How Acupuncture Treats PTSD

The Medical Effective Solution for Veterans—How Acupuncture Treats PTSD in MIONM Clinic….

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PTSD Signs and Symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological reaction to a distressing event, which can cause significant impairment. It can develop after a major traumatic event, such as a serious accident, a violent assault, or combat.

• PTSD symptoms Veterans, like other people, respond to traumatic events in a number of ways. They may manifest physically as an illness, such as chronic pain, headaches/migraines, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, central nervous system disorders, and asthma, or tiredness, lethargy, as symptoms such as sore, tight muscles, dull skin, lank hair, or erratic sleep patterns. Mental stress can result in depression, mood swings, anger, frustration,confusion,paranoid behavior, jealousy or withdrawal.
• Specific signs of PTSD includes vivid memories of the traumatic event (such as a flashback when awake or nightmares when asleep), hyperarousal (when the person is hypervigilant for threats and may have insomnia, irritability and difficulty concentrating); and an inability to experience feeling, or even amnesia.

Western medications for PTSD and side effects.

Conventional treatments for PTSD include medications such as anti-anxiety drugs, cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation techniques. There are four main antidepressants effective for treating PTSD: Sertraline (Zoloft), Paroxetine(Paxil), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Venlafaxine (Effexor). Side effects of taking SSRIs and SNRIs such as upset stomach, sweating, headache, dizziness, mental dysfunction, low libdo or difficulty having an orgasm, suicidul. Some side effects are short-term, though others may last as long as they are taking the medication.

Why choose acupuncture for treating PTSD?

• It is effective, affordable and accessible.
• It is a drug-free treatment.
• It is great for pain management, insomnia and Anxiety/Depression.
• Clinically approved for decades.
• It is safe.
• Most insurance covers it.
• Our clinic offers a great discount for veterans who are not covered by insurance.

How does acupuncture work for PTSD?

• It is a technique that stimulates the points on the body with acupuncture needles to raise the flow of Qi, and therefore rebalancing the Yin-Yang that brings the harmony of the Mind-body.
• In TCM view, PTSD is treated as a state of Qi stagnation or Qi deficiency, it may be accompanied with phlegm or blood stasis for servel cases. Since the Liver median and Gallbladder meridian govern the emotion and psychological thinking, the both meridiana are primarily affected. If there are additional conditions that cause the mental disorder such as drug overdose, alcoholic or body pain, it has to take care of the cause while treating PTSD to improve mental and physical health functioning.
• Specifically, acupuncture treatment is to open the liver/Gallbladder meridians, raise the Qi free flow, resolve the phlegms, expel the blood stasis in severe cases.
• Acupuncture is a powerful way to settle such energetic disturbance and help recover to a state of yin-yang balance that brings back peace for the mindbody.

What is the western medicine view of acupuncture for PTSD?

• It stimulates the nervous system and causes the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanism, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being. Acupuncture treatment may specifically benefit anxiety disorders by acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry (Hui 2010).
• Regulating levels of neurotransmitters (or their modulators) and hormones; hence altering the brain’s mood chemistry to help to combat negative affective states (Lee 2009; Zhou 2008).
• Stimulating production of endogenous opioids that affect the autonomic nervous system (Arranz 2007). Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, while acupuncture can activate the opposing parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates the relaxation response.

Financial Coverage: Insurance covered plan, low income discount, or free of charge for such treatments through the program for Howard County residents in 2022. Call for an appointment to see if you are eligible. (It will depend on the financial situation additional services can be added or reduced in 2022.)