This week, enjoy the snippet of the Community Acupuncture documentary by clicking on this link.


Sarah Zender LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place Welcomes New Acupuncturist!

NAP is excited to welcome Margeurite Vandenbrouke, our newest acupuncturist.

Marguerite graduated from the Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque, NM with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine.  Her experience as a Massage Therapy student introduced her personally to the wonderful world of acupuncture and herbs.  Marguerite clearly remembers the day in 2003 when she exclaimed, “I have to learn this medicine and help others the way I have been helped”!  


Marguerite has many wonderful childhood memories of spending time with family at Crystal Lake.  She is thrilled to return and join Sarah as your neighborhood acupuncturist!


Schedule appointments with Marguerite on Thursdays between 10a-2p & 4p-6p and Fridays 10a-2p.


Our new fall hours are:


Mondays: 2-6:30p
Tuesdays 9-1p
Wednesdays 2-6:30p
Thursdays 10-2p & 4-6p
Fridays 10-2p
Saturdays 9-1p


Sarah Zender LAc


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com 

Get the Funk Out

Today several patients have mentioned just feeling "off" or in a funk. I think it has a lot to do with the weather, all the storms and all the clean up. I came across this blog on the Community Acupuncture Network and thought it was very fitting for all the "funkiness" being felt lately. This is a patient's story from Tucson Community Acupuncture. Enjoy!

Recently we received this feedback from a pokee.

Keith & Larry,

You had both asked me to share my experience on your blog.  I used Keith's God Antenna post as my starting point, but I ended up writing a lot as I started to put things on paper.  I am not sure if it is too long for a blog, or if you want to take excerpts, or you'd like me to elaborate in one area.

Check it out, let me know what you think (use as needed):

My experience with acupuncture has been one of total amazement.  I went to Tucson Community Acupuncture because I knew I needed a shift in my life.   I remember  the first day I went and told the Acupuncturist, “I’m just really in a funk”.  He looked into my eyes and said, “I can help with that”. 

That alone took a huge weight off my shoulders.  It seems that every Spring as the wind kicks up in the Sonoran Desert, and the allergens increase, I get a little (or a lot) off balance.  I have seen medical doctors to help with my symptoms, but frankly medical doctors are not trained to deal with a “funk”.  It’s like going to the grocery store and asking the produce manager his/her opinion on the best cut of meat.  I do not blame medical doctors for not having the answers.  I truly view my health as my responsibility, medical doctors are one item I have in my keep-myself-healthy tool box; thank goodness I found that community acupuncture is another tool in the tool box.

On April 20, 2009 I realized my work, relationships, and my perspective on life were getting increasingly more negative.  I knew I was not depressed; I was just grumpy. I made a commitment to myself to get out of the funk.  I set goals around proper nutrition and meal planning, exercise, sleep, yoga, and doing things that brought me joy.  And that same day, I made my first appointment at Tucson Community Acupuncture.  At that time I did not know that acupuncture would become the cornerstone of my process of moving out of the funk.

My first acupuncture session was 2 days later.  When I entered the acupuncture center for the first time, my wound up negative energy immediately dispersed.  The overwhelming sense I had was of being loved and taken care of.  Looking back, that feels strange to say because I had never met any of the people there before, but at the time, it felt like exactly what I needed.  I remember discussing my symptoms with the Acupuncturist and him recommending I come 2 times per week.  I asked if it was OK if I came more frequently (because I just wanted to be in that calm space).

I noticed immediate change.  The morning after my first session I had a more positive outlook on life.  At first, the affects lasted about a day, but with more treatments, the affects lasted longer each time.  Over time, my attitude became more lighthearted.  I noticed myself laughing more, and having more motivation in my other goal areas.  I was able to do more moderate/vigorous exercise, for which previously I did not have the energy.  I became more open to taking risks such as singing karaoke in a crowd (something I vowed never to do), which led to more fun and connection with other people.  With each session, my life continued to shift in a positive direction.

As I made progress on my initial “funk”, I started to ask the acupuncturists to work on other areas that I had dealt with physical pain for years (such as neck, back, and hip).  As pain in these areas started to clear, I realized how much stress, pain, and inflammation I had been holding for so long.  It made me wonder how many other people are carrying around pain everyday and not really ever recognizing it, unaware that a pain free life is within reach.

As I stated in the beginning, I am totally amazed by acupuncture, but it isn’t for any of the reasons outlined above.  While acupuncture has shifted my attitude, perspective, and pain level, these were expected outcomes of my treatment.  These were the reasons I went to acupuncture.  I am amazed by acupuncture because of all the positive changes that have happened that I didn’t intend.

