Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop when a person witnesses or experiences a traumatic event. Among treatment options for PTSD, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches are becoming more widespread. As a number of studies have reviewed the effects of acupuncture on the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, this literature review and meta-analysis was completed to better understand the effects of this intervention.

Medical electronic databases were searched through January of 2016 for studies including acupuncture for PTSD. From the literature review, seven studies, with a combined total of 719 participants, were selected. Acupuncture treatment ranged from 30 to 60 minutes per session, two to four times per week, three to 12 weeks in duration. Outcomes were measured up to six months after treatment.

The meta-analysis revealed a large effect in favor of acupuncture for improving symptoms of PTSD, versus any comparison group at short-term follow up (P＝0.05), and a medium effect in favor of acupuncture versus any comparison group at longer-term follow-up (P＝0.04). No significant difference was found between traditional Chinese medicine and auricular acupuncture. Further, no significant difference was identified between acupuncture and the control condition for the short term relief of physical and mental health related quality of life, symptoms of depression, anxiety or sleep quality. A significant effect of acupuncture was noted for depression at long-term follow-up (P＝0.01)

This meta-analysis of published, randomized, controlled trials involving patients with post-traumatic stress disorder found that acupuncture may have significant, positive effects on the symptoms of that syndrome, although the authors note that that the analysis was hampered by the quality of the studies.