October 1, 2017 will mark a significant day in history for the acupuncture profession, as this will be the first day Ohio Medicaid recipients will have access to covered acupuncture benefits - the first state in the Midwest to do so. While only two conditions are currently included (back pain and migraines) there is hope to increase this number in the future.
A thank you to the Ohio Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (OAAOM), the driving force behind this inclusion, is to be noted. Coverage of acupuncture will be available with or without electronic stimulations, and treatments will require a referral of a conventional practitioner who is also a Medicaid practitioner.
Other than licensed acupuncturists, the other practitioners include medical physicians, chiropractors and other "recognized acupuncture providers" who have specialty training in acupuncture, including medical doctor, chiropractors and nurses.
After a thorough examination to rule out the cervical and thoracic spine, what you have left is sharp, localized qi stagnation of the soft tissues causing the “rhomboid pain.” If it’s not the C or T spine causing the problem, then what could be causing this tissue issue? It can be a bunch of different reasons such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, poor posture, muscle imbalances, trauma, deconditioning, overuse, etc.
Christopher Chapleau, DAc, LAc, Dipl. Ac., AIT, IMT, MSHP, CES, HMS
The patterns expressed under the umbrella of a GERD diagnosis typically include various combinations of liver qi stagnation (potentially with depressive heat), spleen qi deficiency, rebellious stomach qi, stomach fire, food stagnation, and stomach yin deficiency. In long-term cases of GERD, it is not uncommon for three to four patterns to overlap at the same time.
As licensed acupuncturists with the ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat using a variety of modalities, including herbal medicine, we are entrusted with a high level of clinical responsibility. Yet in an age of professional forums, online groups and social media communities, there is a growing trend of practitioners asking for case-specific treatment advice instead of referring the patient in question to a trusted colleague.