Since starting acupuncture, my relationships with my fiancé, co-workers, and family have improved.  My fiancé and I have stopped bickering and reconnected to the things we love about each other.  We have more open, loving communication, and we are more joyful when we are together.  I really believe that just by sharing my acupuncture experience, my co-workers are changing.  They have never experienced acupuncture personally, but I notice them being more open to new opportunities, different perspectives, and being generally more content and engaged at work.  They have even reported positive changes in their personal lives with people I have never met.  My family seems to be shifting as well.  Even though my parents, siblings, and I live all over the US, I believe that by sharing my experience of acupuncture with them, they are becoming more open to the “flow” of life rather than resisting what is inevitable.

While I sometimes like to think I am the center of everyone’s life, I know I am not.  It seems, though, that somehow my experience with acupuncture is extending out to those people in my immediate circle and their immediate circles, and beyond.  I have witnessed lives being improved over the course of the 5 weeks l have been receiving acupuncture treatments.   

I likely cannot scientifically prove that it was the acupuncture that changed my life and the lives of others.  But beyond scientific proof, there is knowing.  I have a sense of knowing that acupuncture has caused this shift in me, my friends, and family.  And so is acupuncture.  I may not be able to explain how, or when, or why it’s working, but for all practical reasons, I just need to know that it is, and that’s good enough for me.

Sarah Zender LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)

230 Florence St

Crystal Lake IL 60014

815.893.9825

www.clnap.com 

How Often Do I Need Acupuncture?

Special thanks to Demetra Delia Markis of Yerba Buena Community Acupuncture in San Francisco for making this handy dandy chart. One of the first questions new patients ask is how often will I need to get acupuncture? This chart does a great job of explaining a general rule of thumb for treatments. Of course depending on what you are working on it may be different. Check with your acupuncturist to see what treatment plan makes the most sense for you. 

How often should I come in for treatment?

This will vary from person to person, and will likely vary

as the condition changes with treatment.

Here are some general guidelines, depending on what you are treating and what your goals are:

Being treated for:	Example of condition:	Treatment frequency:	For how long:
Very severe discomfort	Acute back sprain,  daily migraines	Daily until change in condition	For several days
Serious discomfort	Sprained ankle, acute digestive distress	Every other day until change in condition	A week or two
Moderate discomfort	Knee pain while running, poor sleep	Twice weekly until change in condition	Over several weeks
Working on a health milestone	Trying to get pregnant, overcoming allergies	Twice weekly until change in condition	Over several weeks
Ongoing episodic condition	Occasional insomnia; PMS	Weekly + as-needed for acute episodes	Over a few months
Support for chronic issues	Stress, work-related  issues, chronic illness	Weekly	Ongoing/as needed
General health	Life!	Weekly or bi-monthly	Ongoing/as needed

Sarah Zender LAc


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St 
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com 

Update on Joplin, Minneapolis, and Springfield

I just wanted to share the latest info I have received from Acupuncturists without Borders and the great work they are doing to provide hope, peace and rest for the people recovering from recent tornados across the country.

