Acupuncture research in military and veteran populations: A rapid evidence assessment of the literature

Background: In recent years, both the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have begun to turn to complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies to help address chronic physical (pain) and psychological (post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression) conditions. One of the most prominent CIM therapies for these conditions is acupuncture. While there has been considerable acupuncture research performed in civilian populations, the level of research conducted within military and veteran populations is unclear. Objective: The main objectives of this review were to survey the number of published acupuncture studies in military and veteran populations and to assess and summarize the quality of the included studies. Design: A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Literature (REAL) was conducted to identify, assess, and characterize published studies of acupuncture among military and veteran populations (from inception until March 2011). Results: A total of 340 citations were reviewed. Studies that met the criteria for inclusion were evaluated for study quality and bias using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 50 (SIGN 50) checklist for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Only 2 RCTs that fit the inclusion criteria were found and were able to be assessed using the SIGN quality scoring tool. Conclusions: This review shows that, although there have been several studies examining acupuncture efficacy and effectiveness in a military and/or veteran population, only one of the published studies had a sound methodological design. At present, there is a paucity of acupuncture research in military and veteran populations. © 2011, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Duke Scholars

Author Remy Rene Coeytaux Family Medicine and Community Health, Family Medicine