Acupuncture for PTSD: Chris Eddy's perspective

Something tragic happened in February 2009 that changed many people's lives forever.

The black Saturday fires in Victoria that year that killed 173 people and injured another 414,

left permanent scars and trauma in the surviving families,communities and general public.

It was a few years after this event that I was working as a supervisor in the RMIT university

acupuncture department, and a survivor of the bush fires came in to see one of my students

for a treatment. The patient had lost people close to them in the fire.

I remember the student coming to see me to explain the case, with a look of sadness on

their face. “What can we do for them?” They felt ill prepared, as almost anyone would, to

tackle the depths of despair and complexities of their situation. “They want help with PTSD”,

the student said. “Ok”, I said, “let's help and support them to the best of our abilities”.

The student then led me down the hall to the patient's room so I could meet them and

discuss the case. I’ll never forget meeting them. The look in their eyes. The piercing gaze of

seeing something no one should. I had a brief chat with them and left the room, sighing in

sadness, as I walked back to my office.

After a discussion with the student, we came up with a treatment plan, weekly sessions, and

to monitor progress.

After 3 sessions and a review, not much was improving. We tried a few different acupuncture

combinations, but the tremors, depression, flash backs, and insomnia were not shifting at all.

I decided to do some research. There must be someone out there with a wealth of

experience in PTSD treatment with acupuncture. Then, I found something very interesting.

The work of Dr Joseph M. Helms MD, a medical doctor who graduated from Johns Hopkins

University and UCLA, and has been teaching what he calls ‘medical acupuncture’ to other

physicians, since 1978.

Dr Helms wrote an article in 2011, “An acupuncture Approach for Trauma Spectrum

Symptoms”. It went on to explain that, as he had worked extensively with returning soldiers

from warfare, who were on many medications, there was a need to come up with an

acupuncture approach, to not only reduce their physical pain and come off medications, but

to reduce severity of mental and emotional trauma.

Dr Helms came up with ATP, or the Auricular Trauma Protocol. The idea was to insert 6

needles into one ear, to specific points that regulate the storage of traumatic memory in the

brain. These points are: 1. Hypothalamus 2. Amygdala 3. Hippocampus 4. Master Cerebral

5. Point Zero (a reset point) 6. Shen Men (an acupuncture relaxation point).

Over time, he tested these 6 points, in that exact order, to achieve amazing results in

reduction in perceived trauma and emotional anguish.

Back to the student clinic, the next session the patient came for I explained to them that we

were going to try something new. Something observationally researched that had

documented positive effects on others. ‘We can promise it will help, but so far what we have

been doing hasn’t helped. Would you like to try it for a few more sessions?” I asked. “Let’s

do it” They said.

Over the following sessions I noticed the student coming into my room with more joy on their face each time. “It’s working!” they said “well, something’s working, they are so much better!”

“What do you mean by working?” I said. “Better, longer sleep, less flashbacks, less

nightmares, no more shaking, happier mood“ Said the student. “Great!”, I said, ”keep going and don’t change anything yet”.

After a few sessions, I decided to meet with the patient again to discuss how they’re going.

When I looked in their eyes, I couldn't believe it, the stare, that piercing stare was softened

and gone.

The patient stayed with us for some months, and was finally discharged at the point where

they felt happy with life and didn’t feel the need to come in any more.

This story will always stay with me, and it was so profound, I have used this ear acupuncture

protocol almost every day, or at least every week for patients who have been diagnosed with

PTSD or even just feel that they have a degree of a traumatic memory affecting them on a

day to day basis.

Over the last few years, treating hundreds of patients with this protocol for trauma, I would

love to introduce it to you, or anyone else that you care about that you think may benefit.

If you are interested in a course of ATP ear acupuncture, we usually recommend 8 sessions

in sequence, about 1 week apart.

Please contact me if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them

for you.

Dr Chris Eddy (Dr of Chinese Medicine, RMIT University)

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