Acupuncture a good 'alternative' for pain

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10/10/2018 

Regularly in the news: the use of heavy painkillers is rising
sharply. In 2017, usage increased by 14
percent annually. Especially the potent drug Oxycodone (+21 percent) is gaining
popularity. An expert panel consisting of general practitioners,
patient organizations, and hospitals will soon address
the explosively increased popularity of heavy painkillers, especially the
controversial drug Oxycodone. See Source AD [1].

Crisis
Lately, many stories, especially from America, have surfaced about the extremely addictive nature of Oxycodone and other heavy painkillers, a phenomenon referred to in the media as the 'opioid crisis'.

Acupuncture as Support for Chronic Pain and Cancer Pain
The Dutch Knowledge Centre Acupuncture published an article in June about two important reviews (see block at the bottom of this page). These reviews support earlier research results on the relief that acupuncture can provide for various types of pain.

America Uses Acupuncture to Combat Pain and Medication Addiction
This is evident from the article published on 20/02/2018 on U.S.news [2]. There has been a real surge in acupuncture after Providence VA Hospital offered acupuncture treatment to people with chronic pain complaints.

For a long time, acupuncture was viewed with suspicion by Americans, but after several studies, acupuncture is increasingly being used as pain relief instead of heavy pain medication. The reason for this is that the US now has many people addicted to heavy painkillers. In recent years, there have also been many deaths due to opioid addiction, both from pain medication and heroin.

A special team against opioid addiction in Ohio has ensured that all healthcare providers must now also provide an alternative to pain medication. As a result, Medicaid Programs in various states have added acupuncture as a pain treatment method for those with low incomes. Several insurers have already started reimbursing for acupuncture.

Acupuncture is now most commonly offered in military hospitals,
both for pain management and for assistance with pain medication addiction. As there are still many studies being conducted on the effectiveness of the treatments, the expectation is that acupuncture will have an increasingly prominent place within American healthcare!

[1] Source AD dated 07-09-2018   [2] Article U.S.news d.d. 20-02-2018