Our article has been selected as one of ten articles for the November 2017 Elsevier Atlas Awards Nominations : “Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management–White Paper 2017”

Great news! This month our article”Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management–White Paper 2017″ 1 (Arthur Yin Fan is the first author, and Dr.David Miller is the correspondence author, our colleague Sarah Faggert also a co-author-there are 14 authors across the United States) has been selected as one of ten articles for the November 2017 Elsevier Atlas Awards Nominations.

As is stated on the Elsevier Atlas Awards homepage: “Each month the Atlas Advisory Board are sent a selection of 10 articles to choose their winning Atlas article. The articles are shortlisted by Elsevier from across journal portfolios based on their potential social impact. We are delighted to present the entire monthly shortlist and congratulate the authors of the nominated articles.” While the voting is still in progress, we are still very excited to even be nominated. This marks the first time that an acupuncture article has been nominated for the Elsevier Atlas Award.You may click on the following link to take you the Elsevier Atlas Nominations page: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/atlas/nominations.

We will let you know should our article win!

Nominations

Each month the Atlas Advisory Board are sent a selection of 10 articles to choose their winning Atlas article.

ELSEVIER.COM

Reference:

1. Fan AY, Miller DW, Bolash B, Bauer M, McDonald J, Faggert S, He H, Li YM, Matecki A, Camardella L, Koppelman MH, Stone JA, Meade L, Pang J. Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management—White Paper 2017. J Integr Med. 2017; 15(6): 411–425.

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Acupuncture helpful in solving opioid epidemic: U.S. white paper

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/27/c_136643493.htm

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — In the wake of an opioid epidemic, acupuncturists in the United States issued a white paper on Tuesday, recommending acupuncture as a primary non-pharmacologic method for pain relief and management. “The United States is facing a national opioid epidemic, and medical systems are in need of non-pharmacologic strategies that can be employed to decrease the public’s opioid dependence,” said the 21-page white paper. Official figures showed that opioid overdoses kill 91 Americans every single day and more than half of those deaths involve prescription opioids. Titled “Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic,” the white paper said “acupuncture has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based, safe, cost-effective, and available treatment modality suitable to meeting this need.” Organizations that contributed to this paper included the American Society of Acupuncturists, the American Alliance for Professional Acupuncture Safety, the Acupuncture Now Foundation, the American Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Association, and the American TCM Society and National Federation of TCM Organizations. The white paper said acupuncture has been shown to be effective for treating various types of pain, with the strongest evidence emerging for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, chronic headache, and osteoarthritis. It said mechanisms of action for acupuncture have been extensively researched, which found the ancient Chinese practice increase the production and release of endogenous opioids in animals and humans. “Acupuncture should be recommended as a first line treatment for pain before opiates are prescribed, and may reduce opioid use,” it wrote. “Further, acupuncture’s cost-effectiveness could dramatically decrease health care expenditures, both from the standpoint of treating acute pain and through avoiding the development of opioid addiction that requires costly care, destroys quality of life, and can lead to fatal overdose.” The white paper came about a week after the U.S. National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter to America’s Health Insurance Plans, asking its insurance company members to review their payment and coverage policies in order to promote alternatives to opioids such as acupuncture.

What is the Best Chinese Medicine School in China in 2018 (Scimago Ranking) 中国最好的中医药大学SCIMAGO 2018排名

via What is the Best Chinese Medicine School in China in 2018 (Scimago Ranking) 中国最好的中医药大学SCIMAGO2018排名

What is the Best Chinese Medicine School in China in 2018 (Scimago Ranking) 中国最好的中医药大学SCIMAGO2018排名

https://www.scimagoir.com/rankings.php?sector=Higher%20educ.&country=CHN

In 2018, Scimago ranked 251 (some schools may in the same rank number) best Universities in China based on academic publications (in English?).

There were 15 Chinese Medicine Schools were in that list.

1. Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.104 in best 251 Universities in China); 上海中医药大学
2. Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.127); 南京中医药大学
3. Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.133); 成都中医药大学
4. Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (rank no.140); 浙江中医药大学
5. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.159); 天津中医药大学
6. Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.162);福建中医药大学
7. Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no. 163); 黑龙江中医药大学
8. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (rank no.172); 北京中医药大学
9. Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.176); 广州中医药大学
10. Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no. 183); 河南中医药大学
11. Jaingxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.200); 江西中医药大学
12. Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.200); 安徽中医药大学
13. Shangdong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.204); 山东中医药大学
14. Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no.205); 辽宁中医药大学
15. Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (rank no. 211); 湖南中医药大学

How Much Does Acupuncture Cost

Info from: https://www.daocloud.com/acupuncture/cost

As you can imagine, the cost of acupuncture varies from city to city and from one acupuncturist to the next. In this article, we’ll explore the kinds of costs you can expect when you seek treatment, the types of discounts you may be eligible for, how to find low-cost acupuncture using community clinics, and acupuncture costs in some of the major cities.

If you’re looking to use insurance, we’ll reveal which insurance companies will pay for acupuncture treatment, And if you’re looking for a specific treatment for weight loss, back pain, infertility, or migraines, we’ll also give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for those treatments.

Contents

1. How Much Does Acupuncture Cost?
2. Typical Costs
3. Discounts
4. Total cost
5. How to find low cost acupuncture (please consider the quality before consider low cost)
6.  Which insurance companies cover acupuncture?
7.  Acupuncture Cost by City
8.  Cost by treatment type
9.  For infertility
10.  For Weight Loss
11.  For Back Pain
12.  For Migraines
13.  Additional costs to consider
14.  Tips for shopping for acupuncture
15.  Frequently Asked Questions
16.  Does medicare cover acupuncture?
17.  Does medicaid cover acupuncture?
18.  Do Medicare supplemental insurance plans cover acupuncture?
19.  Will my insurance cover acupuncture?

Typical Costs

Fees for your first session of acupuncture may include an initial consultation, medical exam, and acupuncture treatment. This will cost between $120 to $240. Additional visits may cost $75 to $160.

Discounts

Many acupuncturists offer a discount when you purchase multiple treatments. So for example, if you were to purchase one session at $150 or six sessions at $600, bringing the price down to $100 per session.

Other popular discounts are:

• Student discounts
• Senior discounts
• Child discounts

Ask your acupuncturist if they offer any of these discounts to get a better price on your treatments. For example, in Atlanta, an acupuncture treatment will cost $120, but a student discount brings it to $85, and for a child, it’s only $65.

Total cost

According to consumer reports , people spent more than $200 out of pocket over the course of their full treatment for acupuncture and almost one in four spent $500 or more.

How to find low cost acupuncture

Non-profit community acupuncture clinics are gaining popularity. These clinics, like Phoenix Community Acupuncture , offer low cost acupuncture on a sliding scale, $17-$35. Look for a community acupuncture clinic in your area to find low cost acupuncture.

Which insurance companies cover acupuncture?

The following insurance companies may cover your acupuncture, depending on your plan. Be sure to check with your insurance provider to verify coverage before seeking treatment. Your acupuncturist may also be able to assist you.

• Aetna
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Cigna
• Humana
• Johns Hopkins EHP
• Kennedy Krieger’s Core Source
• Landmark
• Optum
• United Health Care

Acupuncture Cost by City

Methodology

These prices estimate the costs you may expect to pay for acupuncture without insurance. To determine these prices, we sampled acupuncturists listed in the Google business directory in each area.

