The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, supporting thousands of projects every year across various fields and disciplines.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat various conditions, such as pain, stress, insomnia, nausea, and more. Acupuncture is also considered a complementary and integrative health approach by the NIH.
In this article, we will analyze the trends of projects and fundings related to acupuncture in NIH from 2020 to 2023, based on the data from the NIH RePORTER website. We will compare the number and amount of projects that have “acupuncture” in the title with the total number and amount of projects in NIH. We will also discuss the implications and challenges of acupuncture research in NIH.
- The data summary from RePORTER
It is important to note that the data we use includes not only NIH, but also other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). These agencies also conduct or support research related to acupuncture and other complementary and integrative health approaches.
According to the data, the total number of projects in NIH increased from 82,408 in 2020 to 84,506 in 2023, with a total funding of $44.56 billion in 2020 and $48.89 billion in 2023.
| Fiscal Year | Total Projects | Total Fundings (Million) |
| 2020 | 82,408 | 44,564.64 |
| 2021 | 82,922 | 46,064.03 |
| 2022 | 83,793 | 47,894.15 |
| 2023 | 84,506 | 48,888.34 |
The number and amount of projects that have “acupuncture” (includes “electroacupuncture”, “acupressure”, “Auricular acupressure”) in the title, however, fluctuated over the years. In 2020, there were 10 projects with a total funding of $7.68 million; in 2021, there were 16 projects with a total funding of $11.03 million; in 2022, there were 14 projects with a total funding of $7.48 million; and in 2023, there were 14 projects with a total funding of $6.31 million.
| Fiscal Year | Projects with “Acupuncture” in Title | VA | Total Fundings (Million) |
| 2020 | 10 | 1 | 7.68 |
| 2021 | 16 | 1 | 11.03 |
| 2022 | 14 | 3 | 7.48 |
| 2023 | 14 | 1 | 6.31 |
The data shows that acupuncture projects accounted for about 0.01% of the total number of projects and about 0.02% of the total amount of fundings in NIH from 2020 to 2023. The highest percentage was in 2021, when acupuncture projects accounted for 0.02% of the total number of projects and 0.02% of the total amount of fundings. The lowest percentage was in 2023, when acupuncture projects accounted for 0.02% of the total number of projects and 0.01% of the total amount of fundings.
The data also shows that acupuncture fundings increased by 43.6% from 2020 to 2021, but decreased by 32.2% from 2021 to 2022, and by 15.6% from 2022 to 2023. The highest amount of fundings was in 2021, when acupuncture projects received $11.03 million; the lowest amount of fundings was in 2023, when acupuncture projects received $6.31 million.
2. Current active projects list
Below is the list of current active projects.
| Project Title | Project Number | Contact PI / Project Leader | Organization Name |
| Developing a virtual reality guided acupuncture imagery treatment for Chronic low back pain | 3R41AT011822-01A1S1 | KONG, JIAN | MASSACHUSETTS NEURO TECHNOLOGY, INC. |
| Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment (ACT) Trial | 7R37CA248563-04 | BAO, TING | DANA-FARBER CANCER INST |
| Feasibility Trial of a Novel Integrated Mindfulness and Acupuncture Program to Improve Outcomes after Spine Surgery (I-MASS) | 5R34AT012082-02 | LENTZ, TREVOR | DUKE UNIVERSITY |
| Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture | 5K01AT011776-02 | CANDON, MOLLY | UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
| Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Guided Relaxation and Acupuncture for Chronic Sickle Cell Disease Pain | 5UH3AT011265-04 | DOORENBOS, ARDITH Z | UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO |
| Developing a virtual reality guided acupuncture imagery treatment for Chronic low back pain | 1R41AT011822-01A1 | KONG, JIAN | MASSACHUSETTS NEURO TECHNOLOGY, INC. |
| Feasibility of Implementing Acupuncture into a Federally Qualified Health Center to Alleviate Multiple Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Endocrine therapy | 5R34AT012084-02 | LI, HONGJIN | UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO |
