An estimated 7.8% of all Americans will experience PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) in their lifetime, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD.
Individuals who develop PTSD are prone to nightmares and flashbacks, feelings of detachment, and difficulty sleeping. Given this fact, these negative symptoms can be severe enough to significantly impact a person’s ability to interact in their day to day life.
What causes PTSD?
PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that occurs after witnessing a life-threatening event such as:
- serious car accidents
- violent personal assaults, such as sexual assault, mugging or robbery
- witnessing violent deaths
- military combat
- terrorist attacks
- natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes or tsunamis
- an unexpected severe injury
- or death of a close family member or friend
PTSD develops in about 1 in 3 people who experience severe trauma. It is marked by reliving the trauma. But also followed by the development of different disorders such as:
- Depression
- Substance abuse
- Long and short-term memory problems
- Other physical and mental health problems.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classifies PTSD as an anxiety disorder that includes three main symptoms: re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal.
Re-experiencing includes recurrent and intrusive recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions when exposed to internal or external cues. This often results in reliving the experience through illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes.
Avoidance includes persistent efforts to avoid thoughts, activities, places, people, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma and marked feelings of detachment. Also, it could be estrangement from others as well as feelings of “numbness” where those afflicted report an inability to have loving feelings.
Symptoms of hyperarousal include difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability with outbursts of anger, trouble concentrating, startled responses, and symptoms of hyper-vigilance and paranoia.
How Does Acupuncture Help?
PTSD presents a complex problem; to counteract this, the Pentagon is seeking new ways to treat troops suffering from combat stress or brain damage. They are doing this by researching such alternative methods as acupuncture, meditation, yoga, and the use of animals as therapy. In 2008, the Pentagon spent $5 million to study these therapies.
Acupuncture treats PTSD by harmonizing the mental and energetic imbalances that cause the condition. This condition is treated as a state of shock that needs to be cleared out of the nervous system and body. Acupuncture targets this by stabilizing the pulse of a patient by stimulating specific acupoints. These points are responsible for controlling specific brain areas that control nervous functions as well as mitigate stress levels.
“Point prescription” has become the preferred mode of treatment because it allows for individual variation. The standard treatment will detail a holistic set of points that need stimulation through acupuncture. These points can then be customized to suit individual cases. For example, persons with severe PTSD symptoms will require different forms of acupuncture points for emotional trauma when compared to those with milder symptoms.
The use of acupuncture for PTSD has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety levels and stress in individuals. These forms of treatments help affected individuals to regain composure in daily life activities. In addition, it is less intrusive than conventional psychiatric treatments that are exposure oriented.
Is This Scientifically Supported?
With the help of the Pentagon’s endorsement, it was possible to conduct extensive studies. These studies were used to assess acupuncture’s role in preventing specific symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms include migraines, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Furthermore, we were able to see the effects of acupuncture on the limbic system are becoming more common.
One published randomized clinical trial of acupuncture as a treatment for PTSD reported that acupuncture was superior to traditional psychiatric trials and was able to treat veterans and civilian PTSD. Subsequently, these initial resulting studies unanimously showed positive results for the use of acupuncture in effectively reducing patients’ depression and anxiety. However, none of the studies produced showed any evidence of adverse effects on the use of acupuncture.
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Conclusion
Current research on the use of auricular acupuncture for PTSD treatment is minimal. However, there is enough to suggest that acupuncture may be a highly effective treatment option for emotional trauma.
New trials show that the use of acupuncture for post-traumatic stress disorder demonstrated significant reductions in PTSD symptoms scores. Additionally, acupuncture treated symptoms of depression, anxiety, and impairment which is a huge step moving forward.
Whether you’re dealing with physical pain or high stress, our San Francisco acupuncture clinic could help relieve your symptoms. At Truspine, we aim to help you combat these issues by offering you an alternative that is both safe and effective.
To experience the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an initial consultation for evaluation and first treatment. Begin your journey to wellness.
