In Chinese medicine, acupuncture dates back more than 2000 years.

The Military Health System has developed a modern modification of this ancient practice, known as Battlefield Acupuncture, or BFA.

Military health care providers are finding that ear acupuncture, which involves inserting small needles into different areas of the ear, is successful in relieving pain of injured or ill service members.

"BFA is highly effective and markedly alleviates acute or chronic pain in approximately 80-85% of patients," regardless of the underlying cause, said Dr. Jeff Leggit, a professor and medical acupuncturist at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Leggit described it as an "invaluable tool." Providers can administer BFA quickly and safely. There's virtually no risk of drug interactions or side effects, he said.

BFA can also reduce the need for narcotics. "A modification of the protocol can also be exceedingly helpful in treating migraine and tension-related headaches," Leggit said.

Nearly every military hospital or clinic has at least one individual who has been trained in BFA, added Dr. Arnyce Pock, associate dean and medical acupuncturist at USU. "Moreover, the use of BFA in particular and acupuncture in general is becoming increasingly more common in [Department of Veterans Affairs] facilities as well," she said.

Twenty Years of Evidence

Retired Air Force Col. (Dr.) Richard Niemtzow developed BFA in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, to deliver pain relief quickly and efficiently in combat and other military situations. He was the first full-time physician acupuncturist in the military after having been a radiation oncologist.

Leggit and Pock are part of the team that now teach BFA to military medical students, doctors, nurses, and others across the MHS.

The course lasts up to four hours. It includes lectures and hands-on practice, said Leggit.

In March, Leggit and Pock taught a BFA course to graduate military nursing students at USU. The course trained providers who are not physicians nor acupuncturists, such as advanced practice nurses, to provide BFA to patients for pain management.

"USU recognized the importance of giving its graduates training in BFA as a valuable tool in their analgesic 'toolbox', regardless of which specialty they decide to pursue," said Pock. "Being able to effectively treat pain is something every physician needs to be able to do."