Acupuncture in the Emergency Department

The investigators will study acupuncture in a pilot, randomized controlled trial (RCT) in the emergency department (ED) of a large, tertiary care hospital, Abbott Northwestern Hospital (ANW). The investigators suggest that the proposed intervention - provision of acupuncture in the ED as an alternative to usual ED care - will reduce pain and interrupt the trajectory (and potential cycle) of medication misuse by providing an alternative at a critical point of contact within the healthcare system, potentially disrupting the pathway from ED visit to opioid usage after discharge. In this study, the investigators will assess the feasibility of implementation, practicality, and expansion of an acupuncture RCT in the ED environment. The study will prospectively measure and analyze change in pain intensity after treatment with acupuncture or usual care, use of opioids during ED visit, prescriptions written for opioids at ED discharge, and use of opioids at 30-day follow-up. Study data will be collected using electronic health record (EHR) data and patient-reported outcomes. Patient-reported outcomes will be collected via an electronic database and solely for research purposes. The acupuncture intervention provided in the ED will be provided at no cost to the patient and will be paid for by the study sponsor. The practice of providing acupuncture in ANW's ED at no charge to the patient has been in place since November 2013. In conducting this pilot study, it will assess the ability to implement and carry out a RCT of acupuncture in the ED. By comparing pain change and opioid utilization among patients who receive acupuncture versus those who receive usual emergency department care, and by conducting follow-up data collection, the investigators will be able to better understand the potential role of a common non-pharmacological pain management strategy for mitigating pain and reducing opioid use in the emergency medicine setting.