Over the past 10 years, our understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has deepened, and as a result, the number of people actually diagnosed has increased. PTSD can occur from a wide range of stress and trauma — military service, emergency, fire and police service, physical and emotional abuse — the list is long. When the body is exposed to trauma, the sympathetic nervous system is called into action. When subsequent similar but non-threatening events trigger the same response in our nervous system, stress is significantly increased. This has a negative effect on our physical and mental body over time, and can result in even more sensitivity and triggering. Acupuncture promotes the body’s para-sympathetic response — essentially the opposite response, a state of calm, reducing anxiety and sensitivity to triggers. Acupuncture has been used for PTSD for many years, especially beginning with ear acupuncture — a simple an effective way to treat stress and trauma.
If you know someone who is suffering from PTSD, encourage them to give community acupuncture a try – it is simple, safe, and effective.