Finding an acupuncturist during cancer care in Illinois

Talk to your oncology team first

Your oncologist or nurse knows your treatment plan and can tell you whether acupuncture makes sense for you right now, and when to wait. Some cancer centers offer acupuncture themselves or know practitioners nearby. Acupuncture goes alongside your cancer treatment and never replaces it.

Professional groups have looked at the research. A 2022 guideline from the Society for Integrative Oncology and ASCO covers when acupuncture may be considered for some kinds of cancer-related pain. Read the guideline summary. Your team can tell you whether any of it applies to you.

Check the Illinois license

Illinois licenses acupuncturists through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), and you can look up anyone's license from the state's page. IDFPR acupuncture page. Many acupuncturists also hold national certification from NCCAOM. Acupuncture happens in person, so look for someone you can get to on the days you feel up to it.

What to tell the acupuncturist

Share where you are in treatment and anything your oncology team has told you to watch for, such as low blood counts, a higher risk of infection or bleeding, lymphedema, or a port or other device. A practitioner who works with people in cancer care will ask about these anyway, and may want to check with your team.

Questions worth asking before a first visit

• How often do you work with people in or after cancer treatment?
• Do you use sterile, single-use needles?
• Will you talk with my oncology team if I ask you to?
• Do you recommend herbs or supplements? (Check any of these with your oncology team before you take them.)
• What does a visit cost, and can you give me a superbill to send my insurer? (A superbill doesn't guarantee reimbursement.)

Coverage for acupuncture varies a lot between plans. Call the number on your insurance card to ask what yours covers.

Hear when Illinois practitioners join Alongside

Alongside lists practitioners who work with people in cancer care, and we verify each practitioner's license before they can accept patients. Leave your email below and we'll send one email when a practitioner licensed in Illinois joins.

Are you an Illinois acupuncturist?

If you work with people in cancer care, you set your own rates here. See how joining works.