Cost by City

City	Acupuncture Session Cost
Atlanta	$80
Austin	$85
Baltimore	$90
Boston	$100
Charlotte	$80
Chicago	$95
Cincinnati	$100
Cleveland	$85
Columbus	$75
Dallas	$85
Denver	$125
Houston	$160
Indianapolis	$95
Kansas City	$75
Las Vegas	$70
Los Angeles	$120
Louisville	$85
Memphis	$75
Miami	$120
Milwaukee	$90
Minneapolis	$120
Nashville	$100
New Orleans	$85
New York	$300
Oklahoma City	$75
Philadelphia	$95
Phoenix	$75
Portland	$150
Raleigh	$75
Richmond	$90
Salt Lake City	$75
San Diego	$108
San Francisco	$150
San Jose	$85
Seattle	$135
St Louis	$60
Tampa	$125
Washington DC	$160

Cost by treatment type

For infertility

If you suffer from infertility, plan to pay a lot of money to increase your chances of getting pregnant. A typical acupuncture program for fertility might last three to six months, with treatments every week. Plan for a major portion of your expenses upfront with various diagnostic tests running from $160 to $325, which may include:

• Male hormone panel
• Female hormone panel
• Estrogen ratio test
• Adrenal salivary index
• Salivary food sensitivity panel

Sample infertility costs

Initial Visit $150

Female hormone panel $325

Estrogen ratio test $200

Herbs ($150 monthly) $900

Weekly acupuncture for 6 months $1,680

___________________________________________________________________

Total Cost $3,255

For Weight Loss

If you need to lose some weight, acupuncture could help. Weekly acupuncture was shown to improve weight loss in this study. If you figure three months of acupuncture to accompany your exercise regime, you’d spend $840 or more depending on the per session cost.

For Back Pain

If you consider testimonial and anecdotal evidence, some people have used acupuncture to become free from pain in has few as 24 sessions. If you figure on a cost per session of $70 to $150, that amounts to $1,680 to $3,600.

However, some research suggests the effects of acupuncture on pain are temporary. In this case, you might need weekly acupuncture on an ongoing basis, resulting in a cost of $280 to $600 monthly for your back pain.

For Migraines

The same situation is true from migraines as back pain. Considering that you may need ongoing acupuncture treatment to relieve the pain associated with you migraines and keep them at bay, you may need to plan on spending anywhere from $280 to $1200 for weekly or bi-weekly acupuncture treatment.

Additional costs to consider

Here are some additional costs you may need to consider before purchasing an acupuncture treatment.

• Herbs and supplements. Many acupuncture clinics will recommend patients take Chinese herbs or other supplements as part of their treatment program. These will always cost additional money above and beyond your acupuncture treatment, ranging from $30 to $150 monthly.
• Tui Na. Your treatment may begin with an optional Tui Na session. This is similar to massage, but with a therapeutic emphasis, rather than relaxation. You may be charged extra for Tui Na.
• Gratuity. With most bodywork, you may be expected to leave a tip for your practitioner; somewhere between 10-20%. Some clinics encourage gratuity while others discourage it.

Tips for shopping for acupuncture

1. Ask your friends for a recommendation.
2. Research online.
3. Read online reviews.
4. Understand the practitioners training and specializations.
5. Call and ask for an introductory session. (Don’t forget to ask about what insurance they take)
6. Go to your first appointment and evaluate the doctor and the office.
7. Make a decision to return or keep looking for an acupuncturist you like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does medicare cover acupuncture?

No. Medicare does not cover acupuncture.

Does medicaid cover acupuncture?

No. Medicaid does not cover acupuncture

Do Medicare supplemental insurance plans cover acupuncture?

Some Medicare supplemental insurance plans provide coverage for acupuncture treatment but most don’t offer coverage.

Will my insurance cover acupuncture?

While many insurance companies are beginning to cover acupuncture, most plans that do are higher cost plans. If you have had chronic pain for six months and the traditional forms of treatment, like drugs or physical therapy have been ineffective, there’s a higher chance your insurance will cover your acupuncture treatments.

Acupuncture may be an effective therapy in Vulvodynia recovery

Our clinical trial protocol has been published recently in Journal of Integrative Medicine, the PDF of whole article is available based on request.

