Acupuncturists have long lobbied for acupuncture to have a larger role in treating pain in the United States. With the onset of what’s been called the ‘Opioid Crisis’, government officials and doctors have begun to endorse more promotion of these types of alternative pain management therapies.
In 2017, the FDA released a series of changes on how doctors should treat pain with the new guidelines, recommending doctors to advocate for chiropractic care or acupuncture, in an effort to avoid putting patients on prescription opioids. The alternative therapies available, such as acupuncture treatment, can play a key role as a part of the multidisciplinary approach to pain management.
For some, acupuncture has worked wonders at greatly reducing pain symptoms. For people suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports-related or athletic injuries, and general chronic pain, acupuncture may be a way to avoid having to reach for more medication. As the FDA has backed the efforts of acupuncturists and now with government support, it’s left to the doctors to become more educated on the ways in which acupuncture can make a difference in some patients.
In some parts of the United States, doctors have already shifted their focus away from prescription pain medications and to acupuncture. The American College of Physicians has recommended acupuncture as a first option for treating lower back pain. There are also states looking at the possibility of covering acupuncture therapy as a part of its state healthcare plan. This is amazing news for pain patients who are already regular clients and for those interested in trying it.
Since 2011, the number of opioid deaths have been on the rise all over North America. Many healthcare providers have instilled new policies on opioids, limiting patients and doctors on allowances. Where these policies have come up short is in not recommending alternative therapies like acupuncture. Now it’s beginning to happen and for acupuncturists, it’s a marked sign of change.
For years, we have seen the ways acupuncture can help pain management patients. For some, acupuncture takes all of their pain away. For others, it takes most of or some of their pain away. Naturally, there are some that acupuncture may not do anything for. With this in mind, the percentage of patients helped through acupuncture is oftentimes comparable and exceeds what prescription medications like morphine, Percocets, gabapentin, pregabalin, and others offer.
We are in full support of advocating for safer, non-opioid pain treatments as long as they’re effective at regulating pain. For a lot of pain management patients, acupuncture is the most effective non-pharmacologic therapy they’ve used to manage their condition. For acupuncturists stocking up on their inventory or patients seeking where to buy acupuncture needles, shop Lierre.ca.