Battlefield Acupuncture
This month we honor our veterans with Veteran’s Day on November 11th. There is an interesting connection between acupuncture and veterans that you may not have heard about before.
As you might already know, acupuncture can be beneficial for easing both acute and chronic pain, as well as helping the body calm down from heightened stress levels and other psychoemotional ailments. Did you know that an entire treatment can be done with needles applied exclusively to the ears? This type of treatment is known as auricular, or ear, acupuncture. This approach uses the ear as a map of the entire body, working on a microsystem to alleviate a variety of conditions. Part of why this approach is useful at targeting the full range of the body is because branches of the facial, trigeminal, and vagus nerves all run through the ear and can help send signals throughout the body. The insertion of needles helps suppress pain transmissions at the spinal cord, as well as releasing endorphins and other chemical transmitters throughout the body, which is also beneficial at suppressing pain. Inflammation, pain, and muscle tension are all able to decrease during a treatment.
So, how does this relate to veterans? Well, there is one auricular protocol in specific that makes the connection. It is called Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) and includes the points Omega-2, cingulate gyrus, shen men, point zero, and thalamus. BFA was developed by Dr. Richard Niemtzow in 2001 while on active duty in the United States Air Force. Its main purpose was to help soldiers dealing with pain. It was also found that these same points that reduced pain were beneficial in supporting stress and psychological conditions both during and post-war. BFA can be helpful when dealing with either acute or chronic conditions. One article highlights that nearly 80% of people who experience pain have had favorable outcomes when using BFA. Some common conditions where BFA is applicable includes headaches, joint pain, back pain, substance use disorders, and PTSD. BFA is safe for elderly veterans and is helpful for allowing them to reduce opioid and medication use. This therapy is low-risk and relatively easy to perform, which made it a popular and accessible treatment method on the battlefield. Shorter needles are used and sometimes retained for up to 3 days. In addition to licensed acupuncturists, over 4,600 health care providers including nurses, doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, and occupational therapists have been trained by the Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to administer this therapy.
Happy Veteran’s day to all the veterans out there, and their families as well! We thank you for your service and wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.
Martinez-Ross, J. (n.d.). How Battlefield Acupuncture helps those in pain
Nordenberg, T. (2021). Battlefield acupuncture. An emerging and promising alternative to risky pain medications
Raypole, C. (2024). What is auricular (ear) acupuncture?
Schneider, L. (n.d.). Battlefield Acupuncture: A modern approach to rapid pain relief
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