Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Medically reviewed by Dr. Tony Willcox, PhD, D.A.O.M., A.P.
Last reviewed: September 2026

Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or deeply distressing event — combat, an accident, assault, disaster, or loss. Its symptoms cluster into intrusive memories, avoidance, negative shifts in mood and thinking, and heightened arousal such as being easily startled or on edge. These are normal responses to abnormal events, and they are treatable. Because effective, evidence-based treatments exist, the foundation of care is professional support: trauma-focused psychotherapy, medication where appropriate, and a qualified mental health provider guiding the plan.

PTSD often shows up as a recognizable set of experiences:

• Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or distressing dreams
• Avoiding reminders — places, people, conversations tied to the trauma
• Feeling on guard, easily startled, or unable to relax
• Trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating
• Low mood, guilt, numbness, or a sense of disconnection

Any overwhelming or threatening experience can lead to PTSD, and risk is higher after repeated or prolonged trauma. However, because symptoms can be severe and sometimes include thoughts of self-harm, professional evaluation is essential — and urgent support should be sought whenever safety is a concern.

In Chinese medicine, the hypervigilance and unrest of PTSD are often framed in terms of the Heart and its role in housing the Shen — the mind-spirit — with trauma unsettling that anchor and disturbing sleep and calm. Patterns may involve the Kidney and fear, or Qi and Blood that no longer settle the mind. This framework guides a gentle, individualized approach aimed at calming the Shen. Points such as Yintang, Shenmen (HT7), and Neiguan (PC6), along with ear (auricular) protocols, are commonly associated with this calming intent — though the specific approach always depends on the person Dr. Willcox is working with.

For PTSD, acupuncture is used as a possible complement aimed at easing the arousal, sleep disruption, and tension that accompany trauma — not as a stand-alone treatment for the condition. The research is encouraging but still developing. A randomized controlled trial found that an acupuncture protocol produced improvements in PTSD symptoms comparable to group cognitive-behavioral therapy and greater than a wait-list control, with gains maintained at three months (Hollifield et al., Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2007). A later systematic review described the overall evidence as encouraging but not yet conclusive, and acupuncture has also been studied specifically in combat veterans (Kim et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013). Acupuncture is therefore offered as a possible supportive complement — not a proven cure and not a substitute for trauma-focused mental health care.

A first visit begins by confirming that a patient is engaged with mental health care, since that support takes precedence for PTSD. Dr. Willcox approaches trauma gently and at the patient’s pace, keeping the room calm and the person in control throughout. Sessions often use quieting points and ear protocols, and many patients simply describe the experience as deeply settling. Acupuncture is coordinated with — never a substitute for — the psychotherapy and medical care that treat the condition.