Battlefield Acupuncture Eases Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Retired Col. Richard Niemtzow applies an acupuncture needle into Master Sgt. Michelle Tancrede’s ear during a battlefield acupuncture course. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bahja J. Jones)

Battlefield acupuncture is one of the latest treatments being evaluated to help alleviate the pain and symptoms of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Retired Air Force Col. Richard C. Niemtzow, former president of American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, spoke with blog writer Robyn Mincher of the Defense Centers of Excellence, about battlefield acupuncture which can interrupt the process of pain in the central nervous system.

“Like western medicine, it’s another tool in a medical bag,” Niemtzow said.

The tool was supported by Department of Veterans Affairs for a formal study on acupuncture’s effectiveness on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mTBI. The department’s recent clinical guidance recommends acupuncture as a supplementary therapy for PTSD, anxiety, pain and sleeplessness.

“The treatment is really useful for treating headache and sleep issues, as well as other associated pain,” said Air Force Col. Stephen Sharp, DCoE deputy director of TBI clinical standards of care. “Additionally, it can be used to treat psychological health concerns, which can occur with mTBI.”

You can read the full article on the Defense Centers of Excellence website HERE.