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SBK covers the costs of acupuncture for treating chronic lower back and knee pain
Acupuncture has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is based on the belief that life force energy flows along certain channels in the body called ‘meridians’.
A disrupted flow of energy can cause illness. Acupuncture is used to stimulate specific points along the meridians with fine needles in order to restore the flow of energy. This method has been shown to be especially useful in treating chronic pain.
Acupuncture has been proven to help ease chronic lower back pain and chronic knee pain caused by gonarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the knee), and therefore your SBK will cover this treatment.
You can visit a doctor who is a qualified acupuncture practitioner directly. Then you just need to present your health care card.
You can get up to ten acupuncture sessions within a maximum of six weeks. In exceptional cases with a legitimate medical reason, this limit can be increased to up to 15 sessions within a maximum of 12 weeks. Any subsequent acupuncture treatments can only take place 12 months after your last acupuncture session at the earliest.
If you get acupuncture from a private doctor or alternative practitioner, we are not permitted to cover the costs. This rule applies to all statutory health insurers – and that includes SBK.