WCRI: Behavioral Treatment, Acupuncture Slow to Catch On in Comp

Although the role of psychology in an injured worker's recovery is becoming more widely recognized, behavioral treatments are used in only about 1% of lost-time workers’ comp claims, according to a study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute. But interventional pain treatments such as electrical implants, intrathecal pumps and various injections have remained popular, appearing in as many as a quarter of claims in some states, WCRI found. And while California has embraced acupuncture for treating injured workers, with the treatment found in 15% of claims, the needle-base...