The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture goes back some 2,000 years. Although it has had a slow acceptance in western medicine, today, some 59 percent of doctors surveyed believe that it can be effective.

But for many, the hurdles to seeking care by a licensed acupuncturist can be difficult to overcome. While a 2005 report that showed nearly 60 percent of insurance companies cover acupuncture treatments to some extent is positive news, for the 40 percent that aren’t covered, or those without insurance, covering the cost of treatment has traditionally been steep.

But in Edgewater, licensed acupuncturist Meaghan Massella Walker has developed a business model for her practice that makes getting acupuncture treatments affordable to just about anyone. Edgewater Acupuncture has been open for a little over a year.

Traditionally, an acupuncture treatment costs anywhere from $60 to $150 per session. Walker’s treatments are based on a sliding scale payment system, where patients determine on their own whether they should pay $15 to $35 per visit.

The experience

The difference between Walker’s practice and other acupuncturists in the area is that Edgewater Acupuncture is conducted in an open “group practice” instead of private rooms.

Walker earned her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan College in Connecticut and then her license to practice acupuncture in 2007. She had a private practice in Baltimore for a couple of years before moving to Edgewater last year.

Walker said she first learned of the group model after hearing about an acupuncturist in Portland, OR. Walker said that she was working in a traditional one-room, one-patient setting at the time, but was intrigued by the idea of a communal practice.

The model of affordable acupuncture has grown over the years, and what started as an informal network has grown into a kind of community acupuncture movement with hundreds of communal practitioners from coast to coast.

Walker said that once she found the space for an Edgewater office, she scoured craigslist for comfortable reclining chairs and other décor for her practice. She said she drove all over the greater Baltimore metro area picking up furnishings.

Luckily, the storefront space she rented on Mayo Road (across from Edgewater Restaurant) was already configured in a way that worked, so after painting and putting the furniture in place, she was ready for business.

How group acupuncture works

There are no private rooms—everyone sits together in one big, open space. There are about a dozen overstuffed reclining chairs with matching slipcovers.  The furnishings are comfortable, with floor lamps and side tables. It is very much like a living room where you can relax.

Walker directs patients to select any chair and get comfortable. You wear your regular street clothes, there are no gowns, paper or otherwise, to change into. You recline in the chair and take off your shoes.

Patients seek acupuncture for any number of issues, including infertility, chronic pain, arthritis, emotional and mental problems—even to minimize the side effects from cancer treatment.

A WebMd survey conducted in 2002 indicated that, nearly a decade ago, over 8 million people were seeking acupuncture treatment each year.

During the consultation, Walker reviews your medical history. She talks about specific problems and general health concerns. Surprisingly, the fountains and soft music make the consultation feel more private than you might expect in such an open setting.

Once she has determined a patient’s needs, Walker removes small, disposable needles from a sterile packaging. As each needle goes in, there is a quick, tingling sensation. It isn’t painful.

Once the needles are in place, Walker advises about a half hour of calm, which can be sleep or quiet rest.

The patient determines when the treatment is over.

Many patients bring iPods or MP3 players and listen to music during treatment.

Even traditional private-room acupuncturists have found that the group setting has a place, even when they don’t adopt the practice overall.

Bridget Hughes, a licensed acupuncturist with Healing Point Acupuncture and Healing Arts said of the new approach:

"Group acupuncture has an important place in an evolving affordable healthcare model.  We have found the group model to be particularly effective for individuals undergoing treatment for addictions and we provide a group addictions program at the Health Department in Howard County."

"We have not implemented a group program in our general practice as so much of the richness of what is possible with acupuncture comes in understanding the subtlety and nuance of what a patient is experiencing;  having the time to deeply listen to the symptoms and signs a person experiences and design an individual treatment specific and unique to that person gives the best results," she said.

"Often treatments require access to the back or other areas not as easily accessed in groups.  That said, a non-specific group program can be a great help and makes acupuncture accessible to a much wider segment of the population."

When the patient signals that the treatment is complete, Walker removes and disposes of the needles.

Patients pay for the treatment in a drop box in the front of the practice. Walker doesn’t say what the price is, patients pay on a sliding scale according to their ability to pay.

There is no chart that says what the scale is. If you feel $15 is all you can afford, that is what you pay. If you feel that you can afford to pay $35, then that is what you pay.

Most acupuncture treatments require multiple sessions, and Walker’s practice has on-line appointment scheduling.

Walker said that business has been steady and she has been building a clientele from Bowie to Annapolis.