The Evidence Synthesis Program (ESP) is responding to a request from the VHA Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation, Integrative Health Coordinating Center to provide current evidence regarding use of acupuncture for adult health conditions of interest to VA. Findings from this review will be used by VA referring providers, site leadership, and policy makers to improve Veteran access to non-pharmacologic treatment approaches and improve outcomes for Veterans by utilizing evidence-based care pathways.

Contents

• PREFACE
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
  • PURPOSE
  • BACKGROUND
• METHODS
  • TOPIC DEVELOPMENT
  • DATA SOURCES AND SEARCHES
  • STUDY SELECTION
  • DATA ABSTRACTION AND ASSESSMENT
  • SYNTHESIS
• RESULTS
  • LITERATURE FLOW
  • LITERATURE OVERVIEW
  • EVIDENCE MAPS
• DISCUSSION
  • LIMITATIONS
  • FUTURE RESEARCH
  • CONCLUSIONS
• REFERENCES
• APPENDIX A. SEARCH STRATEGIES
• APPENDIX B. EXCLUDED REVIEWS MEETING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA NOT INCLUDED IN EVIDENCE MAP
• APPENDIX C. EXCLUDED PUBLICATIONS
• APPENDIX D. CONDITIONS AND SUB-CONDITIONS OF INCLUDED SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
• APPENDIX E. CONCLUSIONS FROM SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS INCLUDED IN THE EVIDENCE MAP
• APPENDIX F. PEER REVIEW DISPOSITION

Suggested citation:

Shekelle P, Allen J, Mak S, Begashaw M, Miake-Lye I, Severin J, Larkin J. Evidence Map of Acupuncture as Treatment for Adult Health Conditions: Update from 2013–2021. Washington, DC: Evidence Synthesis Program, Health Services Research and Development Service, Office of Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs. VA ESP Project #05-226; 2022.

This report was prepared by the Evidence Synthesis Program Center located at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, CA, directed by Isomi Miake-Lye, PhD and Paul Shekelle, MD, PhD and funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development.

The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the author(s) who are responsible for its contents and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government. Therefore, no statement in this article should be construed as an official position of the Department of Veterans Affairs. No investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement (eg, employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties) that conflict with material presented in the report.