Utilization of Reimbursed Acupuncture Therapy for Low Back Pain

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Integrative Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Low back pain (LBP) management often integrates pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, and interventional strategies.
• Acupuncture is a recognized safe, effective, and cost-effective treatment modality for LBP.
• Limited research exists on acupuncture's integration into LBP care pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in reimbursed acupuncture utilization for LBP patients from 2010 to 2019.
• To identify demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors associated with acupuncture use.
• To examine concurrent nonpharmacologic, pharmacologic, and interventional treatments among acupuncture users.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing deidentified insurance claims data from US adults diagnosed with LBP (2010-2019).
• Analysis focused on changes in acupuncture and electroacupuncture utilization rates.
• Covariates included patient demographics, socioeconomic status, and clinical indicators; secondary analyses tracked other treatment modalities.

Main Results:

• Acupuncture utilization increased from 0.9% in 2010 to 1.6% in 2019 among over 6.8 million LBP patients.
• Female, Asian, higher-income, college-educated patients, and those with chronic LBP were more likely to use acupuncture.
• Acupuncture users were more likely to receive physical therapy and less likely to use prescription medications, including opioids.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture use for LBP, while still low, shows a positive upward trend.
• Specific patient characteristics are linked to acupuncture utilization in LBP management.
• Acupuncture use correlates with a greater likelihood of utilizing other nonpharmacologic therapies and a reduced likelihood of using pharmacologic treatments.