Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique that involves the insertion of fine needles into the skin and underlying tissues at specific points for therapeutic or preventive purposes (White et al. [233]). The use of acupuncture has been growing in popularity and it is now commonly used alongside conventional treatments for pain and symptom control in the cancer and palliative care setting (Filshie and Thompson [73]). Leng ([121]) carried out a survey into the use of acupuncture in the hospice and palliative care setting across the UK and found that 59% of centres were actively using acupuncture for symptom control.

The management of pain and nausea has improved significantly with the use of conventional medical treatments. However, there is a lack of management for other common symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and depression. As cancer patients will normally present with numerous symptoms it is ideal to address as many of these symptoms at once to ensure a positive outcome for the patient. Sagar and Capsulet ([198]) discussed that the use of complementary therapies to manage the wide spectrum of cancer patients’ symptoms can be beneficial. Lim et al. ([123]) compared the use of acupuncture with supportive care from a specialist nurse in managing patients’ symptoms. Out of the 42 patients surveyed they found a reduction in symptoms of 22% following acupuncture treatment compared with 14% following support care appointment. Hu et al. ([103]) performed a systematic review of 20 articles and found that acupuncture in combination with conventional analgesic treatment results in longer episodes of no pain, increased response time in pain relief, increase in length of analgesic duration, improved quality of life and reduction of analgesic side‐effects due to decrease in use.

Acupuncture has been used in China for over 2000 years; the history of Western medical acupuncture started in the 1970s when a medically qualified doctor took a rational, scientific approach to exploring acupuncture and its benefits (White et al. [233]). We still do not know exactly how acupuncture works but due to numerous scientific studies there is evidence to show that acupuncture works on the nervous system and the muscles.

Five mechanisms have been identified and these can overlap (White et al. [233]).

Acupuncture is now being used widely in the management of multiple symptoms in the cancer and supportive care setting. It has been shown to improve quality of life of patients through the improvement of one or multiple symptoms related to their cancer or treatment (Dean‐Clower et al. [49]). Towler et al. ([215]) looked at 17 systematic reviews into the effectiveness of acupuncture for symptom management in cancer patients. They found benefit was shown in the management of multiple symptoms and recommended its use in the control of symptoms when other treatments have failed.

All acupuncture practitioners must have completed a recognized, validated, formal training course within their scope of professional practice (for example, the Foundation Course in Acupuncture provided by the British Medical Acupuncture Society [BMAS]). Any nurse who practises acupuncture should check with their union to ensure they have appropriate indemnity cover.

If patients are having treatment in an outpatient setting, they can travel home immediately after treatment. If the patient feels dizzy/faint, they should rest and drink fluids until the feeling passes.

Acupuncture, when performed by a competent practitioner, is a very safe treatment. Macpherson et al. ([131]) found that in a study of 34,407 treatments there were 43 reports of mild adverse effects as a result of acupuncture and no serious event occurred. Complications can be categorized into three groups: mild, significant and serious (White et al. [233]).