PTSD: Using a Naturopathic Approach to Understand & Treat the Disorder

Naturopathic prescription medication is based on 6 principles: First Don' Harm ; Doctor as Teacher ; Identify and Treat the reason ; Healing Power of Nature ; Treat the Whole Person ; and Prevention . These principles guide us to a broad spectrum of opportunities and directions which are useful for helping our patients. We can utilize these 6 principles in understanding and treating any health problem that may present to us. One such condition that we can focus on as naturopathic doctors is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder .

PTSD may be the development of characteristic symptoms, including a pathological anxiety affecting the nervous system, following exposure to 1 or even more traumatic events.1 These events may include combat exposure, sexual or physical abuse, terrorist attacks, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents, or disasters.1

Our central nervous system has a peripheral division known as the autonomic central nervous system , with a direct role in the physical response to stress.2 Inside the ANS is a subdivision called the sympathetic nervous system , which generates a defensive fight-or-flight response when subjected to what we perceive as you possibly can harm. A proper response following an exposure to harm would involve turning on the fight-or-flight response while harm is perceived, but then experiencing a receding from the fight-or-flight response once it is determined that we are no longer at risk.2 Not every persons experiencing a traumatic event will develop PTSD; however, individuals with this problem cannot turn off the fight-or-flight response and, as a result, are always trapped in that defensive state controlled through the ANS.2 Having this knowledge about the basis of PTSD, we can apply the 6 principles of naturopathic medicine to further understand and treat patients presenting with this condition.

Applying the 6 Principles to PTSD

First Don' Harm

The principle of First Do No Harm requires cure approach that might be non-invasive and also have little-to-no side effects. In order to avoid harm, we can spend appropriate time to comprehend the patients, as well as their situations leading them to develop PTSD. As naturopathic doctors, we are able to utilize multiple modalities inside our tool kits to assist our patients with PTSD. One choice for achieving this end is really a Mind-Body Medicine approach. Other effective techniques, shown to help PTSD, include talk therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing , and Emotional Freedom Technique .

CBT is a type of psychotherapy in line with the cognitive model suggesting that the way we perceive a scenario affects our emotion. In a study conducted in Iran, using patients diagnosed with PTSD due to accident-related injuries, cancer, or domestic violence, CBT was discovered to significantly lessen the symptoms of PTSD.3 Similarly, a report overview of effective psychotherapies for PTSD demonstrated that CBT resulted in superior reductions in PTSD symptoms inside a population which had experienced a variety of traumas, including childhood abuse survivors, combat veterans, and rape victims.4

EMDR is another type of psychotherapy that tries to reprocess the way a memory continues to be stored in the brain, as well as the emotions related to it. A meta-analysis around the findings of 26 randomized controlled trials of EMDR therapy for PTSD patients, conducted between 1991 and 2013, discovered that EMDR treatments were associated with significant reductions in symptoms of PTSD.5 The items discussed report overview of effective psychotherapies for PTSD also listed EMDR as the second therapy proven to reduce symptoms of PTSD.4 CBT and EMDR are 2 treatment options in current use through the US Department of Veteran Affairs for veterans and active-duty members who're affected by PTSD.

EFT is definitely an energy-psychology type of treatment with different mixture of aspects of psychotherapy, somatic intervention, and brief exposure therapy. In a randomized controlled trial, EFT was discovered to possess some efficacy for PTSD, including symptom reduction and the manufacture of long-term effects.6 These are just a few of the available modalities, each one of these non-invasive and with no proven negative effects, that people may utilize for PTSD, underneath the guiding principle of First Do No Harm.

Doctor as Teacher

Another principle of naturopathic prescription medication is Doctor as Teacher. We as naturopathic doctors take every opportunity to educate our patients and give them a chance to feel empowered and to take control of the health and well-being. We are able to inform our patients of possible risk factors that could predispose these to developing PTSD. In addition, we can speak with our patients concerning the importance of seeking help as soon as possible after they notice a traumatic event, and educate them about the reduced risk associated with early intervention.

Some in our patients may be in a living situation or job environment that leads to their exposure to repeated traumatic events, for example those residing in war zones, high-crime areas, and domestic-abuse households, firefighters, EMTs, police, and soldiers. You should teach such patients means of coping with traumatic events. As naturopathic doctors, we can teach our patients to use mindfulness and breathing techniques during stressful events. A 2012 study of patients diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the Iran-Iraq war found a significant increase in the quality of life and decrease in PTSD symptoms within the group receiving mindfulness training.7

Identify & Treat the Cause

Our next naturopathic principle is Identify and Treat the Cause. The main reason for PTSD may be the exposure to a traumatic event. However, it is important to realize that different people may go through exactly the same traumatic events while only some develop PTSD. There are lots of risks for developing PTSD, including genetic, neuroendocrine, neurochemical, and neuroanatomic.

