Thanks for Four Years of Awesome
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Blogged Around Philly: Farewell Edition
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New Kid on the Block aims to be an occasional feature that profiles new (or relatively new) local businesses. Please feel free to bring any new local businesses to our attention by emailing us at editors@phillyist.com.
Yes, acupuncture—in South Philly, no less. Don't roll your eyes. Read on.
Right around the corner from the High School for Creative and Performing Arts, in an old warehouse building at 1241 Carpenter Street, you'll find Hawthorne Community Acupuncture, a brand new business operated by nationally-certified and state-licensed acupuncturist Eva Zeller.
Zeller has had a significant interest in wellness since she was a young adult. While most of us were probably doing predictably embarrassing and unhealthy things to our bodies and minds, she was practicing yoga, tending to her medicinal herb garden, and reading about traditional medical systems of the Far East. Eventually, Zeller earned her Master's in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and spent some time in Japan studying at the Morinomiya College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. (Don't be ashamed to click the link; we didn't know what the hell it was, either.)
We recently had a chance to chat with Zeller, who is probably one of the nicest people we've met here in Philly.
What are the most common misconceptions of acupuncture?
That it hurts! I promise that it's not like getting a shot. The needles are very fine and flexible and many people don't even feel them going in. Once they're in it doesn't feel like there's a needle in you. It feels more like just pressure, heaviness, or a dull ache.
Also there seems to be this idea that for an acupuncturist to be any good they need to be Chinese. Everyone who practices acupuncture in the United States has to take the same national certification test—Chinese or otherwise.
What common problems or ailments are good candidates for acupuncture?
The World Health Organization published a list of conditions that, based on reviewing clinical evidence, they saw as being responsive to acupuncture treatment. Generally, pain is what I treat the most. But I also treat anxiety and insomnia; hormonal problems such as PMS, infertility, and hot flashes; autoimmune conditions; digestive disorders such as IBS and acid reflux, etc. Essentially anything that is made worse by stress is going to improve with acupuncture because acupuncture helps normalize the body's response to stress. Almost everyone experiences it as very relaxing.
Once you start, how often do you need to keep up with it?
People are often surprised to hear that it's probably going to take multiple visits to help them. Acupuncture can occasionally work a "miracle cure," but more often it's a gentle, gradual process—a lot like going to the gym. If you go once or twice it will feel good, but if you want to get in shape you need to go regularly and frequently. It's the same with acupuncture. Generally a person will need around five to fifteen visits, although that number can be more or less depending on the nature and severity of the problem.
What are the costs involved, and what about health insurance?
In this country, treatments average from $65 to upwards of $200 per visit. For five to fifteen visits, that can really add up. Some insurance companies cover acupuncture, but in Pennsylvania, most do not. We have a sliding scale at Hawthorne Community Acupuncture that makes it incredibly affordable. This is one reason why I joined the community acupuncture movement and started the business—I want my neighbors to be able to experience and afford acupuncture because it really works!
Hawthorne Community Acupuncture will host a pot luck launch party this Friday, starting at 5:00 p.m. (It's address, again, is 1241 Carpenter.) You''ll have a chance to meet Eva, as well as the other wellness practitioners who operate out of the space, including Reiki masters, massage therapists, and yoga instructors. (If you're moved to bring something to the potluck, we suggest perhaps you err on the vegetarian/vegan side of things. Just guessin'.)
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