This week I got a cold. Because I take gobs of herbs, this is usually about a two day affair for me and I'm done. Thursday afternoon, I was hoping to make my evening shift, but wasn't quite up to it. I was sitting at the desk eating my Curra's chicken soup, attempting to re-direct my patients to see Mike, when the first patient - someone's mother from out of town - walked in. I hadn't been able to intercept her in time. She opted to forgo getting a treatment altogether, even though this is something she rarely has the opportunity to do, rather than see another practitioner. Now sure, I appreciate a certain degree of patient loyalty, but seriously....The thing about it in this case, is from what I recall, I have always just done extremely simple treatments with this woman and just let her relax. In other words, if she thinks I've been doing some kind of profound healing on her, she is sadly mistaken. I'm putting needles in probably about 8 or so of some of the most commonly used acupuncture points and leaving her alone. If their's anything profound going on, it's hers.
I'm writing this because this is exactly where patients, and practitioners, miss the point about what community acupuncture is. It's not about me, and my prowess as a practitioner, nor is it about the other guy working here being able to match or exceed me in treatment efficacy or ability. It's about getting some needles in and just being - preferably in a room full of other people doing likewise.
So I was sad to see this woman not get a treatment. It tells me on some level maybe she never got what was going on here anyway.
I'm including here a link to Lisa Rohleder's opening address at the first annual Community Acupuncture Network conference because, as usual, she says it better....Here you go: Right here
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