2020 Journal of General Internal Medicine
Both individual and group acupuncture therapy delivered in primary care settings reduced chronic pain and improved physical function at 12 weeks.
Community (Group) Acupuncture
Community acupuncture is a recent innovation in acupuncture service delivery that aims to improve access to care through low-cost treatments in group-based settings. Patients at community acupuncture clinics can receive more frequent treatments compared to acupuncture users in a private setting. In group acupuncture, patients are treated simultaneously, in a staggered fashion, situated near and in view of one another.
What does the research say?
The following insights are obtained from systematic reviews and analysis of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of Chinese medicine and community (group) acupuncture.
2018 Pain Medicine
Acupuncture therapy offered in the group setting was effective in reducing pain severity, pain interference, and depression in patients with chronic neck, back, or shoulder pain or osteoarthritis.
2013 BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Our findings suggest that the group setting, community-based locations, and low cost of this model do not compromise quality of care, and potentially reduce access barriers for those who might not otherwise consider acupuncture.
Seek personalised healthcare and advice
Although well-conducted clinical research can help members of the public to make better-informed decisions about their healthcare, we cannot claim that any particular treatment may be effective for any individual person.
When you consult with our Chinese medicine practitioners, you’ll receive personalised advice and treatment based on your symptoms and Chinese medicine diagnosis.
Research papers
Browse our collection of scientific clinical research on community (group) acupuncture.
It includes recent and reputable papers published by peer-reviewed journals within the last 10 years.
2020, Feb 19
Individual vs. Group Delivery of Acupuncture Therapy for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Urban Primary Care—a Randomized Trial
Journal of General Internal Medicine Society of General Internal Medicine
The results demonstrate that Individual and Group Acupuncture can be offered safely in the community health center setting. Acceptability to patients and clinicians is very high, and that a substantial proportion of patients with chronic pain will have clinically significant improvement in both pain and overall physical health. Based on these results, Group Acupuncture therapy should be offered as part of pain care to urban community in the primary care setting.
McKee MD, Nielsen A, Anderson B, Chuang E, Connolly M, Gao Q, Gil EN, Lechuga C, Kim M, Naqvi H, Kligler B Full Article
2018, Feb
Acupuncture Therapy in a Group Setting for Chronic Pain
Pain Medicine American Academy of Pain Medicine
Acupuncture therapy offered in the group setting was effective in reducing pain severity, pain interference, and depression in patients with chronic neck, back, or shoulder pain or osteoarthritis. Benefit persisted through the 24-week measure despite no additional treatment. This finding has potentially important implications for improving access to effective acupuncture treatment for patients with limited financial resources.
Benjamin Kligler, Arya Nielsen, Corinne Kohrherr,, Tracy Schmid, Eve Waltermaurer, Elidania Perez, Woodson Merrell Full Article
2013, Oct 29
Patient perspectives on care received at community acupuncture clinics: a qualitative thematic analysis
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
This study elucidate patients' perspectives on quality of care: 1) aspects of health care delivery unique to community acupuncture, and 2) patient engagement in health care. The group setting, community-based locations, and low cost of this model potentially reduce access barriers for those who might not otherwise consider using acupuncture. In addition, the community acupuncture model may offer individuals the opportunity for increased frequency of treatments.
Tippens KM, Chao MT, Connelly E, Locke A. Full Article
It is by virtue of the twelve channels that human life exists, that disease arises, that human beings can be treated and illness cured. The twelve channels are where beginners start and masters end.