What do you do when you have minor aches and pains or chronic allergies or digestive complaints? Like many people, you are not alone and I am sure you’ve tried over the counter medications, yoga, or supplements. How much would you be willing to spend of your own money for health care services? For those of you who have health insurance, maybe you got prescriptions from your doctor and if so, how much was the total cost including your out-of-pocket expenses?

 

As an acupuncturist, I treat patients suffering from pain and other aliments on a daily basis. Most patients pay out of pocket, and while I try to keep my prices affordable it still can be expensive for those seeking pain relief.  Some insurance companies pay for acupuncture treatments; however, acupuncture is still not fully accepted in mainstream health-care. This may soon change. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies and government agencies are actively looking at effective alternative therapies, especially acupuncture, to save money and control the cost of health care.

 

Acupuncture saves money according to several studies[1]. In one particular study, 401 patients experiencing headaches received either acupuncture or conventional care. Patients undergoing acupuncture experienced 22 fewer days of headache per year than subjects in the control group and used 15% less medication, took 15% fewer sick days from work and consulted a general practitioner 25% less often than the control[2].

 

As many of us already know the cost of health care spending continues to increase. Most of the spending drive in healthcare is due to the cost of new technologies, drugs, administration costs and the increased incidence of chronic diseases[3]. Many of us would agree that we need to invest in new medical technologies and new drugs to solve our pressing health concerns.  At the same time, we have to provide health care that is accessible and affordable.

 

The answer to saving money in health care may lie in using ancient Chinese medicine and in particular, acupuncture. Acupuncture is effective when pain medication is not tolerated and is an adjunct to physical rehabilitation and/or surgical intervention to hasten functional recovery. Acupuncture can induce endorphin release for pain relief, reduce inflammation, and has an analgesic effect through interruption of pain stimulus.           

 

This is good news for those of us advocating inclusion of acupuncture in modern mainstream medicine not only because we can help more patients using safe alternatives, but also because it demonstrates that acupuncture is an effective treatment in many cases of pain, otherwise insurance and government agencies would not consider acupuncture as a treatment modality in health insurance.

 

It has yet to be determined to what extent acupuncture will be included in the Affordable Care Act. Some states such as California have included some basic level of acupuncture coverage. But hopefully more people will have access to more safe and effective alternative treatments that will help bring down cost both on a national level and for each individual.

 


[1] Jabbour, Sapko, Miller, Weiss Gross,“Economic Evaluation in Acupuncture: Past and Future,” The American Acupuncturist, Fall 2009, Vol. 49. http://www.aaaomonline.info/eco_eval_in_acu.pdf

[2] Wonderling D, Vickers AJ, Grieve R, McCarney R. Cost effectiveness analysis of a randomised trial of acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care. BMJ. 2004; 328(7442):747. 

[3]Jabbour, Sapko, Miller, Weiss Gross,“Economic Evaluation in Acupuncture: Past and Future,” The American Acupuncturist, Fall 2009, Vol. 49