My name is Paul Messersmith-Glavin. After attending the Swedish Institute of Massage in New York City and working as a massage therapist, practicing what I called Swed-atsu – a combination of Swedish and Shiatsu massage – for over twelve years, I graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine with an M.A. in Chinese Medicine in 2004. In 2007 my wife Lara and I went to live in Chengdu, China for a year. There, I was able to observe and learn in a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital, study at a TCM university, practice martial arts such as Tai Ji Quan and Xing Yi Quan, ride my bike, and get a real feel for contemporary China. Much of this website contains blog posts from my time there.

While living in China, and observing how acupuncture is practiced in its native land, I realized that something got lost in translation. When acupuncture came to the US, it took on the trappings of massage and psychotherapy. In other words, it went from being a easy to provide form of community health care, to an individualized, private, and expensive privilege for those who could afford it. In China, the average acupuncture treatment costs about $3. In the US, most people pay between $65 and $125. Seeing the disparity between the way acupuncture is practiced in China, and what became of it in the US, inspired me to join in with other acupuncturists in what is called the community acupuncture movement. Community acupuncturists are challenging the establishment of acupuncture as a privileged healthcare option, and are working to return it to its place as something for everyone.

Community acupuncture was initiated by Working Class Acupuncture, in Portland, Oregon. Working Class Acupuncture has two clinics in Portland, one of which treats between 450 and 475 patients a week, making it one of the busiest clinics in the country. That’s where I have worked since May of 2010.

There are over 200 community acupuncture clinics around the country. They have recently founded the People’s Organization for Community Acupuncture (POCA). I will provide a link to their website as soon as it’s up and running.

I also work at a second community acupuncture clinic, called 7 Star Acupuncture, located at 12th and SE Stark, in Portland.

Welcome to my site!

Paul