NAVY PSYCHIATRIST USES ACUPUNCTURE
Navy psychiatrist Capt. Robert L. Koffman uses acupuncture to help veterans with healing of body and mind. Psychological wounds are a increasingly prevalent concern for doctors and their patients. Depression effects 20% of service members who have served in Iraq or Afgjanistan according to a study by Rand Corporation. Capt. Robert L. Koffman brought men and women to his hospital clinic in Afghanistan with the promise that Acupuncture would help them relax, release tension and sleep better. “Nobody sleeps in Afghanistan,” Koffman said. Once I relieved their physical aches and pains and helped them relax they would be able to discuss what was bothering them most. Capt.Koffman is now using Acupuncture at a new facility at National Naval Medical Center campus in Bethesda. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence, began using Acupuncture in October, and uses a new approach to treating psychologic and stress disorders, such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. “No one goes to war without being changed,” Koffman said. “War traumatizes everyone in different ways.” ACUPUNCTURE IN HOSPITALS.
The Minneapolis Abbott Northwestern hospital has been offering Acupuncture to patients since 2003 in addition to surgery. Now it's won a $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effect of Acupuncture and other alternative modalities on patient care. In the past, studies have shown that stress-relief techniques, such as Acupuncture can ease pain and improve moods, said Jeffery Dusek, director of integrative medicine. "We think the integrative approach is the best of both worlds." Last year, a study at Abbott found that Acupuncture and other alternative treatments reduced pain levels by a reported 56 percent. |