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Show HILLTOP TIMES Hilltop 8 T IME S March 13. 2014 Battlefield acupuncture fights pain, skepticism BY BRIAN SHREVE 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — When it comes to pain relief, sharp objects aren't often the remedy most consider first. But with the realized benefits of battlefield acupuncture, that perception is quickly changing, one pin prick at a time. Physicians and other health care providers from the 78th Medical Group attended a training session March 1 at the Robins Medical Center as part of an effort to get personnel acquainted with, and ultimately credentialed on, the practice — which could soon become an alleviating addition to the base clinic. Dr. Tom Piazza, one of three physician acupuncturists at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., led the day-long course in which students received handson instruction by performing the procedure on each other, as well as other volunteers seeking reprieve from persistent pain. The story of how acupuncture found a home in the Air Force began at Andrews where Piazza's colleague, Dr. Richard Niemtzow, created battlefield acupuncture while on MISUZU ALLEN/U.S. Air Force Capt. Yusharn Wang (left), Family Health Nurse Practitioner, and Col. Daniel Weaver, acting Chief of Medical Services, both from the 78th Medical Group, practice Auricular Therapy Acupuncture, March 1, 2014. The human ear has many points that relieve headaches and muscle pains all over the body. active duty in 2001, and he has since carried the lesson of its benefits to doctors around the world. Master Sgt. Michael Dougherty, 78th Medical Group independent duty medical technician, had been in contact with Niemtzow for the past three years on a mission to bring battlefield acupuncture to Robins. Though still in the planning stages, Dougherty said interest is already high among medical staff and others. Last week's class represented another milestone in that effort. "We're still working out the details," he said. "I see somewhere inside four weeks that we really start getting some traction on this. I think once this gets out, the demand is going to outstrip the supply of providers." The ultimate vision is that the clinic will soon have the ability to devote half a day each week for battlefield acupuncture. Battlefield acupuncture, widely considered pain- deterrence in Congress American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON — The Defense Department's nuclear deterrent is the ultimate protection for the United States while also assuring distant allies of their security against regional aggression, a senior Pentagon official told Congress March 7. Elaine Bunn, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy told the Senate Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee that while Defense Department modernization Bunn goals largely have not changed since 2010, some adjustments are on the horizon. One such change, she reported, involves the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty force structure. "The administration is considering how to reduce non-deployed strategic delivery vehicles to comply with the limits of the new START treaty by February 2018," she said. "And we will make a final force structure decision and inform Congress prior to the start of fiscal year 2015." Bunn expressed concern about Russian activity that appears to be inconsistent with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. "We've raised the issue with Russia," she told the senators. "They provided an answer that was not satisfactory to us, and we told them that the issue is not closed." With regard to recent ethical issues involving Air Force and Navy nuclear personnel, Bunn noted that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has created both internal and external special review panels. "Those reviews are not about assigning blame," she said. "They're about identifying, assessing, and correcting any systemic deficiencies that we may uncover and in applying the best practices for carrying out our nuclear mission across the nuclear force." Bunn also said the recently released 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review makes clear the key role of nuclear forces in the DOD strategy. "It ... supports our ability to project power by communicating to potential nuclear-armed adversaries that they cannot escalate their way out of failed conventional aggression," Bunn said. The department's budget request for fiscal 2015 supports DOD's nuclear policy goals as laid out in the 2010 nuclear posture review, in President Barack Obama's June 2013 nuclear employment strategy, and in the 2014 QDR, she added. As a result, Bunn reported, Pentagon officials will continue to ensure that the current and future administrations have suitable options for deterring, responding to, and managing a diverse range of situations, including regional deterrence challenges. "We continue to work closely with our allies, some of whom live in very dangerous neighborhoods, to ensure continuing confidence in our shared national security goals, including assurance of our extended nuclear deterrence commitments," she told the Senate panel. Critical to maintaining a safe, secure and effective force is the preservation of the nuclear triad: strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, Bunn said. /z r 1c I 111Cfe rroR SlarrIPS. N17 4 ,7-"NIA ks Mt= Helping DIP' ea Home $0 DOWN MRatesCID Low! An-m Call or Text 435-494-1615 EITACT.ES. rrs fasi gasp. Call 625-44.00 ties couldn't mix. "Some can no longer control or fly because of those medications," he said. "So we looked for ways we could treat their pain without taking them off status, and acupuncture was one. If it works and this lets an Airman take even one fewer pill a day, that's a victory for us." Though utilized for thousands of years, any brand of acupuncture — still viewed by some as too unconventional or medically unsubstantiated — has more than its share of doubters, some of whom changed their minds during last Saturday's session. Staff Sgt. Tabitha Loomis, 78th Medical Group medical technician, had been suffering chronic pain due to a dislocated collarbone. "This was my first time, and I was completely skeptical," said Loomis, who volunteered for battlefield acupuncture at the event. "And, I haven't been this pain-free without medication in years. I'm a believer." Mt= EZ Pay ih.? cost 01 yair Standarcl-Examlnar sibs rlp~E~n if •:tiarced 10 you •iedh card a den card. Ho rn•ra tills. DOD official discusses nuclear BY AMAANI LYLE free, is an oracular therapy specific to the surface of the ear and consists of five small needles that remain in place for two to four days before they are removed or fall out on their own. Though performed in minutes, results of the procedure are often felt within seconds. Piazza pointed out how important these distinct locations in the ear are in relation to pain affecting various regions of the body. "We're not training people to be acupuncturists; we're training them for this one particular technique," Piazza said. "And, we've found that about 80 to 86 percent of patients respond, and some of those are truly dramatic responses." Dougherty's advocacy for the non-traditional therapy rests largely on his view that any alternative to medication is worth the Air Force's time. Formerly assigned to special operations, Dougherty was embedded in work where potentially mind-numbing narcotics and critical du- Visit: findingahomeinutah.com Free Prequalification The Right Home at the Right Price with the Right Service, Fast 11111FW-":w i TTRESSieftd AREHOUSE TOP NAME BRANDS, WAREHOUSE PRICES N Sealy Posturepedic Dts Cushion Firm Queen Set Compare at $1099 Save up f 75% S ealy LOWEST PRICE Perfect Sleeper Plush Queen Set with Gel Memory Foam Compare GUARANTEED OR IT'S FREE No credit check inancing Riverdale 4802 South 1050 West (next to Home Depot and Chili's) News. to your inbox. 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