In one group of trauma survivors, an excessive amount of the SLC6A39 repeat allele was contained in those that developed PTSD, and absent in those that did not get the condition.8 Another study discovered that 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms on the FKBP5 gene acted as a predictor for developing PTSD.9 Neuroendocrine risk factors can include hypocortisolism, sustained a higher level of corticotrophin-releasing hormone , and abnormal T3:T4 ratios. Neurochemical risks may include increased concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate, and/or CSF β-endorphins, and decreased concentrations of serotonin , gamma-aminobutyric acid activity, and/or plasma neuropeptide-Y. Neuroanatomic risk factors that have been associated with PTSD include increased amygdala activity, reduced volume and activity of the hippocampus, reduced prefrontal volume, reduced anterior cingulate volume, and decreased medial prefrontal activation of the cortex.10

The knowledge of PTSD as an underlying imbalance of the ANS allows us to appropriately address the issue. Craniosacral therapy is one therapy that can be used to address this ANS imbalance. A pilot study conducted in Switzerland concluded that CST has favorable effects on ANS imbalance.11 Adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha , rhodiola , licorice , holy basil , Asian ginseng and Siberian ginseng , have anti-stress properties that can also play an important role in addressing the strain response in the ANS and reducing the effects of PTSD.

The Healing Power of Nature

Through the Healing Power Nature, we are able to provide the body what it needs, take away the toxins and stressors in the body, and then permit the body time for you to heal. With contact with high stress levels in PTSD patients, the body can easier accumulate biotoxins and toxins, which over time can cause other health conditions during these patients.

Naturopathic doctors can utilize herbs that assist the detoxification process, in addition to offer the body utilizing antioxidants and adaptogens. A high-antioxidant diet, including foods such as prunes, apricots, blueberries, strawberries, green tea extract, black tea, citrus fruits, broccoli, artichokes, kale, and spinach, can help counteract oxidative stress on your body. In addition, we can utilize adaptogenic herbs to enhance coping mechanisms during stress. Another key factor we can address through the Healing Power Nature is supporting the vitality in our patients via herbs and proper nutrition.

Treat the Whole Person

Each person reacts to traumatic situations differently, because of predisposing genetic factors, neurochemical, neuroendocrine, or neuroanatomical differences, or even individualized resiliency levels. Understanding this concept of individuality, we can apply the principle of Treat the entire Person in treating our PTSD patients. As naturopathic doctors, we have to look at the social, physical, mental, emotional, and genetic makeup of our patients. This starts with spending enough time with our patients to execute a complete physical exam and comprehensive intake. From this we are able to gain vital information that helps us determine the most appropriate strategy to our patients according to their specific presentation. Furthermore, spending the time to do a comprehensive intake may serve as a kind of talk therapy for the patients, as well as show our patients our dedication to listening to their stories and helping them recover.

Prevention

One last, but extremely important principle of naturopathic prescription medication is Prevention. Preventing contact with traumatic events might not always be possible; however, there are specific areas that we as naturopathic doctors can address to help our patients prepare to cope with traumatic events. Understanding the previously established predisposing risk factors might help us to deal with all of them with our patients.

In addition, providing proper nutrition plays an important role, as many proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients play key parts in the biochemical pathways of the stress response. A few of these include thiamine , niacinamide , pantothenic acid , pyridoxal 5'-phosphate , methylcobalamin , folate , vit c , tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine.12 Like a preventative approach, avoiding depletion of these vital nutrients may prevent our patients developing PTSD. Providing resiliency training to our patients, to deal with physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual strengthening, in addition to educating them in stress management techniques, can also act as preventative measures. Helping patients who have previously been exposed to traumatic events but who might not have developed PTSD, in addition to early intervention following traumatic event exposure, could be different ways of preventing PTSD within our patients.

Summary

As naturopathic doctors, we are able to utilize multiple treatment options from our tool kits, in addition to gain learning additional modalities, to help support our patients with PTSD. We have the chance to understand our patients individually and treat each individual individually, instead of simply treating the health of PTSD. The 6 basic principles of naturopathic medicine will help guide us to a better knowledge of PTSD. As a result, we will have multiple treatments open to provide personalized, patient-driven, and proactive take care of our patients with PTSD.