An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Acupuncture for the Trauma Spectrum Response (TSR): Results of a Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Literature (REAL)

Deployment and exposure to combat and trauma can induce a “Trauma Spectrum Response” (TSR) that includes a constellation of physical, cognitive, psychological and behavioral effects (i.e., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, sleep disturbances, substance abuse, cognitive difficulties, headache, and pain). While acupuncture has been shown to effectively treat some of these symptoms, the current literature is often difficult to interpret, inconsistent or contradictory. Thus, to comprehensively assess and gauge the effectiveness of manual acupuncture across these symptoms, a “systematic review of reviews” was conducted using the rapid evidence assessment of the literature (REAL©) method. Key databases including PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL were searched from inception to September 2011, yielding 1,189 systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Results of this review will address the quality of the 52 reviews that met our inclusion criteria, summarize the overall effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for each of the TSR components, and highlight gap areas that may elicit further research.