Acupuncture Services

​Why Choose Acupuncture Services at The Ohio State University Center Wexner Medical Center?

You can feel safe entrusting your acupuncture care to the doctors and registered acupuncturists at The Ohio State University Center for Integrative Health and Wellness’s Integrative Medicine Clinic and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It’s rare to find acupuncturists working side by side with medical doctors and other health professionals in a multi-practice setting. This approach makes it even easier for all of your doctors and health professionals to work together to give you just the right personalized, holistic care – body, mind, and spirit.

Acupuncture services at The Integrative Medicine Clinic and Nationwide Children’s Hospital:

• Provide the highest quality of acupuncture services, as rated by fellow registered acupuncturists in our region
• Educate faculty, staff and patients about acupuncture
• Conduct and disseminate research to better understand the benefits and risks of acupuncture for patients with specific conditions
• Engage with community practitioners to promote equitable access to high quality acupuncture services for the people of our community

Benefits of Acupuncture

According to the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine,​ acupuncture helps relieve pain and nausea, among other common symptoms including:

• Back pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache
• Joint pain (such as osteoarthritis pain in the knee or hip)
• Nausea
• Neck ache
• Menstrual cramps, menopausal symptoms and other women’s health issues

Insurance Coverage for Massage

More and more health plans are covering acupuncture treatments when a physician recommends it. Check with your carrier to see if your plan covers acupuncture, and if you need a doctor’s referral.

Find an Acupuncturist

Since May 2000, acupuncturists in Ohio have been licensed either as doctors or non-physician acupuncturists.

For those covered by the OSU Health Plan, click here​ for a list of additional acupuncturists in the OSU Health Plan Network.

Acupuncture FAQs

1. I’m afraid of needles. How much does acupuncture hurt?
   ANSWER: Acupuncture treatment is surprisingly comfortable, and many patients actually fall asleep during treatment. Acupuncture needles are about as thin as a human hair and they are solid, not hollow. They are much more comfortable than the larger, hollow needles used to give injections or draw blood. Many toddlers and school age children easily tolerate acupuncture. First time patients are usually surprised by how much they enjoy the experience.
   
   
2. I’m still scared.
   ANSWER: That’s OK. Acupuncture is a broad term that includes several non-needle techniques. These might include rubbing or massaging an acupuncture point, pressing on it (acupressure), heating it (moxa), creating suction over it (cupping). Some acupuncturists also use lasers or tiny seeds to press on points on the ear (auricular acupuncture). Ask your therapist to consider using a non-needle technique.
3. Will my insurance pay for it?
   ANSWER: More and more health plans will pay for acupuncture therapy when a doctor recommends it. For example, Ohio State University employees’ insurance covers credentialed acupuncturists’ fees with a $20 copay for each visit. Please call your insurer to find out about your coverage and if you need a doctor’s referral.
   
   
4. What are the side effects?
   ANSWER: Acupuncture is extremely safe when performed by an experienced, licensed acupuncturist who uses disposable needles. Side effects can include mild sleepiness, minor bleeding or bruising, and a dull or full feeling where the needle is inserted. More serious side effects such as infection, broken needles, or lung puncture are extremely rare (less than one in 10,000 treatments).
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