One of the most gratifying aspects of TCM is the variety of disorders that this medicine allows me to treat. Obviously, most in the West associate Acupuncture with Pain Management. I am not saying that this is a bad thing. However, this notion does, in itself, limit the true capacity behind the modalities in the field.

I have treated various disorders through Acupuncture and Herbs. I have treated Tinnitus, Gastric disorders and even infertility issues. However, the area that I find most pleasing to see results concerns Emotional problems, specifically, Stress, Anxiety and PTSD. I cannot express adequately that joy I receive when a patient improves in these areas.

I wrote in previous blogs that I have really focused my practice in treating the Veterans. It is always a honor treating those you have put their lives at stake for ensuring our freedoms and liberties. However, it just so happens to be that most Veterans have issues with PTSD and stress, in general. Again, these are the areas that I truly love to treat.

The primary reason I look forward to treating emotional disorders is because it is often a major causal factor in causing the root of the person’s ailment to manifest. Emotional disorders can also be a symptom of the primary ailment but that is for another discussion.

In my intake, I devote a lot of time in asking about the patient’s emotional state. Many times, I find out that the patient lack of emotional control is due to some previous crisis or trauma. Often, the patient suppresses such events and never has the opportunity to fully discuss their feeling regarding that event. Such suppression can lead to PTSD.

In fact, PTSD is common among Veterans, especially combat Veterans, who have been part of battle field events in war. These events are so traumatic that the Veteran is not equipped to process them and thus suppresses them into his subconscious. This is where I come to treat the Veteran to help him bring these suppressed emotions back into his conscious state and then help him cope with them.