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The answer to that question must emphasize that acupuncture -- and in particularly Aeromedical Acupuncture -- is nothing more than an additional modality that works synergistically with conventional medicine.

Aeromedical acupuncture consists of inserting needles into the myo-fascial planes of the body to help restore the electro-chemical equilibrium and allows the body itself to continue the healing process. It facilitates the creation of a 60 milliamp injury current across the skin that stimulates healing as well as stimulating the release of endogenous endorphins in the neuroendocrine network. The endorphin theory of the mechanism of acupuncture is proven by Naloxone administration reversing several types of acupuncture therapies.

The needles are removed immediately after the QI sensation is obtained. The QI sensation [like an electrical shock or a cramp] is felt after the needle touches the acupuncture point that consists of muscles, nerves, and smooth muscle located in the myo-fascial plane.

The only points used in Aeromedical Acupuncture are the command points. These are points distal to the elbow or distal to the knee.

Medical Acupuncture is only performed by MD’s or DO’s, and the lay acupuncture is performed by practitioners graduating from a full time 3 year curriculum. Aeromedical Acupuncture originated as a combination of the paradigms of western physiology, Bioenergetics (the basis for Medical Acupuncture), 5 element theory, and with the TCM acupuncture theory and practice.

For Aeromedical acupuncture I use the needle techniques from TCM, point selection and basic premises from 5 Element theory, Bioenergetic's techniques of Inverse contrary, N,N+1, Tendinomuscular, and most recently IU/MO.

Aeromedical acupuncture in my experience is a useful additional diagnostic and treatment modality that is highly effective.

I do Aeromedical Acupuncture in my office every day. It works even if you’re not air crew or a Hockey player. It works immediately. It takes 10 minutes or less so if you don’t get results from it right away you haven’t wasted time or resources and can start a more aggressive work up immediately. That is why Aeromedical acupuncture can be used as a diagnostic tool as well as a treatment modality.

This is somewhat different from the more traditional acupuncture where you sit on a table with needles all over your body for 20 minutes and are required a trial of 5 treatments before deciding if the modality will help.

Aeromedical acupuncture can be done just about anywhere under the most austere conditions unlike the more traditional acupuncture. I have done it routinely in the training room between periods in the hockey games. I’ve done it on the flight line and in briefing rooms before or after missions. I’ve even done it in Cuba during operation Sea Signal.

Acupuncture started 3000 years ago in China. It consists of piquring points through the skin to get a physiological effect. There are many types of acupuncture. Lay practitioners tend to use what is call TCM or Traditional Chinese medicine. This is a technique developed after Mao Tse Tung drove all the experienced acupuncturists out of china to make medicine in China western and modern. Then Nixon came to China and America became fascinated with acupuncture.

Mao got the herbalists to create a new acupuncture system called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This is mostly what the lay acupuncturists use in America.

TCM is mostly memorized prescriptions of points and herbs and takes a three year full time course to learn. Many practitioners are very successful with this.

The good acupuncture practitioner in ancient China would treat the patient before symptoms occurred. If the patient was well the practitioner got paid. Payment stopped when the patient became ill. If a patient died, the practitioner had to hang a lantern on his house. Of course that made the worse practitioners more visible.

The Jesuit priests recorded much information on the older acupuncture in China before Mao. This information is taught in French medical schools along with the regular curriculum. This is the basis of my 300 CME hours of basic Medical Acupuncture training.

This Medical Acupuncture is concerned with circuits and balance and has many techniques to achieve this end. It is better for physicians because it allows us to integrate western medicines and acupuncture seamlessly if we are able to combine the paradigms through physiology and physics.

Unfortunately, these techniques are very time intensive and therefore not so practical. They also become very expensive. Many practitioners charge over $200 for an initial treatment and over $150 for subsequent treatments, but that is because the treatments last for an hour. I do not charge for Aeromedical acupuncture. I do charge for my standard office visit, 99203 or 99213.

My training is in Medical Acupuncture and that is what I practiced for the first nine years while I was developing this new technique. For certain cases I resort back to the more basic treatments but this is after making a diagnosis with the new technique of Aeromedical Acupuncture.

Pilots and air crew as well as missile operators tended to have a low tolerance for long treatments so I combined the best of both , 5 Element theory (which is the basis of TCM) and Bioenergetics (the basis of Medical Acupuncture) to the best of my ability and created what I call Aeromedical Acupuncture.)

Links

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture

Classical Five-Element Acupuncture:  Fire   Wood   Earth   Water   Metal

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Anodyne type therapy