Acupuncture outperforms sham therapy in reducing PTSD in combat vets
PTSD ‘needle point’ therapy NOT just for our war heroes
They used to call it “shell shock”… “battle fatigue”… “war neurosis”…and “war flashbacks.”
Heroes would come back from the front lines and seem… different. They were on edge. Easily RATTLED.
They woke up SCREAMING from nightmares.
We know now that what they were experiencing was post-traumatic stress disorder… or PTSD for short.
And you don’t need to have served in order to SUFFER from this condition.
ANY traumatic event – physical assault, a car crash, even WITNESSING violence – can bring it on in any person, young or old.
Unfortunately, it’s a STILL a condition that few people understand…
HOW it starts and takes hold…
WHAT can trigger it…
And WHERE to find any relief.
OF COURSE Big Pharma has pushed drugs on our vets to try to CALM them down… but the latest research reveals a DRUG-FREE way of EASING symptoms of PTSD in combat vets.
The best part? You DON’T have to be a soldier to benefit from it.
It’s acupuncture.
Now, if you’ve ever experienced a session of this “needle therapy”… you know how RELAXING it can be to lie down on a table in a dark room…
CLEAR your mind…
And let the stress just FLOAT away.
That’s even BEFORE they stick one needle into you!
But as it turns out, those strategically placed needles do offer an ADDED effect…
Because in the latest study, veteran subjects in the control group received a treatment where they could FEEL pin pricks… but the tiny needles were being placed in the WRONG locations.
The researchers called this “sham” therapy.
And those vets DID experience some symptom relief… which you can chalk up to placebo effect, just like getting a sugar pill.
But OTHER vets received REAL treatment -- needles placed in key spots along “meridians” of the body, which have been identified over the course of millennia.
And THOSE study subjects saw BIG improvements in their PTSD symptoms – with their official CAPS-5 PTSD scores reduced significantly more than those in the sham group.
What does that mean in terms of real-world results?
We’re talking about feeling LESS startled by deafeningly loud sounds… and feeling LESS frightened when seeing an image that USED to be associated with that loud sound.
Imagine getting T-boned by a semi… getting seriously hurt… and then making a FULL recovery. Once you get back behind the wheel… what if every time you see a truck on the road, you HEAR the sounds of metal crunching, as if the wreck were happening all over again?
Pretty much the same thing.
Now, the vets in the study received 24 acupuncture sessions in total over the course of 15 weeks. They were just one hour apiece, and were taken no more than twice a week.
Sound doable?
It is – but you’ve got to make sure you find an acupuncturist who’s a board-certified medical clinician. You can find one through the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.
Now, if needles aren’t your thing…
Don’t let a shrink prescribe you any “medicine” for PTSD. It’s usually just a blood pressure pill… an anti-depressant (like an SSRI)… or an anxiety med!
Some non-drug approaches that are showing MAJOR improvements for PTSD patients include spending time in nature…
Animal therapy (including horses)…
Meditation… which can also do wonders for your mood…
Or just good ol’ fashioned prayer.
For better health,
Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.
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