BRATTLEBORO — Confluence Acupuncture is the next natural step for owner Stephen Grace, who has been a licensed acupuncturist for more than 10 years and practiced Chinese medicine for more than 15 years.
“I have worked in various clinics, so this is my first solo venture running my own clinic,” he said.
Grace opened Confluence Acupuncture on Technology Road Drive in Brattleboro about a year ago. So far, he said, things are going well.
Previously, Grace rented a room at a naturopathic clinic on Western Avenue in Brattleboro for about five years. He said the move will allow him to expand his business.
Looking around, Grace noticed several acupuncturists practicing in Brattleboro. But no one was running what he thought was a public-facing clinic with signage, advertising, and multiple treatment rooms.
“I felt like there was a place to do that,” he said. “I believe there have been clinics like that in Brattleboro before, but not in the six years I’ve lived here.”
Grace estimates that 95% of the people she sees experience some form of pain, sometimes acute, sometimes chronic. The pain affects the back, neck, shoulders, knees, and feet. In some cases, it may be associated with arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Acupuncture is also used to treat gastrointestinal, gynecological, and fertility issues, post-traumatic stress disorder, musculoskeletal injuries, and internal disorders.
Grace emphasized the importance of people remaining as mobile as possible into the later years of life, as the population ages.
“This has become a huge part of my clientele,” he said.
Through martial arts, Grace began studying Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, and manual therapy. After being hit by his car and breaking his hand, he was unable to do carpentry for a long time.
As a result, Grace began receiving many acupuncture treatments.
“I was very impressed with how effective this was in treating really acute injuries like this,” he said.
With plenty of time on her hands, Grace decided to try acupuncture school. Although he was living in Oregon at the time, he ended up enjoying the job.
A little over six years ago, Grace moved back to Vermont to be closer to family. He found space for a clinic in Brattleboro.
Grace was able to increase her clientele with her business. He said he is putting more resources into advertising and posting regularly on social media.
“It’s definitely paying off,” he said. “Especially in the fall, we saw a huge increase in the number of new people coming in. I was here in the spring and summer and things were going pretty well, and in the fall , things really started to take off.” So am I, so I hope to continue this trend. ”
Confluence Acupuncture has four rooms with equipment for different types of pain. The clinic is handicapped accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, with wide hallways and doors to facilitate movement for those using wheelchairs or walkers.
One of Grace’s priorities when choosing a property was physical accessibility. In addition, the clinic is designed to resemble a doctor’s office because of the desire to create a friendly environment.
“I think some people find it impossible to come in for acupuncture,” he says. “They’ve never tried it before. They don’t know what it is.”
Grace said she’s noticed more doctors recommending acupuncture. Some patients go to the emergency room and take painkillers and their pain subsides, while others have chronic problems that other medical treatments have not been able to treat.
The needles used in acupuncture are “very small,” Grace said. He described the sting as “When the insect first stung me, it only stung a little bit, and after that it didn’t sting me much.”
“Sometimes you may feel a little pain or a shifting sensation around the insertion site,” he says. “But most of the time I don’t feel it much.”
Your first appointment is a 15-minute evaluation followed by an hour of treatment. Grace makes a plan. Plans typically include around 10 treatments per hour, ideally on a weekly basis.
“Most of the time, there’s a cumulative effect, and it usually builds up week after week,” he says.
Treatments cost $110 per session and are covered by some insurance.
Grace calls Chinese medicine “a broad spectrum that encompasses all of these different treatments.”
“The thing that’s best known in this country is acupuncture,” he says.
Grace said she might suggest exercise and stretching therapy in a way reminiscent of physical therapy. Manual therapy falls somewhere between physical therapy and massage therapy and may include the use of cups.
At the clinic, many herbs are lined up in jars on the shelves. They can be used in “a variety of fashions,” Grace said.
Over 100 fresh herbs are part of the collection. Grace said they are the actual root and bark of the herb, which in the formula he developed is prepared like a tea.
Over 100 types of granulated herbs are also included in the collection. Grace said they are “already cooked like tea, then dried into a powder base and mixed with water for drinking.”
Grace said patients need to take the herb consistently to see results. To make it easier, he suggested having his staff create and prepare the formula.
You can pick up a pack of six jars containing herbal formulas at the clinic and take them home for refills. Patients are advised to drink one bottle per day.
Grace also began teaching a gentle therapy known as Qi Gong in her office on Tuesdays at 9 a.m.
