According to an Army News Service article published June 25, a report released by the Army's surgeon general June 23 recommended more than 100 changes in the Army's health care system. "The Pain Management Task Force's final report, which was initiated by Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker in August of 2009, addresses the lack of a comprehensive pain management strategy across the Army, and suggests alternative treatments to medication such as acupuncture, meditation, biofeedback and yoga.
Also noted in the report is the fact that pain management has changed very little since the discovery of morphine in 1805. Warner Barracks is one of a few Army health clinics to respond to the pain management strategy with the use of auricular acupuncture for mild Traumatic Brain Injury patients. Auricular acupuncture refers to points located on the ears. "This and further concerns about combining medications in drug therapy have led to an increase in alternative medicine throughout Army health care communities. I believe that the 'spread' going on reflects the fact that more and more physicians are pursuing training in acupuncture," said Lt.Col. Larry R. Patterson, Bamberg Health Clinic commander. "Treatments become more available because of a larger pool of trained physicians."
Dr. Natalia Whitman, a neurologist and medical director of the clinic has seen in past years that this method of treatment would greatly benefit patients suffering from a variety of ailments. Whitman is encouraged by findings published in "The American Family Physician." Volume 80, No. 5, Sept. 1, 2009 reads, "Acupuncture was found to improve headaches and health-related quality of life when added to medical management in patients with chronic daily headache." Multiple doctors at the Landstuhl Regional Medical center are qualified to perform acupuncture and are doing so through the Anesthesia Interventional Pain Management department and have begun utilizing acupuncture or hope to do so in the near future.
