Guidelines

In this section, you will find information about acupuncture in medical guidelines.

In the past 20 years, a lot of scientific research has become available showing that acupuncture can be an effective form of treatment for various conditions. These scientific insights (evidence-based*), combined with the clinical experience of practitioners (practice-based*) and patient experiences, are now also making their way into medical guidelines.
* Read more about Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)

Contrary to what the term 'guideline' might suggest, medical guidelines are not mandatory rules but general recommendations and professional advice. Guidelines are usually written by peers for peers, often within a specific medical specialty. Their purpose is to assist doctors, healthcare providers, and patients in making decisions about appropriate and effective treatment for particular health issues.

In the Netherlands, guidelines for medical specialists are compiled in the Guidelines Database of the Federation of Medical Specialists, while those for general practitioners are included in the NHG standards of the Dutch College of General Practitioners.

Acupuncture in Medical Guidelines
It is encouraging that acupuncture is gradually being included in more medical guidelines. For example, a 2018 international bibliometric study* by Birch et al. [1] found that acupuncture was mentioned 2,189 times as a treatment option for over 200 health problems: 1,486 times for 107 pain indications, and 703 times for 97 non-pain indications.
*Bibliometrics is the science of quantitatively measuring scientific publications.

However, little is known about the underlying reasons why doctors ultimately choose to refer -or not refer—their patients to complementary therapies. A research publication in the Journal of Integrated Complementary Medicine (May 2022) shows that doctors who do refer often base their decision on:

Their own experience with a complementary therapy
scientific support published in peer-reviewed professional journals
positive recommendations from colleagues
patient feedback; interestingly, the feedback doctors receive from patients scores slightly higher than scientific support in the professional literature [2]

In the Netherlands, acupuncture is mentioned as a treatment option in only a limited number of medical guidelines. In other countries, acupuncture is more frequently included. For example, the British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) includes acupuncture in its guidelines for chronic pain and headache disorders.

Medical guidelines for specific health complaints including acupuncture will soon be available in this section.

References:

1. Birch, S., Lee M.S., Alraek T. & Kim T.H., Overview of Treatment Guidelines and Clinical Practical Guidelines That Recommend the Use of Acupuncture: A Bibliometric Analysis, Review J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Aug;24(8):752-769. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2018.0092 [←]

2. Stussman, B.J., et al., Reasons Office-Based Physicians in the United States Recommend Common Complementary Health Approaches to Patients: An Exploratory Study Using a National Survey, J Integr Complement Med, May 12, 2022. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2022.0493. Online ahead of print. [←]