PLEASE READ AND SHARE THE LETTER OF THE OPIOID CRISIS

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners in Canada Stress Importance of Nondrug Approaches Such as Acupuncture for Addressing Chronic Pain 

The Joint Acupuncture Opioid Task Force, which is comprised of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada (CMAAC), The Canadian Society of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (CSCMA), Chamber of Chinese Herbal Medicine of Canada, and Traditional Chinese Medicine of Ontario (TCMO). Together, we represent over 90% of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners in Ontario. We wish to thank the Ontario government for soliciting public input for consideration in the development of an action plan to combat opioid abuse. Opioid abuse and opioid-related deaths are an epidemic in Ontario, and non-opioid alternatives have been proven to be effective, safer, and more cost-effective in the long-term treatment of chronic pain.

Acupuncture’s Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic:
Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability
for Acupuncture as a
Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method
for Pain Relief and Management
White Paper 2017