This article reviews the pros and cons of adding acupuncture to your chiropractic practice. If you’re considering combining chiropractic care with acupuncture, read on to get a full picture of whether or not this decision is a yes or a no for your practice.
First, let’s explore how acupuncture works and what you and your patients can expect throughout an acupuncture session.
How acupuncture works
Acupuncture is the practice of strategically and skillfully penetrating the skin with solid, thin needles used to stimulate the central nervous system. This treatment stems from an ancient practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is built on the belief the body has more than 2,000 “points” connected by pathways that create energy flows. It’s believed clearing blockages from these pathways improves overall health.
In a typical acupuncture session, the acupuncturist (or licensed chiropractor) will use skillful manipulation of the strategically placed needles to release chemicals into the muscles, the brain and the spinal cord to stimulate the body’s healing abilities while promoting physical and emotional wellness.
The pros of offering acupuncture in your chiropractic office
- Using chiropractic care to correct subluxations and acupuncture to remove blockages from the aforementioned pathways in the body can provide a formula for dual treatment that improves energy flow, expedites healing and helps restore body balance.
- Offering acupuncture treatment in your chiropractic office might open the door to a new audience of patients who come for acupuncture and stay for chiropractic care. Explaining how acupuncture and chiropractic care work together for potentially optimal results could drive this new audience toward your complementary services. Offering bundles and discounts to your patients could encourage them to give one or both of these treatments a try.
- Training or hiring a trained acupuncturist for your team can help you diversify your client care, extend your treatments and potentially increase your practice’s revenue. Explore your current pricing structure and brainstorm what a potential pricing structure for this treatment might look like. What would it take for this treatment to be a profitable addition to your practice?
- Holistic treatments like these, when used in conjunction, can offer immediate pain relief for patients with chronic issues and conditions. In a recent research study examining chiropractic and acupuncture, it’s suggested that pairing the two – especially for patients with chronic pain – could offer an integrated and effective health plan.
The cons of offering acupuncture in your chiropractic office
- Adding a licensed and trained acupuncturist has the potential to be costly and can impact your bottom line. You might not immediately (or ever) see the return on your investment. DCs can pursue their own Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) degree. In many cases, a DC can add acupuncture to their practice without the services of a licensed acupuncturist. In many states, chiropractors can become acupuncturists under their current license, provided they complete an accredited course that often begins with 100 hours of continuing education. There are several states that allow this option.
- It’s possible that your chiropractic audience isn’t interested in acupuncture care, which could create an unnecessary split in focus in your practice.
- You may need to step up your patient education in order to get current patients to try acupuncture ― just because a patient understands and values chiropractic care doesn’t mean they’ll understand and value the inherent benefits of acupuncture.
- Adding a new treatment or therapy to your list of offerings could confuse patients ―are you still a chiropractic center as well as an acupuncture center?
- Implementing acupuncture could impact your malpractice insurance, potentially raising the cost of your insurance. That being said, every provider has different standards and rules, so it’s best to discuss directly with your insurance partner.
- Adding an LAc to your practice raises the question of how you’ll handle their employment. Will they be brought in as an employee? Will you treat them as an independent contractor and have to create a unique structure for how they fit into your workflow? This kind of consideration could throw off the balance of your current practice setup.
Do you feel more prepared to make your decision about combining chiropractic care with acupuncture? Whichever way you decide to go, making an informed choice based on foundational knowledge, patient preferences and your business in mind is the key. Looking for more insight like this blog? We can help! Subscribe to ChiroEco for more advice, guidance and insight into the world of chiropractic care.
