Acupuncture in the U.S. Military

In recent years, the U.S. military has increasingly supported the use of acupuncture in the health care and medical treatment options it offers to active duty and veteran servicemen and servicewomen — in VA clinics and on the battlefield. The AAMA invites military physicians and medical personnel to participate in Academy activities, to share their research findings and to contribute to the growing awareness of medical acupuncture in the United States and beyond.

Offer Medical Acupuncture to Veterans in Your Practice

The Academy has compiled guidance for AAMA members who want to offer medical acupuncture treatments to U.S. military veterans. Learn more.

Helpful Resources

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Acupuncture is one of the complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches within the VHA Whole Health System of care included in VHA Directive 1137 – Provision of Complementary and Integrative Health, published in May 2017. This allows acupuncture care to be covered by the Veteran’s medical benefits package, when clinically necessary, as determined by the patient’s care team.

Acus Foundation

“We train the doctors who treat the pain.” The Acus Foundation team teaches medical acupuncture that addresses the physical and psycho-spiritual dimensions of military injury, in both active duty and veteran military patients. Training efforts are focused on primary care providers because these are the professionals on the frontlines of medicine.