Medicine to the People
We are no longer offering direct patient care via acupuncture clinics. It is of the utmost importance to us to make the most effective treatment options available to as many people as possible. Below are offerings we have in the works. Please sign up for our newsletter if you wish to receive updates on launch dates and other details.
EDUCATION:
Ear seed trainings for the public
Qi Gong classes for the public
Continuing Education courses for acupuncturists, massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors and other care providers who offer hands-on treatments
DECENTRALIZED and needle-free options for all people seeking a comprehensive and engaged care-plan.
Functional Chinese Medicine consultations. These are virtual appointments resulting in extensive and personalized treatment plans that might include things such as: herbal formulas (topical or internal), medical qi gong or other physical exercises, nutritional therapy, self-acupressure and ear seed point prescriptions.
Classical Channel System groups. These group offerings are for those seeking to go deeper into their healing utilizing topical herbal applications, self-acupressure and/or gua sha, guided meditations and self-reflective journaling prompts.
Sinew Channels - musculoskeletal and/or orthopedic pain conditions and injuries
Luo Vessels - physical healing from pain via physical and emotional release
Divergent Channels - addressing traumas stored in latency causing physical dysfunction and emotional challenges
Extraordinary Vessels - psycho-emotional pain related to our deepest reservoirs.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a gentle, time-tested medicine that uses very thin, sterile, single-use needles to encourage the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
Modern research shows that acupuncture can affect multiple levels of the body at once — the spinal cord, brainstem, limbic system, and cortex — helping to shift the body out of stress and into a calmer, restorative state. It can reduce pain signals, relax tight muscles, influence hormones, support immune function, and calm the fight-or-flight response. In simple terms, acupuncture helps the body reset.
People often come to acupuncture for specific problems like pain, headaches, anxiety, digestive issues, sleep trouble, menstrual symptoms, or chronic conditions. At the same time, acupuncture also supports overall wellbeing: many people notice better sleep, more energy, improved mood, and less stress even when they came in for something else.
There are many styles of acupuncture, and they don’t all look the same — but across traditions the effects are remarkably consistent: less pain, less stress, more ease in the body.
Acupuncture is very safe when practiced by trained professionals. Side effects are uncommon and usually mild. Because it works by supporting your body’s own healing responses, it is generally gentle, compatible with other treatments, and appropriate for people managing long-term health conditions.
At its heart, acupuncture isn’t about “fixing” you — it’s about helping your body remember how to return to balance.
The practitioners listed below are trusted colleagues who offer high quality services at various price points.
what is community acupuncture?
Acupuncture was traditionally a community medicine long before our currently-known standard of boutique-style treatments took over.
Even the origins of acupuncture in the US were in the group setting - In the 1970s, the Lincoln Detox Center in the Bronx—spearheaded by the Black Panther Party and the Young Lords—helped establish acupuncture in the U.S. as a community-based medicine, offered freely as part of broader movements for health justice and collective care.
We honor the legacy of people healing together and co-regulating in group settings by offering acupuncture in a comfortable, shared space at accessible prices. This model allows people to receive care as often as needed for it to be truly effective.
We are proud co-op members of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture and health care practitioners who care about you! That means the person who treats you may be a:
state licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac)
certified auricular acupuncture technician (AAT)
certified acupuncture detox specialist (ADS)
medical acupuncturist (MD, DO, DDS)
POCA’s mission is clear: to make acupuncture affordable and accessible to as many people as possible, and to create stable, sustainable jobs for the acupuncturists who provide it. They understand that real access requires a network—clinics that are connected, supported, and rooted in the principle that care should be a right, not a luxury.
As POCA members, we are part of a growing movement of clinics across North America committed to this model. This affiliation connects us to shared resources, ongoing education, and a community of practitioners dedicated to breaking down barriers to wellness. It reinforces our commitment to sliding-scale community clinics and fuels our parallel mission: to extend care beyond our walls by bringing mobile acupuncture directly to organizations, detox centers, workplaces, and campuses throughout the Capital Region.
To find a POCA-affiliated community acupuncture clinic in another city, or to learn more about joining the cooperative, visit pocacoop.com.
how we got here
Albany Community Acupuncture was founded by Gina Mauro L.Ac (pictured far left) after her time doing relief work through Acupuncturists Without Borders in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
Born and raised in the Albany area, Gina has always felt a strong call to serve the Capital Region community in a meaningful way.