Noteboom The Law Firm

Military Slowly Embracing Acupuncture as PTSD Treatment

June 25, 2010 - The U.S. military is leading the charge in integrating Eastern pain management practices into Western medical procedures. Acupuncture is just one of several Eastern physical pain treatments now being used to treat mental health issues.

The military employs a widely encompassing approach to researching potential treatments for various ailments because of the complex nature of the disabilities they treat. Therefore, alternative treatments are always going to be included in their purview.

Less than half of deployed soldiers return with a mental health issue. Of these, just under 20% suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can manifest itself in symptoms including depression and anger. Multiple treatment programs are already in place utilizing acupuncture and counseling to treat active-duty military personnel suffering from PTSD. Acupuncture is an attractive therapy regiment because it can successfully treat PTSD and allow those soldiers to return to duty.

Many of the soldiers and veterans committing suicide were suffering from PTSD. The military realized their obligation to help these soldiers and offered acupuncture as an alternative treatment to the traditional approach of counseling and pills. While participants have reported positive results, there is no authoritative research proving acupuncture, by itself, helps to treat PTSD.

The Restoration and Resilience Center and the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood, respectively, are proving the coupling of counseling and acupuncture treatments is successful in treating soldiers suffering from PTSD.  If similar programs could be picked up and implemented in other bases across the U.S., it is very possible being diagnosed with PTSD does not automatically equate to the end of a soldier's service.