Unseen Burdens in Trauma Survivors
Any traumatic event including military combat, motor or sporting accidents, or sexual trauma can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD flashbacks aren’t just memories—they’re vivid, overwhelming experiences that make it feel like the past is happening all over again. These involuntary episodes can pull someone back into the sights, sounds, and emotions of a traumatic event, blurring the line between then and now.
If you are suffering from flashbacks, please know that you are not alone. Help is available. If you are having flashbacks, it is important to talk to a mental health care provider. Old traumas often lie dormant beneath our awareness, subtly shaping emotions, reactions, and relationships.
Even years after a traumatic event, a scent, a tone of voice, the sound of a helicopter or a posture can spark powerful distress in the present moment. These triggers awaken unresolved pain, disrupting our sense of safety and stability.
Please don’t think that you are stuck in a deep pit of despair!
Foreground vs. Background in Trauma Therapy
Effective trauma therapy isn’t about erasing memories with a tidy resolution. It’s about deepening present-moment awareness so we can see how past experiences still influence our current “foreground.”
- Foreground: your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations right now
- Background: hidden emotional patterns from past traumas
By recognizing this interplay, we gain insight into why certain situations feel overwhelming and how to restore our sense of calm.
How Neoclassical Acupuncture Backgrounding Works
Neoclassical Acupuncture (NCA) offers a precise method to identify and dissolve these unseen obstacles. Through gentle palpation, the practitioner locates energy disturbances and blockages linked to trauma in our background.
- Backgrounding Technique
- The practitioner palpates acupuncture channels and other entities to quantify tension or “stuck” energy.
- Data Analysis with the Burris Algorithm
- Measurements are feed into the Burris Algorithm, pinpointing the optimal acupuncture point.
- Targeted Acupoint Activation
- Inserting a fine needle at the selected point releases trapped emotional energy, reducing reactivity to trauma triggers. Generally only one single needle is required.
This approach integrates seamlessly with other trauma-informed therapies, offering a somatic pathway to reclaim emotional balance.
Key Benefits for Trauma Survivors
- Rapid relief from trigger-induced anxiety
- Enhanced body-mind connection
- Improved resilience against daily stressors
- Complementary to talk therapy and EMDR*
*EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a psychotherapy treatment primarily used to help individuals process and recover from traumatic experiences. It involves recalling traumatic memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, most commonly through eye movements, which helps reduce the emotional impact of the traumatic memories.
Evidence of Acupuncture Helping PTSD
The medical journal article titled, “Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating post-traumatic stress disorder. A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis” stated, “Evidences showed that acupuncture could remarkably relieve the symptoms of PTSD patients”. The article further stated, “Traditional Chinese medicine is used to treat disease itself rather than only symptoms. Acupuncture, accepted by the majority of patients, offers a new option to help patients solve mental issues caused by traumatic events. ……. According to the research, acupuncture can affect the autonomic nervous system, and the prefrontal as well as limbic brain structures, making it able to relieve the symptoms of PTSD.” (1)
References
- – Ning Ding, Linzhi Li, Kai Song, Ailing Huang and Hong Zhang. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating post-traumatic stress disorder. A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine 99(26):p e20700, June 26, 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000020700. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating post-traumatic stress disorder: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis – PMC
All images were produced by author using PhotoDirector 365.
ONE NEEDLE TREATS the ENTIRE MERIDIAN
Please watch the following 3 minute 30 second YouTube video to see how Neoclassical Acupuncture works.
Daily, I find working practically with the NeoClassical AcupunctureTM methodology produces outstanding efficacious results that embody “spooky action at a distance”.
Please call Dr Louis Gordon (Chinese Medicine) for more information on (07) 4636 6100.
MISSION STATEMENT
“I aim to get my patients as WELL as possible, as QUICKLY as possible, and then to KEEP them WELL”.
