Date
4-26-2024
Department
School of Nursing
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Chair
Vickie Moore
Keywords
acupuncture, veteran, pain management, pain intensity, quality of life, complementary pain therapy
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Smithers, Tabitha T., "Use of Acupuncture as a Complementary Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Pain in the Veteran Population to Improve Outcomes: An Integrative Review" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5427.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5427
Abstract
Clinical care in patient management is progressive and should change as evidence-based practice research is available. Veterans’ experiences with pain related to their service-related injuries are unique. This pain can limit their ability to function in society successfully. Many of the patients continue to experience uncontrolled pain, as well as side effects from medications that have been prescribed. This integrative review focused on the use of acupuncture as a complementary therapy to improve pain and quality of life in the Veteran population. The review analyzes systematic reviews, randomized control trials, and additional levels of evidence from scholarly articles supporting the benefits of acupuncture use. The literature promotes acupuncture therapy as a complementary therapy to improve patient outcomes—specifically pain intensity and quality of life. As a relatively safe therapy compared to opioid use, it is essential to implement acupuncture therapy for pain management into clinical practice.
