The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is seeking researchers for a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)—a Randomized Control Trial (RCT), which will evaluate the impact of, and strategies to best implement acupuncture treatment of older adults (65 years and older) with chronic low back pain (CLBP).1
This announcement comes just months after new director Helene M. Langevin, a supporter of acupuncture, took the reins at NCCIH. This RCT is part of the "Helping to End Addiction Long-term" (HEAL) program, an initiative to speed scientific solutions to the national opioid public health crisis, which reportedly causes 46 deaths a day.2
The FOA requests "investigators with expertise and insights into this area of evidence-based pain management to begin to consider applying. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in acupuncture, pain management, and pragmatic clinical trials will be encouraged, and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this application."
It's important to note that this study will aid in future Medicare coverage: "By addressing gaps in the literature on the benefits and harms of acupuncture in individuals 65=/+, it is anticipated that evidence on improvements in health outcomes derived from this initiative would assist Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in determining Medicare coverage for acupuncture in CLBP."
For more information about this study, or to apply as a researcher please visit grants.nih.gov.
References
Over my almost 30 years in clinical practice, I have used Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Tang extensively for a wide array of clinical presentations ranging from chronic headaches to anxiety, insomnia, and prescription drug withdrawal symptoms if these situations fit the appropriate patterns – all with extremely positive clinical outcomes.
There’s no doubt that many of your patients visit your practice because they are in pain. And there’s certainly no doubt that curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) can be incredibly effective in stopping that pain, whether due to chronic conditions like arthritis or acute pain from intensive workouts. But your patients may also benefit from curcumin for other reasons.
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Low back pain is defined as pain the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), and it can be acute or chronic, localized or radiating. It is a common ailment for adults in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence as high as 65-80%. Whether or not an MRI is available to provide definitive knowledge of a structural issue, acupuncture can be an effective treatment for low back pain.
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