Increasing the usefulness of acupuncture guideline recommendations

Acupuncture is the most widely used traditional and complementary medicine, used in 113 of 120 countries according to a 2019 World Health Organization report. 3In addition to registered acupuncturists, medical doctors, nurse practitioners, and chiropractors occasionally deliver acupuncture treatment. 4Despite its widespread use and considerable available evidence, until recently, clinical practice guidelines from conventional medical organisations rarely included recommendations on acupuncture.Clinical practice guidelines aim to optimise patient care, 1 and must meet standards of trustworthiness to avoid misleading clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders. 2We begin by summarising the progress made then address deficiencies that limit the clinical usefulness of acupuncture guidelines, examine the barriers to inclusion of acupuncture in guidelines, and suggest how to overcome them.