While the efficacy of acupuncture—an ancient Chinese medical practice in which fine needles are inserted into certain areas of the body to help ease pain or provide other therapeutic results—has been questioned over the years, it has also received some support from scientific studies and the U.S. military.
For example, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in September 2012, titled “Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis,” revealed that acupuncture is more effective for chronic pain than a placebo version of the treatment.
The research included nearly 18,000 people being treated for chronic pain. The scientists concluded that the specific effect of needling at true acupuncture points was statistically superior and that acupuncture was an effective and reasonable treatment option for the conditions evaluated.
The U.S. military has started using an adapted type of acupuncture, known as battlefield acupuncture, to treat many different types of pain.
Although traditional acupuncture is based on more than 2,000 points along 20 pathways in the body called meridians, battlefield acupuncture simplifies the treatment by focusing on five easy-access points within the ear to provide pain relief. The treatment, which uses short needles that can be left inserted for a time to continue to provide pain relief, takes just minutes.
After two promising pilot studies at the Samueli Institute, Alexandria, Virginia, the United States Air Force developed the first known training program to teach the procedure to military primary care physicians. The Samueli Institute then worked with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and battlefield acupuncture founder retired Air Force Col. Richard Niemtzow, MD, to help standardize the training.
Acupuncture avoids overmedication because it combats pain while avoiding narcotic side effects, such as depression, fatigue, drug misuse, and isolation.
After allowing the patient to rate the amount of his or her pain, the medical provider will insert the first needle, or stud. The provider will then ask the patient to walk around to check for any signs of faintness. Lastly, he or she will test the position again to see if another stud is needed.
“It is a quick, simple, and easy method of pain control that can be treated on the battlefield,” said Capt. Laramie Richmond, 5th Medical Operations Squadron physician’s assistant. “Our results show that 80 percent of our patients get some form of relief.”
Master Sgt. Nathan Carlson, 219th Security Forces Squadron health technician, has received the treatments. He was in a motorcycle accident in 2007 that left him with injured vertebrae and chronic back pain.
“Acupuncture provides immediate relief and no pain for about five [to] ten days,” said Carlson. “The best part is there is minimal to no pain during the procedure.”
“Battlefield acupuncture is great,” he said. “It is like a reset button on my pain in life.”
To seek a certified practitioner, visit www.nccaom.org and click on “Find a Practitioner.”
This article was adapted from information provided by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the Samueli Institute, and the Air Force Global Strike Command.
