Acupuncture Safety in Patients Receiving Anticoagulants: A Systematic Review

McCulloch M, Nachat A, Schwartz J, Casella-Gordon V, Cook J · The Permanente Journal · 2015 March

Objective

To critically evaluate evidence for safety of acupuncture in anticoagulated patients.

Conclusions

Acupuncture appears to be safe in anticoagulated patients, assuming appropriate needling location and depth. The observed 0.003% complication rate is lower than the previously reported 12.3% following hip/knee replacement in a randomized trial of 27,360 anticoagulated patients, and 6% following acupuncture in a prospective study of 229,230 all-type patients. Prospective trials would help confirm our findings.

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