ABSTRACT
Background
Since 2001, Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), an auricular acupuncture protocol, has been used to treat members of the U.S. Military who have acute and chronic pain conditions. One of the many pain issues treated is the pain associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may manifest anywhere in the body.
Case
A 65-year old man with a 6-year history of severe TBI was treated with BFA for back pain after signing an informed consent form.
Results:
This patient experienced resolution of his back pain, an unexpected recovery from most of the incurred cognitive sequelae, as well as from a severe emotional injury incurred in his childhood. Conclusions: In this case, BFA appeared to be a successful treatment of the chronic sequelae of mild and severe TBI and was a possible alternative to using multiple medications to treat this condition.
Treatment
BFA1 was chosen as the acupuncture treatment of choice, as it did not require the patient to remain still for 15 or more minutes. This protocol involves assessment of pain level on a scale of 1–10/10, the bilateral placement of five gold Aiguille Semi-Permanente (ASP) needles (Sedatalac, Iriny, France) into the pinna of each ear, alternating from right to left (or left to right), having the patient walk for 15–60 seconds, and reassessing the patient’s pain level. The procedure is repeated on the opposite ear and on each subsequent needle placement until the patient’s pain level is 0–1/ 10.
The points used, in a specific order, are Cingulate Gyrus, Thalamus, Omega-2 ,Point Zero and Shen Men
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