Effectiveness of two different acupuncture strategies in patients with vulvodynia: Study protocol for a pilot pragmatic controlled trial.

Fan AY, Alemi SF, Zhu YH, Rahimi S, Wei H, Tian H, He D, Gong C, Yang G, He C, Ouyang H.  J Integr Med. 2018 Oct 10. pii: S2095-4964(18)30103-1. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2018.10.004. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Vulvodynia, or vulvar pain, is a common condition in women; however, there are few evidence-based clinical trials evaluating nonpharmacological therapies for this condition. Acupuncture is one complementary and integrative medicine therapy used by some patients with vulvodynia. This study evaluates two different acupuncture strategies for the treatment of vulvodynia and aims to evaluate whether either of the acupuncture protocols reduces vulvar pain, pain duration or pain with intercourse. The study also examines how long the effect of acupuncture lasts in women with vulvodynia.

METHODS/DESIGN:

The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial, focused on two acupuncture protocols. Fifty-one patients who have had vulvodynia for more than 3 months will be recruited. Among them, 34 patients will be randomized into Groups 1a and 1b; those who are unwilling to receive acupuncture will be recruited into the standard care group (Group 2). Patients in Group 1a will have acupuncture focused on the points in the pudendal nerve distribution area, while patients in Group 1b will receive acupuncture focused on traditional (distal) meridian points. Patients in Group 2 will receive routine conventional treatments, such as using pain medications, local injections and physical therapies or other nonsurgical procedures. Acupuncture will last 45 min per session, once or twice a week for 6 weeks. The primary outcome measurement will be objective pain intensity, using the cotton swab test. The secondary outcome measurement will be subjective patient self-reported pain intensity, which will be conducted before cotton swab test. Pain intensities will be measured by an 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Pain duration and pain score during intercourse are recorded. Local muscle tension, tenderness and trigger points (Ashi points) are also recorded. All measurements will be recorded at baseline (before the treatment), at the end of each week during treatment and at the end of the 6 weeks. Follow-up will be done 6 weeks following the last treatment.

DISCUSSION:

Results of this trial will provide preliminary data on whether acupuncture provides better outcomes than nonacupuncture treatments, i.e., standard care, and whether acupuncture focused on the points in pudendal nerve distribution, near the pain area, has better results than traditional acupuncture focused on distal meridian points for vulvodynia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03481621. Register: March 29, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Shanghai Changhai Hospital. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

There were 37,886 licensed acupuncturists and 62 educational institutions in the United States at the start of 2018, ATCMA White Paper says

via Distribution of licensed acupuncturists and educational institutions in the United States at the start of 2018  

Distribution of licensed acupuncturists and educational institutions in the United States at the start of 2018

We have a new published article: there are 50 days free access online, if you like to read the detail, you may click the link:

