PainRelief.com Interview with:
Lynn L. DeBar, PhD, MPH
Center for Health Research Distinguished Investigator
Center for Health Research
Portland OR 97227
Kaiser Permanente

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The study was initiated in response to a call for applications from the National Institute of Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that they put forward because of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) interest in that time in considering acupuncture as a covered Medicare benefit for older adults with chronic low back pain.

While acupuncture for the treatment in chronic lower back pain had been well studied for broader adults, little had focused specifically on its effectiveness among older adults. CMS was particularly interested in acupuncture as a potentially safer and more effective treatment than medications like opioids for pain management among older adults.