Acupuncture on Center Stage for Managing Pain

On April 30th, a Senate Committee examined alternatives to pain drugs, and acupuncture took center stage. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been increasing access to acupuncture and other alternative modalities in an effort to manage pain without addictive narcotics. Acupuncture has been used for pain management for centuries. At one of the site’s piloting the VA’s program to find alternatives, like acupuncture, for pain management, the facility decreased its use of high-dose opioids by nearly 70 percent.

This is wonderful news all around. We’re so glad that veterans, so many of whom are suffering from chronic pain, are gaining access to acupuncture. We hope that this Senate hearing will lead to even more access, better insurance coverage for acupuncture, and inclusion of acupuncture in the standard of care.

Cross your fingers!