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Accupuncture for PTSD?

Exercise, nutrition, sleep strategies, have been shown to help improve a variety of mental health conditions (1).

A previous post discussed yoga for ptsd (2). This post looks at a recent study using acupuncture for ptsd (3)

What is PTSD? (4)

According to the National Institute of Mental health, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (4):

  • Is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event
  • The main symptoms of PTSD include traumatic experience, arousal/anxiety and re-experiencing symptoms, thought or mood disturbances
  • Treatment typically involves counseling and or medications
  • Learn more about signs, symptoms and treatment of ptsd here: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

What was the study? (3)

In a randomized trial of 93 veterans with combat-related PTSD compared twice-weekly acupuncture for 24 sessions compared to sham acupuncture with superficial needle insertion (2).

What were the results ?(3)

In an 80 point clinician administered symptom scale, the acupuncture group showed a 14.5 point reduction from baseline vs versus 7.5 point reduction for the sham group (2).

What are some caveats?

  • This is 1 small study and further study is needed
  • Results in the veteran population may not necessarily generalize to other populations such as college students
  • There are other studies showing benefits of acupuncture for ptsd (5,6,7,8)
  • It is unclear which patients with ptsd may benefit from acupuncture as a treatment option.
  • Due to limited evidence, this service may not be covered by insurance for ptsd.

Additional resources for PTSD:

By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

 

References

  1. Patel R. Mental Health For College Students Chapter 9: Exercise strategies to improve mental health
  1. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2024/05/31/yoga-for-ptsd/
  1. Hollifield M, Hsiao AF, Smith T, et al. Acupuncture for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2024; 81:545.
  2. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
  1. Engel  CC, Cordova EH, Benedek  DM,  et al.  Randomized effectiveness trial of a brief course of acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder.   Med Care. 2014;52(12)(suppl 5):S57-S64. doi:1097/MLR.0000000000000237
  2. Kim  SH, Schneider SM, Kravitz  L, Mermier  C, Burge  MR.  Mind-body practices for posttraumatic stress disorder.   J Investig Med. 2013;61(5):827-834. doi:2310/JIM.0b013e3182906862
  3. King  HC, Spence DL, Hickey  AH, Sargent  P, Elesh  R, Connelly  CD.  Auricular acupuncture for sleep disturbance in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a feasibility study.   Mil Med. 2015;180(5):582-590. doi:7205/MILMED-D-14-00451
  4. Moiraghi  C, Poli  P, Piscitelli  A.  An observational study on acupuncture for earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder: the experience of the Lombard Association of Medical Acupuncturists/Acupuncture in the world, in Amatrice, Central Italy.   Med Acupunct. 2019;31(2):116-122. doi:10.1089/acu.2018.1329

Yoga for PTSD

Exercise has been shown to help improve a variety of  mental health conditions (1, 2).

A recent study wanted to see if  yoga can help with  Post traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD (3).

What is PTSD (4)?

According to the National Institute of Mental health (PTSD) (4):

What was the study (3)?

After filtering through over 12,000 results, a review of 66 studies and 24 controlled studies were meta-analyzed.

What were the results (3)?

  • The review showed that both mindfulness and YOGA benefited ptsd symptoms regardless of the type of trauma experienced (3).
  • Benefit was greater if yoga or mindfulness was done more than 8 weeks (3).

How much and how often should yoga be done to benefit ptsd?

There is evidence supporting yoga done 1-2 times per week for 60 to 75 minutes per session to benefit PTSD (5).

What are some caveats?

  • There are many forms of yoga.  Students may find some forms of yoga more helpful than others.
  • Check with your healthcare provider to make sure that doing yoga is safe and appropriate for you.

Additional resources regarding Yoga:

  • Yoga classes through your school
  • Online resources for yoga
  • Yoga classes in the community such as:  gym, health and fitness club, yoga center or YMCA, community or religious organization, etc.

What are some precautions?

  • It may be best to check with your healthcare provider to make sure it’s safe for you’re to start an exercise program.
  • Individuals with a history of disordered eating or disordered exercise should check with their health professional before exercising.
  • It may be wise to stop exercise and seek professional help if you notice:
    • Increased depression, disordered eating, and other mental health concerns due to exercise.
    • Injury, pain, or decreased motivation
    • Obsessive behaviors
    • Other symptoms.
  • Exercise may not help without proper nutrition, so it may be wise to learn about proper nutrition and proper exercise technique, and exercise/nutrition plans, before starting to exercise.
  • It may be helpful to gradually start exercising to give yourself time to adjust to an active lifestyle.
  • It might take weeks months or longer for some people to get used to and enjoy the minimum activity guidelines.
  • Occasional weeks without exercise or light activity may be important to prevent injury.
  • Figuring out what works best for you may give you lasting benefits.

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By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA OSU-CCS Psychiatrist

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. Patel R. Mental Health For College Students Chapter 9: Exercise strategies to improve mental health
  2. https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/category/exercise-and-mental-health/
  1. Taylor, J., McLean, L., Korner, A., Stratton, E., & Glozier, N. (2020). Mindfulness and yoga for psychological trauma: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(5), 536–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1760167.
  2. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
  3. Yoga for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and Substance Abuse: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines [Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2015 Jun 22. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK304564/

Venting to manage anger? This might work better

We can all feel angry from time to time and people often think that venting anger will help us.  This might not be the case.  A recent study looked at what worked better to manage anger: activities that increased arousal (venting) or activities that decreased arousal (calming activities).

What was the study? (1)

Bushman and Kjærvik reviewed 154 studies including 184 independent samples involving 10,189 participants.

What were the results? (1)

The authors found that effects calming activities were more effective at managing anger than venting activities.

What are examples of calming and venting activities in this study? (1)

Examples of calming activities that helped manage anger, or activities that decreased arousal were: deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation.

Examples of activities that increased arousal that did NOT help manage anger were: hitting a bag, jogging, cycling.

What are some caveats? (1)

  • See the full study for further details (1).
  • The authors found that the results were stable over time for participants of different genders, races, ages, and cultures (1)
  • It also did not matter how the activities were delivered or taught:  (e.g., digital platforms, researchers, therapists),  group or individual sessions, field, or laboratory settings (1).
  • This means that one could teach themselves calming activities to help manage anger or learn it from technology or others, including professional settings (1).

Where or how can I learn these calming techniques? (1)

Check out previous posts or this link (3).

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By Ryan S Patel DO, FAPA

Disclaimer: This article is intended to be informative only. It is advised that you check with your own physician/mental health provider before implementing any changes. With this article, the author is not rendering medical advice, nor diagnosing, prescribing, or treating any condition, or injury; and therefore claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or injury caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the material presented.

References:

  1. Kjærvik SL, Bushman BJ. A meta-analytic review of anger management activities that increase or
    decrease arousal: What fuels or douses rage? Clinical Psychology Review
    Volume 109, April 2024, 102414.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102414
  2. https://news.osu.edu/breathe-dont-vent-turning-down-the-heat-is-key-to-managing-anger/?sfmc_key=0032E00002tKfusQAC
  3. Mental Health: Proven Techniques (lifehacks, biohacks) and Expert insights  for specific tools and techniques to learn calming strategies such as deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, etc.