Perceptions of the Impact and Utility of Battlefield Acupuncture Among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Pilot Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand homeless veterans’ perspectives on the utility and impact of Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA). Design A qualitative study among veterans with chronic pain who were experiencing homelessness. Methods and Participants A subset of twelve Veterans who participated in a in weekly BFA sessions for up to 12 weeks at one VA medical center participated in semi-structured interviews conducted between September 2022 and March 2023. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results The average number of BFA visits among participants was 10.8. Thematic analysis revealed three themes (1) Prior experiences with chronic pain, where Veterans often reported having pain for years with limited relief, (2) Appeal of a non-pharmacologic treatment, and (3) BFA had a positive impact on health and well-being. Overall, participants reported BFA to be a brief, convenient, and effective non-pharmacological treatment for their chronic pain. Many described how they had exhausted most other traditional treatments for their chronic pain and saw BFA as an acceptable and effective alternative treatment. Conclusions Our results indicated Veterans appreciated BFA as an alternative approach toward the treatment of their chronic pain beyond what is typically offered in conventional health care, the convenience of short appointment times, and accessible services. Our findings support the VA continuing to offer BFA as a Complementary and Integrative Health modality, particularly for high acuity populations like Veterans experiencing homelessness.