Acupuncture for PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as a disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. People with PTSD may experience intrusive memories, negative thoughts, anxiety, and chronic pain. The condition is typically treated with a combination of psychotherapy, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, however, research has shown that acupuncture is an effective tool for dealing with PTSD.
Acupuncture intervention shows promise as a complementary approach to improving both psychological and pain symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a natural disaster, according to a new study published in the journal Medical Acupuncture.
The researchers studied the effects of acupuncture on the victims of a 6.0 earthquake that caused nearly 300 deaths and left 30,000 people homeless in Amatrice, Central Italy.
Researchers administered a five week acupuncture intervention from September to October 2016. Adult patients with psychological symptoms and musculoskeletal pain were included.
Treatments were performed by experienced medical acupuncturists, and verbal and numerical scales were developed to quantify the effect of the intervention.
Each subject received four 20-minute acupuncture treatments over consecutive days. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of the scores before and after the acupuncture treatment, according to the study abstract.
Of the study participants, 68.3% reported having both pain and psychological symptoms. After three treatments were performed, 54.05 % and 60.6% of patients reported marked improvements in psychological and pain symptoms, respectively.
Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the scores reported before the first treatment and after the third treatment, both for pain and psychological symptoms. No serious adverse events were reported, researchers said.
The results suggest that acupuncture is a useful tool for reducing pain and psychological symptoms for PTSD patients.
(source)
Robert Lutz, L.Ac., LMT, Diplomate of Oriental Medicine
Holistic Alternatives ~ Holistic Weight Loss
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TCM practitioner for over 20 yrs:
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