Acupuncture for Trauma and PTSD

A traumatic incident can have long-term consequences for our mental and physical health. This is because traumatic events affect our nervous system and our perspective of the environment.

There are no proven pharmaceutical treatments for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prescribed medicine and treatments like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are being used in treatment. But there are also a lot of natural methods available and one of these is acupuncture.

Acupuncture has been demonstrated to alleviate anxiety and depression by relieving physical symptoms of stress and calming a hyperactive nervous system. Before we dig deeper on how acupuncture helps relieve trauma and PTSD symptoms. Let us discuss the issues first.

What is Trauma?

Trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are related issues but they are different. According to the American Psychological Association, “Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical.”

Types of Trauma

• Acute Trauma – It is primarily the effect of a single traumatic experience such as an assault, rape, accident, or natural disaster.
• Chronic Trauma – It is a result of recurrent and sustained exposure to extremely stressful situations like cases of child abuse, bullying, or domestic violence.
• Complex trauma – It is a result of exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events or experiences.

What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

It’s crucial to understand the distinction between PTSD and the trauma experience. A traumatic event is time-based, while PTSD is a longer-term condition where one continues to have flashbacks and re-experiencing the traumatic event. In addition, there must be a substantial level of continuous anguish and life impairment to meet the criteria for PTSD.

PTSD develops when the symptoms of trauma continue or worsen weeks or months after the traumatic event. PTSD is upsetting and has a negative impact on a person’s daily life and relationships.

PTSD is characterized by three main types of symptoms:

• Re-experiencing the trauma through disturbing recollections of the event, flashbacks, and nightmares.
• Emotional numbness and avoidance to places, people, and activities that bring up memories of the trauma.
• Increased arousal such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating, feeling jumpy, and being easily irritated and angered

How Acupuncture Helps Relieve Trauma and PTSD?

Acupuncture is supposed to work by stimulating sensory nerves beneath the skin and within muscles, causing the body to release natural compounds such as pain-relieving endorphins. As such, acupuncture is a well known treatment for migraines and chronic tension headaches, as well as joint pain, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and post-operative pain which some of these are symptoms of trauma and PTSD.

Acupuncture has been shown in multiple trials that it works on regions of the brain that help to reduce stress sensitivity, anxiety and physical symptoms associated with traumatic situations, it also helps increase relaxation.

According to the research, acupuncture can affect the autonomic nervous system, and the prefrontal as well as limbic brain structures, making it able to relieve the symptoms of PTSD. Studies stated that acupuncture is a safe, effective, and drug-free way to help people recover from trauma and PTSD. It is a best choice for people who prefer non-drug treatment.

Here are some studies about the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating trauma and PTSD:

• An Observational Study on Acupuncture for Earthquake-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture in Treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing trauma that will affect us for years to come. Many people have suffered substantial emotional trauma as a result of the changes in our life and the ongoing uncertainty we confront.

If you are experiencing trauma or PTSD especially in this trying time, and want to try acupuncture treatment, you can visit Acupuncture Halls clinic located at San Juan Capistrano, CA. Our licensed acupuncturist, Dr. Martha E. Hall DAOM, ACN will assist and help you in your health issues. You can also set an appointment here – Contact for Appointment.