Frequently Asked Questions

What does affordable acupuncture mean?

Affordable: [adj] that which can be afforded; believed to be within one’s financial means.

In the UK, acupuncture is normally practiced privately, one patient seeing one practitioner for something around an hour per treatment, and paying a fee appropriate for a highly-trained professional - these days usually between £30 and £60.

Some people can afford this whenever they chose; plenty of people in the UK can afford to pay this once in a while; but lots of people will find it hard to pay this price regularly, and it is vital that a patient can have treatment frequently enough and for long enough to get really better.

So, if one-to-one acupuncture is only affordable for some people, is there a way to provide acupuncture that is affordable for more people in our community? The answer is yes: “multi-bed” acupuncture clinics.

How do multi-bed acupuncture clinics work?

By treating several people in a large room together (hence ‘multi-bed’ clinic), rent overheads are vastly reduced. Acupuncture needles often take 20 or 30 minutes to do their work, which means that a practitioner can put in one patient’s needles, leave them to relax into their treatment, and then move on to another patient. By treating more than one patient each hour, a practitioner can reduce the price of each treatment, but still be able to earn a good hourly rate.

The vast majority of people get all they need from this style of practice. A good practitioner will let you know if he or she thinks you need one-to-one treatment for whatever reason. Look at the details of the clinics on the ‘find a clinic’ page and you will see what comfortable, safe and welcoming spaces multi-bed acupuncture clinics are.

Research shows that patients being treated in multi-bed clinics report many positive experiences and very few negative. Patients particularly like the ‘community’ feel these clinics create (Stone, 2006).

What is the charge for acupuncture in a multi-bed clinic?

Different clinics use slightly different models – they have found out what works best for them and their patients. Many clinics use a sliding scale of charges, so those on low incomes pay less than those who on higher incomes, or you pay what you feel you can afford each week. There will usually be a higher charge for the first appointment as this will often take longer and be conducted in a private room. You can find more details on the ‘Find a clinic’ page.



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		What does affordable acupuncture mean? Affordable: [adj] that which can be afforded; believed to be within one’s financial means. In the UK, acupuncture is normally practiced privately, one patient seeing one practitioner for something around an hour per treatment, and paying a fee appropriate for a highly-trained professional - these days usually between £30 and £60. Some people can afford this whenever they chose; plenty of people in the UK can afford to pay this once in a while; but lots of people will find it hard to pay this price regularly, and it is vital that a patient can have treatment frequently enough and for long enough to get really better. So, if one-to-one acupuncture is only affordable for some people, is there a way to provide acupuncture that is affordable for more people in our community? The answer is yes: “multi-bed” acupuncture clinics. How do multi-bed acupuncture clinics work? By treating several people in a large room together (hence ‘multi-bed’ clinic), rent overheads are vastly reduced. Acupuncture needles often take 20 or 30 minutes to do their work, which means that a practitioner can put in one patient’s needles, leave them to relax into their treatment, and then move on to another patient. By treating more than one patient each hour, a practitioner can reduce the price of each treatment, but still be able to earn a good hourly rate. The vast majority of people get all they need from this style of practice. A good practitioner will let you know if he or she thinks you need one-to-one treatment for whatever reason. Look at the details of the clinics on the ‘find a clinic’ page and you will see what comfortable, safe and welcoming spaces multi-bed acupuncture clinics are. Research shows that patients being treated in multi-bed clinics report many positive experiences and very few negative. Patients particularly like the ‘community’ feel these clinics create (Stone, 2006). What is the charge for acupuncture in a multi-bed clinic? Different clinics use slightly different models – they have found out what works best for them and their patients. Many clinics use a sliding scale of charges, so those on low incomes pay less than those who on higher incomes, or you pay what you feel you can afford each week. There will usually be a higher charge for the first appointment as this will often take longer and be conducted in a private room. You can find more details on the ‘Find a clinic’ page.