| Acupuncture for Cognitive Health in Older Survivors of Prostate Cancer (ACHIEVE) | 5K08CA266927-02 | LIOU, KEVIN T | SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH |
| A Multi-Omics Study of the Effect and Mechanisms of Acupuncture on Psychoneurological Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors | 1R21CA277153-01A1 | LI, HONGJIN | UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO |
| Effect and Mechanism of Acupuncture for Cancer-related Cognitive Impairment (ENHANCE) | 5R01CA240417-04 | MAO, JUN J | SLOAN-KETTERING INST CAN RESEARCH |
| SAR 2023: From Mechanism to Patient-Centered Care: Research in Acupuncture and Traditional East Asian Medicine | 1R13AT012308-01 | MAO, JUN J | SOCIETY FOR ACUPUNCTURE RESEARCH, INC. |
| Effects of Acupuncture on Symptoms of Stable Angina: A Randomized Controlled Trial | 1R01NR020376-01A1 | DEVON, HOLLI A | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES |
| Neuroimmune mechanisms underlying electroacupuncture effect on vascular function | 5R01AT011306-03 | MALIK, SHAISTA Other PIs | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE |
| Acupuncture in the Emergency Department for Pain Management: A BraveNet Multi-Center Feasibility Study | 5R01AT010598-03 | DUSEK, JEFFERY A | CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY |
| Pragmatic Trial of Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults | 5UH3AT010739-04 | DEBAR, LYNN L. | KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE |
| Double-blind Phase 2 RCT: Effect of Acupuncture on Patient Vulvodynia Outcomes | 5R01HD091210-05 | SCHLAEGER, JUDITH MICHELLE | UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO |
| Enhancing acupuncture treatment effect through non-invasive neuromodulation | 5R33AT009341-03 | KONG, JIAN | MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL |
| Optimization of brain-based mechanisms supporting psychosocial aspects of acupuncture therapy – a hyper scanning fMRI study | 5R33AT009306-05 | NAPADOW, VITALY | MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL |
| Auricular Point Acupressure to Manage Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy | 5R01CA245054-04 | JOHNSON, CONSTANCE MARGARET | UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON |
| Management of Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults Using Auricular Point Acupressure | 7R01AG056587-05 | YEH, CHAO HSING | UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON |
| Self-Administered Acupressure for Veterans with Chronic Back Pain: A Multisite Evaluation of Effectiveness and Implementation | 5I01HX003302-02 | KREIN, SARAH | VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION |
3. Analysis and conclusions
From the above projects, we know that acupuncture research in NIH covers a wide range of areas, such as pain management, opioid addiction, cancer care, neurological disorders, mental health, women’s health, and more. Acupuncture research in NIH also employs various methods, such as randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, observational studies, animal models, neuroimaging techniques, and more.
However, the funding for acupuncture research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is very low, ranging from 0.01% to 0.02% of the total NIH budget. This poses a challenge for advancing the evidence base and the clinical application of acupuncture. The possible interpretation is that acupuncture research is facing some challenges in NIH, such as difficulty of preparing and submitting high-quality grant applications, limited funding sources, lack of standardized protocols, ethical issues, and scientific rigor.
To address this gap, the NIH has awarded a grant to RAND Corporation to establish a Research Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Center. The RAND REACH Center is a collaboration between the RAND Corporation and institutions that train complementary and integrative health (CIH) practitioners. Its purpose is to leverage the research infrastructure at the RAND Corporation to support collaborative research across and within these institutions.
Overall, acupuncture research in NIH should not be judged solely by the number or amount of projects or fundings, but rather by the relevance, validity, reliability, and applicability of its findings. Acupuncture research in NIH should also be supported by more interdisciplinary collaboration, public engagement, and policy advocacy to advance the field and benefit the public health.