Army to test alternative medicine for PTSD

[anonymous]

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/0...bioenergy.html

The military is scrambling for new ways to treat the brain injuries and post-traumatic stress of troops returning home from war. And every kind of therapy -- no matter how far outside the accepted medical form -- is being considered. The Army just unveiled a $4 million program to investigate everything from "spiritual ministry, transcendental meditation, [and] yoga" to "bioenergies such as Qi gong, Reiki, [and] distant healing" to mend the psyches of wounded troops.

But many of these treatments haven't been held up to much rigorous scientific scrutiny before.So the Army is looking to hand out $4 million in "seedling grants" to "conduc[t] rigorous clinical studies" into all sorts of "novel approaches." Projects "containing preliminary data" will be eligible for up to $1 million. But even "innovative but testable hypotheses without preliminary data" could get as much as $300,000. Proposals are due May 15.

"Music, animal-facilitated therapy, art, dance/movement, massage therapy, EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing] program evaluation, virtual reality, acupuncture, spiritual ministry, transcendental meditation, [and] yoga," might all be considered worth of the military's largess. So would "biologically-based treatments, botanicals, and nutritional supplements for enhancing cognitive function and mood in patients with trauma spectrum disorders, including TBI and/or PTSD, depression, anxiety, and/or substance dependence/abuse." Even proposals for wild-sounding "therapies using bioenergies such as Qi gong, Reiki, distant healing and acupuncture" would be accepted.

I think this is extremely good news. The military are eminently practical and will use what works. If they find energy healing is useful that will lead to greater acceptance in the civilian community as well.

I just hope there are folks willing to apply for the grant money to run the trials.

[jurplesman]

This is good news indeed. It also shows that conventional treatment for PTSD is not very successful.

I hope the army will also look at a more scientific way of looking at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Hypoglycemia

[jacob]

I would also suggest using EFT. Its videos even show several sessions with PTSD form Vietnam war, which were very successful.

I've also had positive experiences with EFT on other issues.

[pacificwhim]

The sad thing about this story is that the JREF types will bemoan this as giving credence to CAM therapies, something their world view cannot tolerate.

As someone who suffered from PTSD in the past and recovered completely with time, support, meditation and exercise, I don't give a s&^t whether a therapy is from mainstream medicine, New Age culture or Caribbean rooster worship. PTSD is terrifying and anyone who's experienced it just wants it gone, whatever the method.