According to MilitaryTimes.com, “They don’t have to wait hours for medications to take maximal effect or endure side effects like drowsiness or allergic reactions, of common pain medications. This allows personnel to go back to the fight with minimal impact to continuing mission operations.” And pilots are able to fly directly after treatment, which is not possible with traditional medications.

According to Dr. Richard Niemtzow, a developer of battlefield acupuncture (BFA), “What makes BFA different is that it is safe, easily teachable, and a highly effective treatment option.” 

Niemtzow worked on a study with the Air Force assessing BFA in combat situations and in cases of air medical evacuation and found it “was an effective paint treatment option.”

Because the treatment is localized to the ears, it can be administered in combat environments where patients do not need to lie down and supplies are limited. 

Holistic options are not new to resistance from those used to traditional medicine.  In response, Niemtzow said, “As we continue to study acupuncture, results have consistently shown how it can effectively treat pain, we hear less and less of that criticism.”

References

Bedi, S. (2017, December 27). MHS Home | Health.mil. Battlefield acupuncture shows promising results downrange | Health.mil. Retrieved June 15, 2018, from http://health.mil/News/Articles/2017/12/27/Battlefield-acupuncture-shows-promising-results-downrange