Stress-busting acupuncture for veterans eases the feeling of being on ...

Participatory journalism has given me the opportunity to do really interesting things.

I’ve walked on glowing hot coals, only to discover it felt pretty much like I had hoped it wouldn’t. I’ve straddled a humongous rodeo bucking bull, but showed some sense in that instance by getting off it before the chute gate opened.

I’ve also nearly been forced through the bottom of a World War I-style biplane when it reached the downward curve of an inside loop. More recently, I sat quietly as a woman stuck five needles in each of my ears.

Of the aforementioned experiences, the needles seem to have done me the most good. The opportunity to bristle like a hedgehog resulted from an e-mail I received recently from a member of Central Virginia Community Acupuncture.

CVCA is a volunteer organization comprised of licensed acupuncturists in our area. The acupuncturists had just started a free program to benefit veterans, reservists and active-duty military personnel and their families, and they were hoping I’d help spread the word.

The program is a weekly, hour-long clinic in which the ancient art of acupuncture is used to relieve symptoms of stress and trauma. Stress hasn’t been a complete stranger in my life, and, being a veteran, I thought I’d give it a try.

“We didn’t dream this up on our own,” Jody Forman told me on my first visit to the clinic, which is held every Monday evening in the Jefferson Area Board for Aging building in Charlottesville.

“As a licensed acupuncturist, I subscribe to an acupuncturist information site on the Internet. They sent me a blurb about an acupuncture program for veterans in Portland, Maine, started by Acupuncturists Without Borders.

“After I saw their flier about what they were doing I thought, ‘Hot damn, we can do that here.’ That’s how the ball got rolling.”

Pinpointing the problems

The technique used is called auricular acupuncture, which simply means that the needles are placed in different locations on the ears. Forman said the Chinese, who have been practicing acupuncture for more than 3,000 years, believe the whole body can be reflected in the ear.

“The Chinese see the ear as an upside-down baby,” said Forman, who has been practicing as a licensed acupuncturist for 14 years and currently works at the Charlottesville Healing Arts Center. “There’s skeletal structure on the outside and internal organs on the inside, and if you know where you’re going it can affect the whole body.

“So that’s what we’re doing here. This is a nice technique, because it doesn’t require an interview. It doesn’t require the person to take off clothes, lie down or anything like that.

“The only thing they need to do is swab an alcohol pad on their ears so we have a clean space to work in, and then sit quietly. What’s so nice is that this is self-adjusting, self-governing medicine. We just need to put the needles in the proper places, and it does what it’s going to do.”

Forman said there are a lot of good theories suggesting how and why acupuncture works, but no definitive explanation. What the art is rich in is anecdotal evidence that it does help people with everything from pain management to drug addiction.

Auricular acupuncture treatment is said to work very well with the effects of trauma, which can result in insomnia, irritability and inability to concentrate. AWB was founded in 2005 to help people in Louisiana cope with the stress and trauma caused by Hurricane Katrina.

A main effort of AWB now is helping to start and facilitate the free acupuncture clinics for veterans, such as the one here. It helps by doing things such as distributing acupuncture needles, which are donated by different companies.

Thank-you gift of tranquility

“We’re hoping to help people feel more peaceful inside,” said Cali Gaston, a licensed acupuncturist and registered nurse. “The stress level experienced by people who have been at war or involved in the military is abundantly clear, based on a lot of studies.

“There’s also plenty of evidence that this helps. It can reduce stress, and that can mean less anxiety, less insomnia and better emotional steadiness.”

The program itself is designed to be as free of stress as possible. The veterans are taken at their word and don’t have to provide any proof of service.

Nor do they have to talk about why they’re seeking the treatment. All that’s required is a signature on a consent form.

Gaston said a question the acupuncturists often hear is whether or not it hurts to have the needles put in. My experience, both times I’ve gone, is that the sensation is so slight it couldn’t even be called pain.

“We’re putting a very thin piece of steel into flesh,” Gaston said. “There is going to be some feeling, but it’s not comparable to giving a person an injection, because we’re not delivering anything.

“The needle is solid and about the size of three hairs. We place five needles in each ear ranging from the top to the bottom of the ear and the outer circle of the ear.

“In terms of bleeding, I’ve seen three drops of blood since we started the program in March.”

Forman said there are about 30 licensed acupuncturists in Charlottesville, nine of whom currently volunteer their services to the program. To receive a license, one must complete a three-

year master’s-level program. After the initial training, licensed practitioners must continue to fulfill ongoing educational requirements.

With their high level of proficiency, it takes the acupuncturists just a few seconds to place the needles in each ear. The needles are left in from 30 to 45 minutes, or until the person asks for them to be removed.

I felt myself start to relax almost immediately after the needles were placed. I also noticed a pleasant calming sensation.

The calmness stayed with me for about four days before I started to feel the normal tugs of stress start up again. Gaston said there’s a fair amount of variability in how long the effects of a session will last.

“This protocol is often done daily, which would be ideal, particularly in a high-stress situation,” Gaston said. “But for most people the effect should last for several days, and, if you’re lucky, longer.

“And I imagine the more you do it, the longer the effect will last.”

John Alliston, a Vietnam veteran, traveled from Staunton with his wife, Donna, and their son, Noah, to attend a clinic.

“It felt good to get some tension out of me,” Alliston said after the session. “I get 100 percent disability, because of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder].

“I went through some pretty crazy stuff when I was there [Vietnam]. I’ve been to acupuncturists many times before. Oh, yeah, it helps.

“We plan to come back. I liked it.”

It was a first-time experience for the son.

“It was really an interesting experience,” Noah Alliston said afterward. “I felt a calm come over me that I haven’t felt in a while. I feel pretty mellow right now.

“Certainly not as stressed out as I felt earlier today, what with the state of the economy and trying to find a job. There’s definitely a noticeable difference. I’m looking forward to coming back.”

Donna Alliston said she thought it was really nice that the volunteers cared enough about veterans to want to help them in such a tangible way. Anne Smucker, one of the licensed acupuncturists working that evening, feels her reward comes from using her skills to help others.

“Most of my work is one-on-one in a small office space,” Smucker said. “I love to come down here and work with a bigger group.

“There’s a wonderful community feeling that I come away with when I work here. And I like the fact that there’s not a monetary exchange in this sitting.

“People are obviously appreciative, and they come back because they get something out of it.”

Forman said the program has allowed her to share with others the joy her work brings her. She said it’s also a way she can show her appreciation for those who have or continue to serve their country.

Gaston echoed those sentiments.

“What I’m dedicated to doing is helping people feel more at ease in their life, body and mind,” Gaston said. “Doing that for people who have dedicated their lives in some way to making this country freer is very important to me.

“I would love for more people to come to this. I think there’s some stigma about this being an unknown, or unfamiliar or too weird or something not likely to be helpful.

“There’s nothing to lose in trying, and there is enough evidence that it can help. What it will cost is an hour of a person’s time, and possibly a little bit of discomfort.

“The potential return is very big.”

The free clinic is held from 7 to 8 p.m. every Monday at JABA at 674 Hillsdale Drive, behind Toys R Us. Participants are asked to arrive by 7 p.m.

Donations are accepted to help defray costs. For more information, call Forman at 975-0025 or Gaston at 960-8464.