Blog

Why Chinese Herbs

During your time at MCA your acupuncturist might have brought up adding Chinese Herbs to your treatments. Why? The simplest answer is, sometimes acupuncture isn’t the only or best way to address various health concerns.

Chinese herbs are the medicine that makes Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM as it is commonly referred to) a complete system of healthcare. It is the yin to the yang of acupuncture. There are thousands of traditional formulas of herbs, all of them based on a system of understanding that combines taste (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, & bland) and temperature (cold, warm, hot) of a plant material (leaves, twigs, bark, roots) to create a desired effect on the chemistry of the body. An easy analogy for Chinese herbs is food. We eat certain foods to have certain effects inside the body. For example, lemons are bitter and sour and create the pucker that helps to create saliva, while bone broths would be considered sweet and bland and help to repair tissue after illness. Chinese herbs are used to help the body to repair itself over time instead of masking the symptoms like an over the counter medication would.

Chinese herbs can be used to address a variety of symptoms and conditions. They are not recommended for everyone, especially those on certain medications like blood thinners, but in the right circumstance herbs can help improve conditions faster than acupuncture alone. At MCA we like to use acupuncture first and then add herbs as needed (or desired) on a patient by patient basis. All of our acupuncturists are board certified in Chinese Herbology, and during their training spent many hours studying Chinese herbs and formulas. All of the Chinese herbs at MCA are tested for safety and efficacy, and come as a pill similar to a supplement. We carry a wide array of formulas that address everything from constipation and menstrual issues to the common cold and sinus congestion. Chinese herbs range in price, and can cost anywhere from $10-15 for a two week supply.

So the next time you see your acupuncturist, ask how Chinese herbs could benefit you!

July 25, 2015

What is POCA Tech?

July 25, 2015/ Amy Severinsen

What is POCA Tech? POCA Tech is a school that is dedicated to training community acupuncturists. It is the educational arm of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture. It seeks to offer affordable education to acupuncture students who can in turn work in community clinics.

How can you help? If you have been positively impacted by community acupuncture and would like to see community acupuncture available in more locations consider a donation of just $5 or more! You can assist in “building” the school by helping them fund the programs offered.

At your next visit ask the receptionist for an information sheet on the school and the need for more community acupuncturists. Visit the POCA Tech website as well for more information on the fundraising progress.

Milwaukee Community Acupuncture

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bay View neighborhood, Milwaukee Community Acupuncture provides quality, convenient and low-cost healthcare to members of our community.

Clinic Updates!

Roof Construction Updates

Our new roof construction has been postponed until Wednesday May 15th. Our hours for the week of May 13th to May 18th are as follows:

Monday, May 13th & Tuesday, May 14th: Regular Hours 9AM to 8PM

Wednesday, May 15th: Closed

Thursday, May 16th: Closed

Friday May 17th: Closed

Saturday, May 18th: Closed

Sunday, May 19th: Special Hours Open 10AM to 2PM

Thank you for you patience!

Donate to MCA

Donations to MCA help fund our pay-it-forward program and are tax deductible. For every $20 donated to MCA, we will give 1 free acupuncture treatment to a community member.

New Patients

Please call to schedule your first visit. You will be able to schedule subsequent appointments online.

Acupuncture for Veterans

MCA is now a Community Care Network provider through the VA. Veterans can request a referral from the VA and receive acupuncture treatments at no cost to them with an active referral.

COVID-19 Appointment Guidelines & Illness Guidelines

Masking is optional
We provide surgical and KN95 masks at the front desk free of charge
Patients can request that their acupuncturist wear a mask while treating them

Please reschedule if…

You feel ill or have any symptoms of COVID-19. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, headache, or new loss of taste or smell. Even if you have tested negative, please wait until your symptoms have subsided to come in for an appointment.
You currently have allergies and can’t control coughing or sneezing.

At your appointment:

Check in with the receptionist.
If you are new to our clinic, please fill out our online paperwork before your appointment time or arrive early to fill it out in the office.
Pay for your appointment before heading back to the treatment room.
Sliding scale is $20-$50.
Enter treatment room, choose a chair with a Ready sign in the seat.

Schedule an Appointment

Gift Cards and Donations

Hours

Monday 9 - 8
Tuesday 9 - 8
Wednesday 9 - 8
Thursday 9 - 8
Friday 9 - 4:30
Saturday 10 - 2
Sunday Closed

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Contact

435 E. Lincoln Ave.
2nd floor
Milwaukee, WI 53207
414.943.2915
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