Acupuncture for PTSD

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)  is a debilitating issue that impacts people from all walks of life. It can occur after a person experiences significant trauma such as an accident, a traumatic birthing experience, a frightening diagnosis, being the victim of or witness to a crime and many more possible experiences. Many of my patients with PTSD report that while their therapy and medications are helpful, they feel like they are not experiencing as much relief from their symptoms as they would like. 

I often like to incorporate acupuncture as part of my treatment plan for PTSD. It has the advantage of improving symptoms while not interacting with any medications my patients may be on or causing uncomfortable side effects. 

In 2023, the Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience journal published a scientific review of acupuncture for PTSD. The researchers stated that acupuncture helps with core PTSD symptoms and adds benefit for those already taking medication or undergoing psychological therapy. 

In my practice I’ve found that acupuncture helps to improve anxiety, tension, sleep, mood, and many other symptoms for my patients with PTSD. 

Why does acupuncture help with PTSD?

Multiple studies over the years have shown that acupuncture may help to calm the nervous system—especially the components of the nervous and hormone systems that are involved in the stress response such as the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). It seems to positively impact the way different parts of the brain talk to each other. It may reduce hyperactivity in parts of the brain involved in fear. PTSD is linked to increased nerve cell death in certain parts of the brain due to stress and acupuncture may protect nerve cells and prevent nerve death.

While it’s always challenging to study acupuncture in a research setting for various reasons, this information is exciting and promising. If you’re in Ontario and you have questions about acupuncture, book a free 15 minute phone consultation and we can discuss it further. My acupuncture services are incorporated into my overall treatment plan and are covered under naturopathic medicine benefits if you have them.