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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 3/2012

01-06-2012 | Original Paper

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine for Survivors of Torture and Refugee Trauma: A Descriptive Report

Authors: Ellen Silver Highfield, Puja Lama, Michael A. Grodin, Ted J. Kaptchuk, Sondra S. Crosby

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 3/2012

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Abstract

Refugees with trauma histories are a difficult medical population to treat. Acupuncture care has gained acceptance in many mainstream hospitals in the United States, but research on acupuncture and refugee populations is limited. Herein, we report our experiences with 50 refugees (total acupuncture treatments = 425) at a major tertiary teaching hospital. Patients often reported extreme trauma including physical torture, rape and witnessing the same in family members. Patients represented 13 different countries, with about half the patients being Somali. The primary complaint of all patients was pain (100%). Using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain scale, 56% patients reported pain decreases. Patient acceptance of acupuncture was high. We provide three case histories as illustrative examples. Further research is warranted.
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Metadata
Title
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine for Survivors of Torture and Refugee Trauma: A Descriptive Report
Authors
Ellen Silver Highfield
Puja Lama
Michael A. Grodin
Ted J. Kaptchuk
Sondra S. Crosby
Publication date
01-06-2012
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 3/2012
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9538-6

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