What is Acupuncture?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says that acupuncture can treat lower back and neck pain symptoms in addition to knee pain and discomfort related to osteoarthritis.
The treatment is performed by inserting very thin needles through the skin at specific points on the body. It has been a function of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for centuries and is most commonly employed to relieve pain. More and more, the modality is also used for stress management and overall wellness.
TCM views acupuncture as a method to balance the flow of energy or life force (known as chi) that is believed to flow through paths in the body. The insertion of needles into strategic points along those pathways will cause the rebalancing of the energy or life force, according to practitioners.
Most Western practitioners view acupuncture points as areas that stimulate muscles, nerves, and connective tissue, which in turn boosts the body’s natural painkilling chemicals.
Watch the YouTube video. The NCCIH video below highlights what happens during a treatment session.
Medicare and Acupuncture
At the beginning of 2020, up to 20 acupuncture treatments annually were approved by Medicare for patients suffering from chronic lower back pain. The approval of the treatment is conditional. Under Medicare Part B, members can only get acupuncture treatment performed by a DO, MD, ARNP. Medicare Advantage (Part C) members enjoy more flexibility – they can be treated by any of the aforementioned practitioners, in addition to Licensed Acupuncturists. Although acupuncture is beneficial to the treatment of other conditions, Medicare only covers acupuncture for the treatment of lower back pain.
Medicare benefits can be confusing – there are more than 25 Medicare Advantage Plans, several statewide plans managed through Medicaid, and other special plans that are offered by Aetna, AARP, Blue Cross, Humana, Freedom, Elite, WellCare, and Freedom. Of these plans, several already allow acupuncture for chronic low back pain. Even more Medicare plans have approved benefits for the treatment starting in 2021.
An Evidence-Based Treatment Option
The addition of acupuncture as an approved treatment by Medicare is part of an effort to have patients access nonopioid pain management options for chronic pain conditions. The benefits of acupuncture as a modality to relieve pain and improve function and mobility are supported by research, and the administration of the treatments by a licensed healthcare provider is an effective and safe treatment for low back pain.
Acupuncture treatment triggers the release of naturally occurring pain-relieving chemicals throughout the body. Imaging studies have been performed to examine the brain activity of those undergoing acupuncture treatment, and those studies reveal that it reduces activity in the areas of overactive pain receptors.
Acupuncture’s beneficial effects on chronic pain may be long lasting, according to research published in Pain, a medical journal. The article references 29 clinical trials of participants with pain in the back, shoulders, neck, knee, or headache. Around 90% of the nearly 18,000 participants reported pain relief that lasted at least one year after the acupuncture treatments ended.
The most common adverse side effects from acupuncture treatment are minor bleeding and sensitivity at the area being treated.
Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney
Hello, and thank you for reading our exploration of acupuncture for the treatment of chronic low back pain. I’m Ed Smith, and I have been a personal injury attorney in Sacramento, California, for 38 years. As injury lawyers, we help a lot of clients who suffer from chronic low back pain as a result of car accidents. If you or anyone you love has been injured in a crash caused by a careless driver, we may be able to help. At a minimum, we can offer free and friendly advice. Just call us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. Or, you may complete our online contact form.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/massage-therapy-relax-health-1015571/
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