DISTRIBUTION – SDL No. 168
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
NON-STANDARD DISTRIBUTION:
Commandant
United States Coast Guard
US Coast Guard Stop 7907
2703 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20593-7907
Staff Symbol: CG-112
Phone: (202) 475-5211
COMDTINST 6320.4
21 SEPTEMBER 2017
COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION 6320.4
Subj: AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE
Ref: (a) Coast Guard Medical Manual, COMDTINST M6000.1 (series)
(b) World Health Organization: Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture, 1999
1. PURPOSE. To establish policy for training, privileging, and clinical practice of auricular
acupuncture.
2. ACTION. All Coast Guard unit commanders, commanding officers, officer-in-charge,
deputy/assistant commandants, and chiefs of headquarters staff elements must comply with the
provisions of this Instruction. Internet release is authorized.
3. DIRECTIVES AFFECTED. None.
4. BACKGROUND. Pain is the most common diagnosis seen in outpatients in the United States.
Medical care for the 50 million patients in the United States with chronic pain, and secondary
disability, cost the national economy approximately $100 billion annually. Auricular acupuncture,
also known as “Battlefield Acupuncture” is an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain.
5. DISCLAIMER. This guidance is not a substitute for applicable legal requirements, nor is it itself a
rule. It is intended to provide operational guidance for Coast Guard personnel and is not intended to
nor does it impose legally-binding requirements on any party outside the Coast Guard.
6. IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
a. PERSONNEL RESOURCES REQUIRED. Medical Officers with supplemental privileges for
auricular acupuncture shall perform tasks associated with this Instruction.
b. TRAINING REQUIRED. See Paragraph 13 of this Instruction.
