This Memorial Day, while we welcome in the summer season with an extra day to BBQ and play outside, let’s not forget the important reason for that extra day. We at Bamboo Pharmacy would like to take a moment to acknowledge the men and women who fought to serve our country and protect our freedoms.
Those of us that have never served can only imagine the heroic sacrifices our veterans have made. The strain and stress experienced will often take a toll in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, casually referred to as PTSD. While this condition affects many of our troops, it also touches civilians who have experienced trauma. PTSD is triggered by the experience of an event, be it war, assault, natural disaster, or any other situation that elicits strong feelings of fear or helplessness. According to PTSD United, an estimated 8% of Americans, or 24.4 Million people, have PTSD at any given time.
These statistics can be staggering, but there is hope in new and innovative treatments that are constantly being discovered. Alternative therapies such as herbal supplements and acupuncture are also becoming more widely accepted as effective complementary treatments for PTSD.
For example, Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB), initiated a Military Stress Recovery Project in 2006. The pilot clinic was founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and, after seeing the way the initial treatments improved the patients’ well-being, they soon expanded the project to include 23 clinics across the country with many more now planned to open. The ear acupuncture treatments they perform to alleviate symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness, are based on the protocol from the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA).
NADA treatment involves a trained acupuncturist placing 5 tiny needles on each ear as the patient closes their eyes and rests for 30-45 minutes. Currently over 15,000 practitioners are trained in the NADA protocol, which is not exclusively for treatment of those who have served in the armed forces. The treatment protocol has also been used to help many people after traumatic events. After Hurricane Katrina AWB created and staffed many mobile trauma clinics offering free acupuncture treatments to the people of New Orleans. They are currently providing their services in Nepal after the recent earthquakes that devastated the region.
Another organization helping to ease PTSD Symptoms is the Bay Area Veteran’s Acupuncture Clinic. Located in San Francisco, BAYVAC is a program created by The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The program provides free acupuncture for veterans, active duty military personnel, members of The National Guard, reservists, and any of their immediate family who may benefit from treatment. BAYVAC treatments include a similar form of treatment to NADA where needles are inserted on the ears to help with pain and PTSD-related problems such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain and concentration problems.
Even without the experience of major trauma, occasional insomnia and stress are often part of everyday life in America. Restful Sleep Support and Stress Support, two of our Bamboo Pharmacy formulas, contain ingredients that put the mind at ease and help support the body’s natural response to stress and anxiety. Stress Support’s herbal combination includes Licorice Root, Ginger, Angelica Sinensis, and Bupleurum Root, which help us relax and rejuvenate.
In ongoing support of our veterans, Bamboo Pharmacy has provided thousands of bottles Stress Support and Restful Sleep Support to Acupuncture Without Border's Military Stress Recovery Project. Want to get involved? Become an AWB Member and learn how to open up or support a clinic in your area!