Battlefield acupuncture, a form of ear acupuncture, is well-known in military medicine. It’s now making its way to the civilian population due to ease of use, minimal risk involved, and effectiveness in relieving pain.

John Howard, a clinician and academic, is a leading authority on this revolutionary technique. Upon earning his degree in acupuncture, he completed a five-year fellowship with the father of battlefield acupuncture himself, Dr. Richard Niemtzow. John joins Back Talk Doc host, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhia, to discuss battlefield acupuncture’s history, how it works, as well as some of the programs he runs to help fellow clinicians learn and implement the technique.

Battlefield focuses on inserting needles into specific points in the ear to relieve pain. And with the low risk involved combined with high pain reduction rates, it’s a safe alternative to opioid use. “There's no contraindication with the medicine. You can’t say well, since you’re on this medication, I can’t give you this needle.” John says. “You don’t have to contact the pharmacy to see if there are any problems with this. It’s that simple.”

John and Dr. Lakhia also share examples of how the technique has relieved pain with their own patients, as well as discussing John’s upcoming book to help other clinicians implement battlefield and bring their patients a better quality of life.

💡 Featured Expert 💡

Name: John Howard, LAc., Dipl. Ac

What he does: John is a clinician and academician, providing international lectures in acupuncture and auriculotherapy. He has authored five books and 21 articles on the subject.

Company: Battlefield Acupuncture Seminars

Words of wisdom: “It's really embryology at its finest. Have one of your members look at someone’s ear, or even look at their own ear in the mirror. It kind of looks like an inverted fetus in the womb. And you can go back to physics where the part contains the whole, where the specific parts on the ear contain specific parts of the body. And with the interaction of the cranial nerves, that's how the body balances out the pain and its processes. And that's the question everybody always asks. They always say, Well, how does battlefield work? And I say, Very well, thank you, and just go along with that.”

Connect: Website | LinkedIn

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