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NEWS | Nov. 16, 2010

Complementary and Alternative Medicine - A profile on Dr. Richard C. Niemtzow

By Melanie Moore 79th MDW PA

Who is the Father of Battlefield Acupunture?

Richard C. Niemtzow, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., is a retired Air Force colonel and was the first full-time physician acupuncturist in the Armed Forces.

He established the medical acupuncture clinic at Andrews Air Force Base; delivers medical acupuncture to service members at Andrews, the Pentagon, White House, National Naval Medical Center, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and is the consultant on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to the Air Force Surgeon General.

Dr. Niemtzow may be best known as the developer of "battlefield acupuncture." He originally conceived this technique as a way to deliver pain relief through acupuncture as quickly and efficiently as possible in combat and other military situations. It is growing in popularity in both military and civilian medical settings internationally. Dr. Niemtzow has taught it to many clinicians, including in Europe and Asia.

Battlefield acupuncture is a type of ear (auricular) acupuncture--needling is done to the external part of the ear. The concept that the ear has a connection to all parts of the body dates back to the origins of traditional French, German, and Chinese medicine, according to Dr. Niemtzow. His technique is unique, he says, in that it employs acupoints known to influence the processing of pain in the central nervous system.

The needles that Dr. Niemtzow uses most look like tiny gold earrings and can stay in the ear for up to several days or longer. After each application, the patient walks around for about 2 minutes to determine whether effects on pain are occurring and whether further applications are needed.

Relief occurs, Dr. Niemtzow says, in 80 to 90 percent of cases; typically is immediate; and may last from minutes to months, depending on the length of stimulation and the patient's pathology. He reports that he has seen his technique work for all types of pain--including that of fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, headaches, and arthritis--and in many patients who did not respond to Western pain medicines.
Asked how and why his technique has these effects, he responded, "We really don't know yet.... It could be that the needles interfere with pain pathways in the central nervous system, including the brain, in areas such as the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cingulate gyrus. While battlefield acupuncture doesn't work for everyone," he added, "it has brought many wonderful results, including in people who have suffered for many years. This gratifies me every day."

Dr. Niemtzow also uses other techniques to stimulate acupoints, including laser and electrical devices and the traditional longer acupuncture needles. In addition to battlefield acupuncture, he is also known for developing an acupuncture technique for oncology patients who suffer from dry mouth post chemotherapy or radiation therapy. His other research interests include acupuncture for low-vision conditions.

"People in the military, like the general public, are attracted to Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Some believe in it, some don't," he responded. "I think there's a growing demand [in the military] for therapies that do not involve chronic use of medication, but we also have to be very careful what we offer our patients. Decisions about treatment should be based on evidence from the customary research we are able to do to determine whether it is of value, not on emotion or because something sounds or appears good."

Among future directions in Complementary and Alternative Medicine pain relief that interest him are intravenous laser acupuncture--irradiating the blood with a laser, an approach currently available in Europe but not in the United States--and use of nanotechnology approaches, such as inserting small needles with built-in electrical stimulators. In his work on NCCAM's National Advisory Council, Dr. Niemtzow is particularly interested in issues related to the use of CAM in pediatrics and in pregnant women, and in making education on CAM more widely available in medical schools.

Dr. Niemtzow received his medical degree from the University of Montpellier in France, his Ph.D. in biological sciences from Pacific Western University, and his M.P.H. from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He studied acupuncture at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical School. His medical specialty is radiation oncology.