Treating PTSD With Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a condition where the “fight or flight” response in a person becomes altered. It is caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms may persist even when the danger no longer exists. Anyone can be affected by PTSD and it can have a crippling effect on your life. It may happen to anyone at any age. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be very effective in treating the symptoms as well as be an integral part of a patients support network.

There two ways that a person may experience PTSD:

1)A person experiences or witnesses a situation where death or serious bodily harm was threatened to either the patient or others

2)The patient experiences intense fear, helplessness, or horror

PTSD symptoms may include, but are not limited to:

•Flashbacks, hallucinations, illusions, and feeling as if the event is recurring

•Angry outbursts

•Obsessive thoughts

•Stressful, recurring dreams

•Marked distress caused by physical or mental signs that resemble the trauma

•Insomnia

•Inability to concentrate

•A hyper-alert state

•Startling easily

•Irritable Bowel Syndrome

PTSD symptoms can begin immediately after a trauma, or manifest later, possibly even years.

The conventional treatment for PTSD utilizes therapy and counseling, and sometimes medications to help with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and lack of concentration.

Treatment using Chinese medicine and acupuncture involves using points to help stimulate the part of the brain where emotional memories are stored as well as help the patient to steadily process the trauma comfortably and safely. The acupuncture treatment should be gentle enough to begin stimulating the brain, emotions, and begin working through the trauma, without actually triggering any symptoms of panic or flashbacks. This may be accomplished with ear (auricular) acupuncture and various body points to help balance the Qi and calm the mind.

Gentle massage may also be helpful before, during, or after the acupuncture treatment. It may help the patient keep a sense of being “grounded” in their body without triggering any symptoms.

Additionally, herbal formulas may be used to help the patient maintain a feeling of calmness and continue processing the trauma in a safe and effective manner.

All of these treatments can be greatly complemented with conventional talk therapy, journal writing, exercise, yoga, meditation, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), equestrian therapy, and art therapy. The acupuncture will help you begin processing the trauma as well as keep you feeling balanced, while the other therapies can help provide an outlet for working through the trauma. By combining the different therapies with acupuncture, the patient can have a complete support system to help them work though the trauma and become free of the hold PTSD has on their life.