What Does Acupuncture Typically Cost? Expected Effects and Insurance-Covered Conditions

Shoulder stiffness, lower-back pain, fatigue that just won’t clear… acupuncture is recommended for times like these. Acupuncture, a treatment passed down from the East, aims to draw out recovery and balance mind and body. This article details the effects you can expect from acupuncture and the conditions where it’s covered by insurance.

What Effects Can You Expect from Acupuncture?

Acupuncture treatment, passed down since ancient times, aims to draw out the human body’s natural recovery power. Various pleasing effects can be expected from acupuncture — improving circulation, regulating disrupted bodily function, and even boosting immunity to protect the body from illness. Let’s detail exactly what kinds of effects it has.

Circulation-Promoting Effect

One major characteristic of acupuncture is its circulation-promoting effect on the body. Blood, which constantly flows through the human body carrying oxygen and nutrients and collecting waste, can have this flow stagnate due to stress, coldness, or uneven body use.

For example, when muscles in a specific area become tense and blood flow worsens, as with shoulder stiffness or muscle pain, acupuncture’s stimulation can widen blood vessels, expected to let stagnant blood flow smoothly again. This makes it easier for oxygen and nutrients to reach muscle cells, and substances causing fatigue and pain become easier to expel, thought to ease pain and discomfort.

Bodily Function Regulation Effect

Acupuncture also has a function called bodily function regulation, which balances various bodily functions. Various functions are constantly regulated without you being conscious of it, through the autonomic nervous system and hormones, but this balance can be disrupted by disrupted lifestyle habits or stress.

For example, in a state where bodily function is abnormally heightened, as with strong pain, spasms, palpitations, or insomnia, acupuncture exerts a “sedative effect,” working to suppress excessive excitement. This eases nerve tension, making it easier for the body to relax, and symptoms are expected to settle.

Conversely, when nerve or organ function is reduced, as with numbness, motor paralysis, indigestion, or fatigue, acupuncture brings an “excitatory effect,” prompting the function to become more active. This is like stimulating dormant or insufficiently functioning cells and tissue to restore their original activity.

Immune-Activating Effect

Effects boosting “immunity” are also thought to be expected. Immunity refers to the body’s defense system that tries to eliminate pathogens like viruses and bacteria when they invade the body.

Research suggests that acupuncture stimulation increases the count of immune cells called white blood cells (especially granulocytes and lymphocytes) and activates their function. It’s thought that as white blood cells increase and become more active, the whole body’s biological defense function is boosted, improving resistance to illness.

What Does Acupuncture Typically Cost?

Acupuncture pricing changes significantly depending on whether health insurance can be used.

▼When Insurance Applies
For conditions eligible for insurance coverage, with a doctor’s consent form, you can receive treatment using health insurance. In this case, out-of-pocket payment is 10% to 30%, keeping costs lower than paying out of pocket.

As a guideline, with 30% coverage, the first visit is around ¥1,900+, and from the second visit onward, around ¥800+. Pricing varies by treatment content and area.

Also, in some cases, reimbursement may be received later through a claim.

▼When Insurance Doesn’t Apply
Insurance doesn’t apply when the condition isn’t covered, or when there’s no doctor’s consent form. In this case, it’s paid out of pocket, and pricing varies significantly by acupuncture clinic, but it’s characterized by a wide range from ¥2,000 to ¥10,000.

Out-of-pocket treatment tends to be pricier, but it lets you receive treatment tailored more individually to your needs.

Conditions Where Acupuncture Is Covered by Insurance

Some of you may think “I’m interested in acupuncture, but I’m worried about the cost.” For certain illnesses and symptoms, health insurance can be applied to acupuncture treatment. However, insurance isn’t usable in every case — there are several conditions. Let’s detail the symptoms eligible for insurance coverage.

Neuralgia

Neuralgia is a general term for symptoms where pain occurs along nerves running through the body. Examples include trigeminal neuralgia, which causes facial pain; sciatica, which causes pain and numbness from the buttocks to the legs; and intercostal neuralgia, which causes pain along the chest area. These types of neuralgia bring uncomfortable pain expressed in various ways, like tingling or throbbing. Acupuncture is performed aiming to calm this nerve excitement and ease pain, and can sometimes be eligible for insurance coverage.

Rheumatism

Rheumatism is a chronic condition where joints, especially in the hands and feet, become swollen and painful, making movement difficult. It can involve morning stiffness and gradual joint deformation. Acupuncture is performed aiming to suppress inflammation and ease joint pain, and insurance coverage is also recognized for joint symptoms caused by rheumatism.

Cervicobrachial Syndrome

Cervicobrachial syndrome is a general term for symptoms with numbness, pain, and heaviness from the neck to the shoulders, arms, and hands. It tends to occur from continuing the same posture for long periods during computer work, or placing strain on the neck and shoulders. Muscular tension and poor circulation are often the cause, and acupuncture aims to improve this condition and ease symptoms. This cervicobrachial syndrome can also be eligible for insurance coverage.

Frozen Shoulder

The symptom commonly called frozen shoulder is formally called “periarthritis of the shoulder.” It’s characterized by pain in the shoulder joint, making it difficult to raise or rotate the arm. In particular, pain can intensify at night, significantly affecting daily life. Acupuncture is expected to ease pain and improve joint movement by easing tension in the muscles around the shoulder and promoting circulation. Frozen shoulder is also one of the conditions where acupuncture is covered by insurance.

Lower-Back Pain

Lower-back pain, called a national ailment, is probably a symptom most people experience at least once. Symptoms vary widely — from chronic lower-back pain to acute lower-back strain, where sudden intense pain occurs. The causes of lower-back pain are also diverse, but muscular tension, poor posture, and coldness are often related. Acupuncture aims to ease pain by easing tension in the lower-back muscles and improving circulation. Chronic lower-back pain and acute lower-back strain are also eligible for insurance coverage with acupuncture.

Post-Cervical-Sprain Syndrome

Post-cervical-sprain syndrome refers to various symptoms remaining after “whiplash injury” from causes like traffic accidents. Beyond neck pain and heaviness, symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea, and numbness in the hands and feet can also appear. Acupuncture aims to ease symptoms from these aftereffects by loosening tension in the muscles around the neck and shoulders and promoting circulation.

A Doctor’s Consent Form Is Also Needed

To receive acupuncture treatment for the above conditions using health insurance, a doctor’s consent form is generally required. This is a document issued when you consult a hospital and a doctor recognizes the necessity of acupuncture treatment. If you want to receive treatment using insurance at an acupuncture clinic, you first need to consult your regular doctor and have them issue a consent form. Without a consent form, insurance won’t apply, so please be cautious of this point.

Troubled by Physical Discomfort? Consult KADOMORI!

This article has detailed the effects you can expect from acupuncture and the conditions where it’s covered by insurance. Acupuncture draws out the body’s natural recovery power, supporting health through various approaches — promoting circulation, regulating bodily balance, and boosting immunity.
If you’re currently troubled by physical discomfort, please consult KADOMORI. We support your bodily health with various treatments.