AWB NEWS UPDATES  Recent Volunteer-Run Disaster Relief Efforts June 23,2011   Joplin, Missouri Minneapolis, Minnesota     Springfield, Massachusetts      Recent Tornado Damage in Joplin, Missouri   Photo Credit: Melanie Rubin  Click HERE to go to the story about disaster relief in Joplin, MO. Click HERE to go to the story about disaster relief in Minneapolis, MN.     Click HERE to go to the story about disaster relief in Springfield, MA.    Click  HERE to donate to AWB's Disaster Ready Fund so AWB can support and assist volunteer-run efforts like these immediately when they arise. COMING SOON: Update on AWB's Return Trip to Haiti to Train Health Care Workers in Trauma Recovery Methods.    Disaster Relief in Joplin, Missouri   Joplin Tornado Survivor after Ear Acupuncture Treatment Photo Credit: Ron Vickery      On May 22, 2011 a tornado with winds of more than 200 miles per hour hit the town of Joplin, Missouri destroying everything in its path. More than 8,000 homes and apartments were destroyed, as well as 500 commercial properties. As of early June, 143 people had been reported killed by the tornado. At the writing of this eblast, more than 7,000 Joplin-area residents had registered for assistance. Immediately after the tornado, Springfield, Missouri-based acupuncturist Abba Anderson contacted Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) to ask whether an acupuncture relief effort was underway for Joplin. AWB responded by saying the organization would he happy to support her if she wanted to spearhead a relief effort. Since Abba had never received the AWB training in disaster relief, AWB agreed to do an abbreviated training in Missouri for Abba and other Missouri volunteers. AWB Managing Director Melanie Rubin traveled to Missouri and conducted a training for 13 Missouri acupuncturists and Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists, and then worked with Abba and her team to launch the relief effort.    Joplin Tornado Survivors Receiving Treatment Photo Credit: Ron Vickery  Since that time Abba and the Missouri volunteers have treated close to 900 people in Joplin, mostly at the Salvation Army tent at 26th and Main, and at several other venues. They anticipate treating in Joplin until July 17, and expect  to complete 1500 or more treatments.   Abba and AWB would like to thank and celebrate the volunteers as of this writing who hd so far taken time from their practices and their lives to be in Joplin: Renea Barrett LAc, Marianne Chalmers LAc, Rebecca Chrestman LAc, Thomas Duckworth LAc, Candace Faith Fruge, Jana Farrell ADS, Michael Finnell LAc, Stacy Flathers LAc, Maureen Fox LAc, Francesca Garcia Giri LAc, Jason Hackler LAc, Vinnie McKinney LAc, Daphne Moor LAc, Sage Norbury LAc, Peggy Older LAc, Beth Spangler LAc, Mary Wallis LAc, Nate Wax ADS, Ron Vickery ADS We look forward to others joining them in the coming weeks. AWB would particularly like to thank Abba Anderson who has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to this effort. Abba said: "This has been a crash course for me in many aspects of disaster relief work, but above all, in the beauty of our medicine. Imagine: We can feed a soul in a few minutes with five little needles in two ears. Wow. The most profound part of the experience for volunteers is simply being present to hear the stories, while also offering a treatment that can alleviate some of the suffering. Volunteer Sage Norbury LAc from Lees Summit, Missouri described treating a volunteer  who she had seen eating lunch with a flat, shen-less look to his eyes. He was helping clear rubble, he told her. The first day he had found a foot; the second day, he found a body. After the needles, he said he felt better. The next say Sage saw him in the tent again- he was smiling and laughing with a friend, and told her that he'd really slept the night before for the first time since the tornado. Another woman who had been to six family funerals in one week said that when she was sitting in the tent with needles in her ears, she could forget that she was in the middle of a disaster area."   Click HERE for a TV News Story on the Joplin Disaster Relief Efforts.    Click HERE to Donate to AWB's Disaster Ready Fund.  Disaster Relief in Minneapolis, Minnesota   Minneapolis Tornado Survivor Receiving Ear Acupuncture Photo Credit: Croix Clayton    On Sunday, May 22, 2011 a tornado with winds of more than 135 miles per hour devastated a metropolitan neighborhood in North Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing one person, injuring dozens, and leaving more then 200 homes damaged or destroyed, and as many as 500 people without shelter. Candyce Clayton D.O.T contacted Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) to ask for help organizing an acupuncture relief effort. Candyce had just received training from AWB in Chicago on May 14-15. AWB has supported Candyce's efforts by providing immediate guidance, important documentation, and information for potential volunteers. Approximately 50 acupuncturists responded to the call for clinic staffing within 24 hours. However, the biggest challenge was finding a place to set up the mobile clinic. After ten days of intensive searching, Candyce was gifted a clinic space from the Center for Families (under the auspices of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches). Her team then walked around the neighborhood handing out flyers, posted information on a post-tornado recovery website, arranged for a PSA on a local jazz station, and arranged to be interviewed by a local tv station for two evening broadcasts.   In 9 days, Candyce's team treated a total of  70 patients, including neighborhood residents, community workers, and site staff. Each day their numbers grew, as clients returned, often with friends, family members, and co-workers in tow. They expect to provide services for several dozen more over the next few weeks, treating up to 20% of the community members who were displaced by the tornado.      