Happy Veterans Day!

We are extremely grateful to all those who have devoted and risked their lives to keep us safe. Unfortunately, it is estimated that approximately 30 to 40 percent of soldiers return home with some form of a mental health disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most common, affecting as many as 17 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The military has begun using acupuncture to treat both physical pain and emotional stress. In 2010, the Department of Defense granted $1.2 million dollars to fund The New England School of Acupuncture‘s study on Gulf War illness. The Army’s surgeon general Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker recently endorsed the use of acupuncture, adding, “We’re now using it in the battlefield, even in the special operations community.”

There are currently more than 16 programs for active-duty troops that provide acupuncture along with other alternative treatments and therapy for those suffering from PTSD. Lt. Gen. Schoomaker stated, “It is quickly becoming mainstream.”

Thank you to all of our troops!