• Pain Med · Nov 2021

    Observational Study

    Do acupuncture services reduce subsequent utilization of opioids and surgical interventions compared to noninvasive therapies among patients with pain conditions?

    • Timothy Pham, Qinli Ma, Abiy Agiro, Julie Bukowiec, and Terry Flannery.
    • HealthCore, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware.
    • Pain Med. 2021 Nov 26; 22 (11): 2754-2762.

    ObjectiveTo compare prescribed opioid use and invasive surgical interventions between patients using acupuncture and those using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)/physical therapy (PT).DesignRetrospective observational study of administrative claims.SettingLarge commercial insurance plan.Subjects52 346 each treated with either acupuncture or NSAIDs/PT.MethodsUsers of acupuncture and NSAIDs/PT were identified from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017. The first date of each service was defined as the index date. Acupuncture patients were 1:1 propensity score matched to the NSAIDs/PT group on baseline characteristics. Outcomes included opioid use, subsequent invasive surgical procedures, healthcare utilization such as hospitalizations or emergency department (ED) visits, and costs. These were assessed in the 12-month period before index date (baseline) and 12-month period following index date (follow-up) using difference-in-difference (DID) analysis. Results for opioid use were stratified by those with and without baseline opioid use.ResultsThe acupuncture group had fewer patients initiating opioids post-index both among those with (49.2% vs 56.5%, P < .001) and without (15.9% vs 22.6%, P < .001) baseline opioid use. There was a small increase in invasive surgical procedures with acupuncture (3.1% vs 2.8%, P = .006). A reduction in ED visits was observed with acupuncture (DID -4.6% for all-cause; -3.3% for pain-related, all P < .001). Acupuncture was associated with higher total medical and pharmacy costs (DID +$1331 per patient, P = .006).ConclusionsAcupuncture showed a modest effect in reducing opioid use and ED visits. More research on acupuncture's place in emergency care, pain relief, and comparison to other types of non-opioid treatment is needed.© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

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