A recent piece published by UW Medicine put into words what Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners across North America have long known: acupuncture is no longer on the fringe. It is becoming a recognized, evidence-supported tool in mainstream pain management — and the medical establishment is starting to say so out loud.
This is a milestone worth pausing on. And for those of us working to advance TCM and acupuncture in Ontario’s healthcare system, it is also a call to action.
What the Research Is Showing
The UW Medicine report arrives alongside a growing wave of clinical evidence. A landmark study published earlier this year in NIH News in Health found that acupuncture significantly relieves chronic low back pain in older adults — one of the most common and costly conditions in Canada. In a trial of over 800 adults aged 65 and older, those who received acupuncture alongside standard care experienced less pain, better physical function, reduced disability, and fewer anxiety symptoms compared to those receiving standard care alone.
The researchers noted that acupuncture “offers a less invasive option with a better safety profile than many common treatments for back pain in older adults” — a pointed observation at a time when opioid-related harms continue to exact a heavy toll on patients and the healthcare system alike.
And this is just one study. Separate research published this year has shown acupuncture reducing insomnia risk in lung cancer patients, improving outcomes in IVF, and producing measurable changes in brain connectivity in migraine sufferers. The evidence base is deepening, diversifying, and strengthening.
A Better Safety Profile Than What We’ve Been Relying On
The opioid epidemic did not emerge from nowhere. It emerged, in large part, from an over-reliance on pharmacological interventions for pain — interventions that carry significant risks of dependency, adverse effects, and long-term harm. The CDC now actively advises maximizing non-pharmacological options for pain management, and acupuncture is explicitly among those it recommends.
This is not an alternative medicine story. This is a patient safety story. Acupuncture offers effective pain relief without the risks that have caused so much suffering. As the evidence continues to accumulate, the question shifts from “does acupuncture work?” to “why aren’t more patients accessing it?”
Ontario Is at a Crossroads
Here in Ontario, that question is especially urgent right now.
The provincial government is in the midst of one of the most significant restructurings of primary care in a generation. The Ontario Primary Care Action Plan is investing over $2.1 billion to expand interprofessional primary care teams across the province, with the goal of connecting every Ontarian to primary care by 2029. Approximately 75 new teams are being created and expanded through the current call for proposals alone, with the aim of connecting 500,000 more people to primary care.
These new care models — built around coordinated, team-based approaches to health — are exactly the kind of environment where Registered Acupuncturists and Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners belong. TCM practitioners are regulated health professionals in Ontario. We have the training, the clinical skills, and now the mounting research evidence to contribute meaningfully to these teams.
But we are not yet at the table.
TCMO has been actively advocating for the inclusion of TCM and acupuncture within Ontario’s evolving circle of care. We believe that patients in interprofessional primary care settings should have access to regulated TCM practitioners as part of their healthcare team — not as an afterthought or an optional add-on, but as a recognized component of comprehensive, patient-centred care.
The research supports this. The patient need is real. The regulatory framework already exists. What we need now is the political will to include us.
What This Means for Our Community
If you are a Registered Acupuncturist or TCM Practitioner in Ontario, this moment matters. The decisions being made right now about who belongs in Ontario’s new primary care teams will shape the profession for decades.
TCMO will continue to push for a seat at the table — for our practitioners, for our patients, and for a healthcare system that draws on the best available evidence regardless of where it comes from.
We encourage every member of the TCM and acupuncture community to stay engaged, make your voice heard, and support advocacy efforts that advance our profession’s rightful place within Ontario’s circle of care.
TCMO (Traditional Chinese Medicine Ontario) is a professional association dedicated to advancing TCM and acupuncture in Ontario. We represent Registered Acupuncturists (R.Ac) and Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners (R.TCMP) across the province. Learn more at tcmo.ca.
Sources: UW Medicine — Acupuncture Becomes More Mainstream as Pain Therapy | NIH News in Health — Acupuncture Relieves Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults | Ontario Primary Care Action Plan — January 2025 | Ontario Call for Proposals: Interprofessional Primary Care Teams