https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XydF3RTyQQ3iH

Arthur YinFan^abSteven H.Stumpf^cSarahFaggert Alemi^bAmyMatecki^d

Show more

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.10.015

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify the approximate number and density of actively licensed acupuncturists, as well as the number of schools in acupuncture and oriental medicine (AOM) by January 1, 2018 in the United States (U.S.). We contacted the appropriate department governing acupuncturists, such as the Board of Acupuncture or Board of Medicine, etc. in each state and U.S. territories, to collect the data. We also conducted online license information searches in order to collect the most accurate numbers of licensed acupuncturists, especially for those states in which a board could not be reached. We found that the number of actively licensed acupuncturists as of January 1, 2018 in the U.S. was 37,886. The ten states with the largest number of acupuncturists (28,452 or 75.09% of the U.S. total), in order by total, included California, New York, Florida, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Texas, New Jersey, Maryland and Massachusetts. The number of practitioners was greater than 1000 for each of these states. Among them, the largest three were California (12,135; 32.03%), New York (4438; 11.71%) and Florida (2705; 7.13%). These three states accounted for more than half of the overall total. The number of total licensed acupuncturists has increased 257% since 1998. The overall acupuncturist density in the U.S. – measured as number of acupuncturists per 100,000 – was 11.63 (total number of licensed acupuncturists: 37,886, divided by the total population: 325,719,178 at the start of 2018). There were 20 states with an acupuncturist density of more than 10 per 100,000 population. Hawaii (52.82) was the highest, followed by Oregon (34.88), Vermont (30.79), California (30.69) and then New Mexico (30.27). There were 62 active, accredited AOM schools which altogether offered 100 programs: 32 master degrees in Acupuncture, 53 master degrees in Oriental medicine, 13 postgraduate doctorate degrees and 2 entry-level doctorate degrees. Among these active accredited schools, institutions in the West and East Coast states comprised 77.42% of the national total. California, Florida, and New York represented 41.94%. There were 48 jurisdictions (47 States and the District of Columbia) with acupuncture practice laws in place. States without acupuncture laws included Alabama, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The data suggests that acupuncture profession has steadily grown in the United States.

Acupuncture “dose”

Every treatment should have a proper dose or dosage to reach the effect, medication does, and acupuncture does.

For Acupuncture, in recent years, especially in north America,many patients and acupuncturists seem reach some-kind of a “consensus” in how acupuncture should be used in daily treatment, it looks like:

1. use smaller needles, such as 0.14-0.16 mm in needle diameter, gauge 40-42;
2. insert in less than 0.5 inch, or 1 cm;
3. use more needles;
4. 30-45 minutes;
5. once or twice per weeks.

How often? or how many sessions in a period of time?  according to 2012 National Health Interview Survey, most of patients for acupuncture did NOT get enough sessions’ treatments. A paper mentioned, there were only 38% acupuncture patients getting 6 or more treatments in that year- if we consider such patients continuously saw a healthcare professional to treat their illness or disorder by acupuncture, in stead of getting acupuncture intermittently – the gap was more than one or two weeks.

In China, patients usually get deeper (more than one inch in many body area) acupuncture by “big” needles such as needle diameter 0.35mm (gauge 28) or 0.40mm (gauge 26). Once a day for 10 sessions in two weeks as one treatment course. It seems more effective.

However, the bigger in needle size (in diameter), the more painful. This may affect many patients’ acceptance to acupuncture. For some illness or disorders, smaller needles also effective, but for some other disorders or illness, smaller needles and shallow needling will not be effective.

On other hand, we should aware of age of patients, the reaction of patients, and different status in same patient. Younger patient may have quicker and bigger effect than the older patients. If a patient is very sensitive to acupuncture, smaller stimulation also can get bigger results.

Also, for acupuncture, the damage of nerve path may causes a difficult/weak to get the acupuncture effectiveness. So, in stroke patients or other neurological disorders/illness, acupuncture stimulation may need more, either in actually stimulation techniques or other related techniques, for instance, suggestion, encouraging, leaded exercises, etc.

CHINESE GAUGE	JAPANESE GAUGE	ACTUAL SIZE	COLOR (SEIRIN)
44	00 (02)	.12mm	Dark Green
42	0 (01)	.14mm	Lime Green
40	1	.16mm	Red
38	2	.18mm	Ivory (Yellow)
36	3	.20mm	Blue
34	4	.22mm	Pink
32	5	.25mm	Purple
30	8	.30mm	Brown
28	10	.35mm	*
26	12	.40mm	*

 

CHINESE LENGTH	KOREAN/JAPANESE	ACTUAL SIZE (INCHES)
7mm	*	1/4″
13mm	15mm	1/2″
25mm	30mm	1″
40mm	40mm	1 ½”
50mm	50mm	2″
60mm	60mm	2½”
75mm	*	3″
100mm	*	4″
125mm	*	5″
150mm	*	6″