Acupuncture for Chronic Pain
Include AHPRA-Registered Acupuncturists in Chronic Disease Management.
Acupuncturists are the only AHPRA-regulated allied-health profession excluded
from Medicare’s Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program—despite having
the highest needling training and strong evidence in chronic pain.
Chronic pain, GP overload and an outdated rule.
The problem in plain language
Australians living with chronic pain struggle to access safe, effective,
affordable care. GPs are overwhelmed. Opioid use remains high. Yet Medicare
still excludes the most highly trained needling practitioners from CDM.
- Acupuncturists: fully AHPRA-regulated, degree-trained, 1,000+ hours supervised practice.
- Dry needling providers: short courses (often 16–80 hours) already eligible for CDM.
- This is a legacy policy gap, not a safety or evidence decision.
Who is most affected?
Exclusion from CDM hits the people with the least margin:
- Older Australians with arthritis and spinal pain.
- Women with migraines, pelvic pain and endometriosis.
- CALD communities who already trust acupuncture.
- Rural and regional communities with limited services.
- Low-income patients and people on pensions.
High medication risk
Low ability to self-fund care
Acupuncture is safe, effective & internationally recognised.
Clinical evidence
- Large IPD meta-analysis (>20,000 patients) shows acupuncture outperforms usual care and sham for chronic pain.
- Conditions include low back pain, neck pain, knee osteoarthritis, headaches, migraines and fibromyalgia.
- Benefits persist 12 months or longer in many studies.
The evidence base meets and exceeds standards already used to support public funding in the UK, Germany, New Zealand and the US Veterans Health system.
Safety & international practice
- Serious adverse events occur in fewer than 1 per 100,000 treatments.
- Safer profile than many common medicines (NSAIDs, opioids, some surgeries and injections).
- Public systems funding acupuncture include: UK, Germany, NZ ACC, US VA and more.
Ultra-low risk
Global best practice
A simple, low-cost update to Medicare CDM.
The policy change
We are asking the Australian Government to update the CDM provider list to include:
“Chinese Medicine Practitioner (Acupuncturist) – Registered with AHPRA Chinese Medicine Board.”
- No new item numbers required initially.
- GP referral pathway stays exactly the same.
- PHNs can integrate acupuncture into existing pain pathways.
What this delivers
- Stronger chronic pain management in primary care.
- Reduced GP workload and fewer flare-up visits.
- Lower reliance on opioids and high-risk medications.
- Fewer unnecessary MRIs, CTs and specialist referrals.
- Fair access for older, rural and low-income Australians.
Who benefits, and how you can help.
For patients & families
Affordable access to safe, effective pain care – especially for people already living on tight budgets.
- Sign the petition.
- Send a short letter to your MP.
- Share your story with advocacy groups.
For GPs & clinicians
A high-quality, evidence-based referral pathway that reduces repeat pain visits and opioid pressure.
- Read the clinical summary.
- Discuss the proposal in your peer groups.
- Support formal submissions to Government.
For policymakers
A rare reform that is low-risk, low-cost and high-impact across equity, outcomes and GP workload.
- Review the Master Dossier.
- Support CDM eligibility update.
- Champion evaluation and rollout via PHNs.
Sign the petition and help fix this Medicare inconsistency.
Your voice helps show Government that Australians want safe, evidence-based, non-drug pain care
included in chronic disease management.
Policy, clinical and advocacy documents.
Key campaign documents
- Master Dossier (Full)
PDF - Minister & DoH Brief
PDF - GP Summary Sheet
1-page - Chronic Pain Australia Brief
Advocacy
Replace these with your actual links, e.g.:
For GPs & PHNs
Practical resources to integrate acupuncture safely into chronic disease care:
- 1-page GP overview and FAQ.
- Evidence summary & safety fact sheet.
- Template: GP Facebook / email post.
- PHN chronic pain pathway alignment brief.
For copies of these resources, contact the campaign team or your professional association.
How to brief your MP or Senator.
Five simple steps
- Find your federal MP at aph.gov.au.
- Send a short email using the sample letter.
- Share your personal story about chronic pain and access.
- Ask one clear question: “Will you support adding AHPRA-registered acupuncturists to the CDM provider list?”
- Optional: request a short meeting with the MP or health adviser.
Frequently asked questions