Despite the difficulty in finding a location, the clinic became a powerful force in the lives of those in the community who came to be treated. They shared with the clinic staff the relief they felt after their treatments, and spread the news by word-of-mouth each day. Some had lost their homes - others were living in badly damaged structures but were unable to move out or were afraid to leave because their homes could not be locked up. Many suffered acute traumatic symptoms or reported symptoms of trauma in their children. Minneapolis Disaster Relief Team- Candyce Clayton (left), Shelley Sloan (center),   Sara Erdman (right)   Photo Credit: Croix Clayton Candyce and AWB would especially like to acknowledge the tireless work of a few individuals who were the solid foundation of this effort: Shelley Sloan, Sara Erdman, Noah Frohlich, Lisa Simensen, and Sarah Sanford. Candyce would also like to thank the Center for Families in North Minneapolis, the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and the College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Northwestern Health Sciences University for donating supplies and space.  AWB would like to acknowledge Candyce Clayton for her leadership and dedication in getting the Minneapolis relief effort off the ground.         Candyce said: "The wounds caused by this disaster are deep, and life is hard, especially in the inner city. Our generous clinic volunteers helped bring a little sunlight into the lives of people in this community by giving them relief and hope. The dedication of these Minnesota volunteers to continuing this work is inspiring, and motivates us all to keep moving forward with the next stage of clinic work in North Minneapolis. In closing, I would like to cite statements made by two of our clinic tornado victims: one said that after her treatment, she has finally been able to sleep for the first time since the tornado hit; another wrote that after the treatment, she felt as if a veil had been lifted and that she was free." Click HERE for a link to a TV News Story about the Minneapolis Disaster Relief Clinic.  Click HERE to donate to AWB's Disaster Ready Fund.            Disaster Relief in Springfield, Massachusetts   Tornado Damage in Springfield, MA Photo Source: Reuters   On June 1, 2011 a large tornado struck western Massachusetts causing major destruction in several communities, including the cities of Springfield and West Springfield. Four people lost their lives, 200 were reported injured, and over 250 people were in need of shelter.   Karen Adams an LAc, who previously volunteered with AWB in New Orleans, organized practitioners to provide acupuncture, as well as find sites for trauma treatment in the wake of the destruction. Many of the practitioners Karen has been working with have previously received training from AWB.  Nancy Petersen, a volunteer from Springfield who is not an acupuncturist, has been working very hard to get Karen's team into various sites. At the writing of this eblast the group has two sites up and running, and another soon to be launched.  One current treatment location is a Salvation Army shelter in West Springfield, which is still housing about 80 people, many of them immigrants from Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, and Somalia. The Salvation Army has welcomed Karen's team, and encouraged them to provide treatments there.  The other current treatment location is a parking lot located at the Disaster Assistance Center, which is hosted by the state employment assistance office, and is also being staffed by FEMA, MA-EMA and possibly the Red Cross. Karen is also working with a local community center in the hardest hit area of Springfield - which happens to be one of the poorest areas to set up a regular, long-term, assistance site. The local Red Cross has asked Karen's team if they can treat Red Cross volunteers - a nice way to develop the relationship with that relief agency.       AWB would like to recognize Karen for all her previous volunteer experience and current work in organizing a relief effort in the Springfield area.    Karen said: "I have a glimmer of an idea of what it was like to be Diana after Katrina, trying to create an organization while providing services (this time on a much smaller scale). AWB has helped me get the word out to those folks, and the New England School of Acupuncture is also spreading the word. It was hugely helpful to have served with AWB in New Orleans twice, not the least because that experience helps me believe that I can handle whatever comes up - and pass that belief (however illusory it may sometimes be) on to volunteers."     AWB would particularly like to thank Mayway, Blue Poppy, and all other corporate and individual donors who supported these relief efforts. Without them all of this work would not be possible.      We are very grateful to those that give resources upfront, allowing us to spend critical moments after a disaster supporting our members' emerging disaster relief efforts, instead of looking for resources to do the work.  Click  HERE to Donate to AWB's Disaster Ready Fund so we can be ready to meet needs like those of Joplin, MO, Minneapolis, MN, and Springfield, MA when and where they occur.      To become a member or for more information please email admin@acuwithoutborders.org   Thank you for your interest, and your caring. SAVE THE DATE: Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) Day October 24th Fundraising Event Information for AOM Day is Coming Soon! Please contact Giselle Perez at programs@acuwithoutborders.org if you are interested in holding a fundraising event to benefit AWB on AOM day.         In the Spirit of Service, AWB Staff Diana Fried, Executive Director and Founder Melanie Rubin, Managing Director Jessica Truelove, Administrator Giselle Pérez, Program Coordinator Acupuncturists Without Borders www.acwb.info

please contact me if you'd like to help in fundraising so this work can continue. Sarah Zender LAc Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP) 230 Florence St Crystal Lake IL 60014 815.893.9825 www.clnap.com