Breaking Barriers In Acupuncture New Clinic Offers Healing Arts On A Sliding Scale By Jason Reagan Licensed acupuncturist David Stetter recently launched Water’s Way Acupuncture in Sugar Grove. The clinic offers acupuncture on a sliding scale depending on income. Photo by Jason Reagan A local acupuncturist is hoping to puncture the barriers that may stop lower-income patients from enjoying the benefits of the ancient Chinese healing art. David Stetter, a board-certified acupuncturist who teaches at Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine in Sugar Grove, recently launched Water’s Way Acupuncture with the idea of offering services on a sliding-fee scale. “I felt that many of the people I know … couldn’t afford to pay the current prices for as long as they might need to in order to get truly better,” he said, adding that many patients could only afford one treatment based average fees of between $60-$100 per visit. “I also looked into how acupuncture is practiced in China and found that they give treatments often and at times for an extended period of time,” he said, which led to his decision to offer a sliding scale — based on income — between $15-$35 per treatment. Developed more than 2,500 years ago in China, acupuncture entails the gentle insertion of very thin needles into specific areas of the body. Practitioners believe the process can change the flow of the body’s energy (called chi or qi) and treat several maladies. Some studies suggest acupuncture may reduce pain by stimulating bio-chemicals called opioid peptides. Although research can’t pinpoint exactly why acupuncture works, reams of anecdotal evidence suggests it may reduce or stop pain in migraines, back spasms, menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome and relieve other afflictions. Originally from New York, Stetter moved to Boone about six years ago to try life in the mountains. While his wife pursued a degree in special education at Appalachian State University, Stetter taught language arts at a middle school in Lenoir. “During my teaching, I also experienced some health problems that were treated and resolved with acupuncture,” he said. “At the same time, I met a number of people who had also had wonderful healing experiences with acupuncture, from dealing with back pain, diabetes, to Parkinson’s disease and arthritis.” The positive feedback helped Stetter decide to study Chinese medicine at Jung Tao, where he later became a teacher. He modeled Water’s Way after Workingclass Acupuncture in Portland, Ore. — believed to be the first acupuncture clinic to offer a sliding-scale model. Stetter said there are now more than 30 clinics using the same styles. “[They] are trying to make acupuncture accessible to the majority of Americans,” he said. Since starting Water’s Way, Stetter’s practice has mostly grown through word of mouth. “Patients … have brought family and friends with them to the clinic,” he said. “They seem to understand what I am trying to do in starting a community clinic that will remove the boundaries that keep people from getting quality alternative care.” The biggest question first-time patients ask is “Will acupuncture hurt?” Stetter compares the sensation of an entering needle to a mosquito bite or a small pinch. “While [the needles] are in, one can feel heaviness, lightness; one can feel tingling or movement in the area,” he said, adding many patients report experiencing a very relaxing time while getting a treatment — some even sleep. Stetter doesn’t require patients using the sliding scale to prove income — he simply provides a chart that matches suggested fees with a specific income level. •Under $20,000: $15 and $15 per additional visit; •$20,000-$25,000: $20, $15 thereafter; •$25,000-$30,000: $25, $20 thereafter; •$30,000-$$50,000: $30, $20 thereafter; •$50,000 and up: $35, $25 thereafter. “We understand everyone’s situation is different and we leave it up to you to decide what you should pay,” Stetter said. Water’s Way Acupuncture is located at 207 Dale Adams Road in Sugar Grove within the Jung Dao School. For more information, call (828) 773-4675 or visit waterswayacupuncture.com. Stetter added: “When you see patients that have had health issues, pain, or chronic diseases for years — some for 20 or more — and now for the first time they can try something new — something that can help them — you know that what you are doing is right, it is something positive for Boone and the surrounding communities.”