It’s Black History Month! As part of the health care field, we have to acknowledge the historical neglect and abuse that BIPOC communities have experienced in medical settings. Because of the fraught history and complicated relationship BIPOC communities have with the medical system, individuals often don’t receive or seek the treatment they need. Fortunately, integrative care is an effective option for patients seeking care that doesn’t carry the negative baggage. In fact, historically, acupuncture has been an effective and accepted treatment for communities of color.

Outside of Asian-American communities, members of civil rights groups the Black Panthers and the Puerto Rican activist group, the Young Lords, were some of the first people in the U.S. to widely practice acupuncture. In 1970, the two groups pioneered a community health clinic in the Bronx called Lincoln Detox Center, which focused on detoxing Black and Hispanic community members from heroin. At the time, the only treatment for drug addiction was to take another drug: methadone. They wanted to incorporate ways to help people beyond pharmaceuticals, and a few members (including Tupac Shakur’s stepfather) had had positive, personal experiences with acupuncture treatment in the local Chinatown. Dr. Shakur became a licensed Acupuncturist and directed the program at Lincoln Detox Center throughout the 70s. Lincoln’s program was recognized as the largest and most effective of its kind by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Acupuncture Research Society and the World Academic Society of Acupuncture.

The Lincoln Detox Center also played an instrumental role in the development of the NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol. NADA is an ear acupuncture treatment first researched in Hong Kong and subsequently explored and refined throughout the medical acupuncture community. The NADA protocol is still widely used for the treatment of addiction, trauma, stress, and mental health. Throughout the 2000s NADA has been used all over the globe in a variety of environments and situations. In the U.S. NADA has been used to treat victims of various large-scale traumas and natural disasters such as the September 11th attacks, Hurricane Katrina, California wildfires, and even the Black Lives Matter protests here in Portland.

Acupuncture can be an effective option for treating a variety of musculoskeletal and psychosomatic symptoms, and it is a modality that many people trust more than pharmaceutical interventions. Fortunately, in recent years acupuncture has gained visibility and is more often covered by health insurance. As the medical community continues to research and learn about the benefits of acupuncture treatment, it is our hope that acupuncture treatment becomes more widely available.

Want to know if your insurance covers acupuncture? Give our front desk a call! Our friendly Patient Care Coordinators are always happy to help you identify and navigate your benefits.