Needle Acupuncture for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review

RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of needle acupuncture --- used adjunctively or as monotherapy --- to provide estimates of its efficacy and safety for treating adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2017
Main Authors: Grant, Sean, Colaiaco, Benjamin, Motala, Aneesa, Shanman, Roberta M, Sorbero, Melony E, Hempel, Susanne
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Health care policy
RAND Corporation
Science/Technology
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of needle acupuncture --- used adjunctively or as monotherapy --- to provide estimates of its efficacy and safety for treating adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Outcomes of interest included PTSD symptoms (primary outcome), health-related quality of life, functional status, anxiety and depression symptoms, sleep quality, and adverse events. Meta-analyses were conducted using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random-effects models. Quality of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Seven studies with 709 total participants were included. We identified potential benefits of acupuncture for PTSD and depression symptoms compared with control groups in the months following treatment, although the quality of the evidence underpinning these estimates is limited. Few minor adverse events and no serious adverse events were reported, but safety assessments were limited. Additional well-designed, rigorous, and large RCTs have the potential to further develop the evidence base to provide more-conclusive evidence.