Combat-related PTSD may improve with integrated treatments

A Scripps Institute study recently published in Military Medicine shows evidence that a combination of medications and alternative treatments such as healing touch and guided imagery could be far more effective at treating PTSD than medication alone in the case of military patients.

Potential for integrated treatments
Healing touch (HT) is a treatment during which a practitioner places hands on the patient to illicit a healing response, commonly employed following surgeries for pain reduction and improved recovery times, according to the Center for Disease Control. Guided imagery (GI) is a self-led technique to support relaxation, trust and self-esteem growth, relying on the patient's imagination to enhance a sense of well-being.

Of the 123 study participants, 55 received medications only, with 68 receiving a combination of treatments including drugs and therapies. Patients chosen for the study experienced symptoms including intrusive thoughts, insomnia, nightmares, irritability, flashbacks, emotional dulling, social avoidance and heightened startle responses.

For the 68 patients receiving integrated care, scores on the PTSD scale dropped an average of 14 points, leaving many in a position that the study authors noted as the clinical cutoff for the condition.

"This treatment pairs deep relaxation with a self-care approach that can be used at home," said Wayne B. Jonas, MD, president and CEO of Samueli Institute, a partner in the study with Scripps. "The results of this study underscore the need to make effective, non-stigmatizing treatments for PTSD available to all our service members."

Those treating PTSD symptoms such as depression with medication can buy Effexor from Canadian and international pharmacies, which may offer cheaper alternatives to often-expensive prescriptions for PTSD.

Prevalence of PTSD
According to the National Center for PTSD, 3.5 percent of the population suffer from the condition, with women more than twice as likely as men to develop it. During the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment study conducted between 1986 and 1988, the lifetime prevalence among veterans was estimated at 15.2 percent for men and 8.1 percent for women. The study suggested that while women are overall more likely than men to develop PTSD, male military veterans may be affected more frequently.

Subsequent studies including veterans from the Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq showed similar populations of PTSD, with those affected at 12.1 and 13.8 percent, respectively.