The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is set to endorse acupuncture as one of only four treatment options GPs can consider prescribing for people with chronic pain conditions. From January 2021, painkillers and all other drugs, apart from anti-depressants, will be off the prescription pad menu.
This new guideline is for chronic primary pain, characterised by emotional distress and functional disability. Common conditions that would qualify are fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, chronic neck pain and chronic pelvic pain, though there are many more possibilities.
This is NICE’s first guideline for chronic pain in general, rather than a specific painful condition, though the equivalent Scottish guideline agency (SIGN) has had one for several years (and it, too, endorses acupuncture).
Which treatments are recommended by NICE in this guideline?
acupuncture
exercise: a supervised group programme, preferably followed up long-term by patients themselves
psychological therapies: specifically cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
antidepressant drugs
Ten other classes of medication were considered and rejected by NICE. These included opioids, anti-inflammatories, paracetamol, benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids: none of these were found to have evidence of benefit for chronic pain and there are possible harms associated with their use.
Research shows that acupuncture can be an effective option for chronic pain, and it’s great that NICE recognise what so many patients know from their own experience of treatment.
One of the drivers behind the NICE decision is the urgent need to cut down prescriptions of opioids and other painkillers. In the United States – where opioid addiction is having a devastating impact – acupuncture is an increasingly popular option, supported by insurance companies, and for example, a mainstream treatment on offer in healthcare services for US forces veterans .
Acupuncture is also one of the safest forms of treatment there is, when given by highly trained practitioners. I’m trained to the exacting and stringent standards of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). (That’s the membership body I belong to).
It is important to realise that this guideline for GPs excludes any condition whose pain management is addressed by existing NICE guidance – currently, for example, headaches, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, endometriosis, and IBS.
To find out more about how acupuncture can support your physical health and mental well being, all you have to do is get in touch to arrange your free short consultation.
Online or by phone, and with no obligation at all, you can ask questions about any aspect of treatment, from what to wear to your sessions to the evidence-base of cutting edge research showing how acupuncture may help you cope better with specific complaints and conditions.