Many of our patients suffering from depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and severe pain receive fast and lasting relief from a relatively simple ear acupuncture treatment known as, Battlefield Acupuncture. The treatment is fast and effective, and in the case of acute pain often reduces the pain within minutes.
In 2008 the Air Force Surgeon General's office announced "Over the past few years, acupuncture has been found to be quite effective in ameliorating some of the complex pain syndromes affecting many of our severely wounded warriors.” In it’s current usage for Vets returning from their tour of duty, as well as wounded soldiers, it is called “Battlefield Acupuncture.” Most common conditions treated are severe acute and chronic pain, as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The term battlefield acupuncture was first used in 2001 by Col. Richard Niemtzow, MD, PhD., retired, who serves as a consultant for complementary and alternative medicine to the Surgeon General of the Air Force. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Auriculotherapy Certification Institute.
In 2009, the U. S. Air Force began training physicians being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to use Battlefield Acupuncture. The treatment uses small needles in the skin of the ear to block pain in as few as five minutes and can last for several days or longer. The procedure was initially introduced in 2008 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), where it was applied to wounded service members and local patients for pain relief, with significant results. The hospital, located near Ramstein Air base in Germany, is the largest and most modern U.S. military medical facility outside the United States.
One of the pain specialists at LRMC personally experienced a 25 percent increased range of motion and a 50 percent reduction in pain for chronic shoulder and upper back pain he endured for several years. As a result of his outstanding success, he recruited his most challenging patients for whom traditional pain treatment offered limited relief. Within minutes of the needles being inserted, many said their pain had been reduced by up to 75 percent. A 25 percent reduction would be considered a success with traditional pain medications.
Despite its name, Battlefield Acupuncture is not purposely designed to replace standard medical care for war-related injuries but to assist in pain relief and in many cases eliminate the need for pain medication for acute and chronic pain. It is a simple treatment that allows a good result within minutes. There are virtually no complications and patients are subjected to little or no discomfort.
In their experience, it was reported that only approximately 15 percent of patients do not respond to Battlefield Acupuncture, but of those who do, their pain reduction often averages about 75 percent. The frequency of application and the duration of relief vary with each patient, but treatment can progress from about two times a week to as little as once a month or longer. In some cases, further acupuncture treatment may not be required.
While treatment for acute pain conditions can almost immediately provide some relief with as few as 2 or 3 needles per ear, treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, ADHD or anxiety utilize 4 needles on each ear. Although reduction of symptoms for these other disorders can be more gradual than for pain, the treatment is basically identical for all of them. Using very subtle electric stimulation to the ear points in addition to the needles often enhances and speeds up reduction of the psychological afflictions.
Battlefield Acupuncture is an effective and easily tolerable treatment for any severe acute or chronic pain conditions, as well as PTSD, depression, ADHA or anxiety. By dramatically increasing your quality of living, it can literally change your life! Let us help you today.
Post by Jonathan Holasek, L. Ac. Dipl. O.M.
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