Guest guest Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Hi all Taken from: http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=226 <http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=226 & sid=675250> & sid=675250 Col. Richard Niemztow, a radiation oncologist, received a brochure on acupuncture in 1994. At first he threw it out, but then he decided to learn more about the ancient practice and attended a conference on acupuncture. He was sold. Niemztow started the first acupuncture clinic at McGuire Air Force Base in Ohio and now practices acupuncture at Andrews Air Force Base, the Pentagon and Walter Reed Army Medical Centre. Three or four doctors at Walter Reed practice acupuncture on their patients. Niemztow visits each week, to help relieve the pain for amputees back from Iraq. He says he helps 50 percent of amputees suffering from phantom pain. I had the opportunity to sit in on patient visits who were referred to acupuncture at Walter Reed and received the treatment for the first time. I witnessed men and women finding relief in a matter of minutes after suffering chronic pain for years. Niemztow used various techniques on the patients he developed and are now taught throughout the country. In one technique, he places acupuncture needles into the ear, since the ear is integrated to the central nervous system. Niemztow says you interfere with the processing of pain and in a way, turn off the pathway and that's why pain may go away. Each of the patients he saw were referred back to the clinic for follow-up treatments. He says it is possible their pain will come back. Niemztow alone has treated 11,000 patients in the military with acupuncture. He says the cost of the most expensive needles are 38 cents and a very cost-effective way to treat pain. He's the only acupuncturist at Andrews Air Force Base and the Pentagon and hopes the program will be expanded. Kind regards, Attilio D'Alberto Doctor of (Beijing, China) BSc (Hons) TCM, MATCM Editor Times +44 (0) 208 367 8378 enquiries www.chinesemedicinetimes.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 I've met Col Niemtztow and while he is a nice guy, he thinks only M.D.'s should do acupuncture. So far, he has done nothing to help get the military to imbrace acupuncture. However, the message may spread just by the patients he treats. Unfortunately, they are usually the lower rank enlisted man. These folks don't have the authority to make changes in military medicine. It should be incorporated into military field medicine but the M.D.s feel very threatened by AOM. Thanks for this article. Dr. Donald J. Snow, Jr., D.A.O.M., M.P.H., M.S., L.Ac. CAPT, MS, USA (Ret.) - Attilio D'Alberto Thursday, May 11, 2006 4:39 AM Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and the Military Hi all Taken from: http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=226 <http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=226 & sid=675250> & sid=675250 Col. Richard Niemztow, a radiation oncologist, received a brochure on acupuncture in 1994. At first he threw it out, but then he decided to learn more about the ancient practice and attended a conference on acupuncture. He was sold. Niemztow started the first acupuncture clinic at McGuire Air Force Base in Ohio and now practices acupuncture at Andrews Air Force Base, the Pentagon and Walter Reed Army Medical Centre. Three or four doctors at Walter Reed practice acupuncture on their patients. Niemztow visits each week, to help relieve the pain for amputees back from Iraq. He says he helps 50 percent of amputees suffering from phantom pain I had the opportunity to sit in on patient visits who were referred to acupuncture at Walter Reed and received the treatment for the first time. I witnessed men and women finding relief in a matter of minutes after suffering chronic pain for years. Niemztow used various techniques on the patients he developed and are now taught throughout the country. In one technique, he places acupuncture needles into the ear, since the ear is integrated to the central nervous system. Niemztow says you interfere with the processing of pain and in a way, turn off the pathway and that's why pain may go away. Each of the patients he saw were referred back to the clinic for follow-up treatments. He says it is possible their pain will come back. Niemztow alone has treated 11,000 patients in the military with acupuncture. He says the cost of the most expensive needles are 38 cents and a very cost-effective way to treat pain. He's the only acupuncturist at Andrews Air Force Base and the Pentagon and hopes the program will be expanded. Kind regards, Attilio D'Alberto Doctor of (Beijing, China) BSc (Hons) TCM, MATCM Editor Times +44 (0) 208 367 8378 enquiries www.chinesemedicinetimes.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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