Summer Tracker | Tracker Back Issues

References & Links

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture
www.medicalacupuncture.org

Acupuncture.com
www.acupuncture.com

National Institutes of Health
www.nih.gov

Back to Acupuncture and Occupational Injury article.

There are thousands of medical doctors and practitioners (non-physicians licensed in the state where they work) who are certified to perform acupuncture therapy in the U.S. To locate a physician or practitioner who performs acupuncture in your area, call the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture at
800. 521.2262 or visit its website www.medicalacupuncture.org. You can find out whether a practitioner is licensed or registered and whether they have attended an accredited school of acupuncture. However, not all acupuncturists who are certified to practice are members of this organization. You may have equal success locating a practitioner through the Yellow Pages or by word of mouth.

More and more insurance companies are covering acupuncture treatment, particularly for pain management. Many states have approved workers’ compensation fee codes for acupuncture, provided there has been a physician referral/order for the treatment. Acupuncture.com has a list of traditional insurance companies that cover acupuncture. Also, check your state’s fee schedule and workers’ compensation provider reimbursement rules to verify how billing for acupuncture treatment is handled in your state.

Physicians can use acupuncture alone or in conjunction with conventional medications to provide pain relief and reduce the patient’s risk of side effects from medication. You may want to consider adding an acupuncturist to your clinical staff, similar to your arrangement with physical therapy, or you may decide to incorporate them into your referral network. Possibly your medical director or another practitioner is interested in becoming certified through one of the courses offered.

Most patients use acupuncture for back pain and migraines, but acupuncture is also effective in treating viruses, muscular and inflammatory ailments, and mood disorders. Historically in the U.S., most patients have sought out treatment as a last resort, often after a chronic pain state has developed. Over the last five years, however, more and more patients are seeking acupuncture treatments during the acute stage of their injury or illness.

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) new center for complementary and alternative medicine has $68 million in research grants for acupuncture, an all-time high.

According to the NIH, one million people were using acupuncture annually in 1997 and in the same year, 15,385 calls were placed to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA)—triple the calls placed in 1996. The number of patients interested in and accessing acupuncture continues to grow.