According to the Fall 2024 Massage Therapy Journal, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a common term that can be often misunderstood. PTSD may develop after a traumatic event, but not all traumatic events necessarily lead to PTSD. About six of every hundred people in the US will have PTSD at some point in their lives according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally veterans are more likely to have PTSD than civilians and veterans who have been deployed to a war zone are more likely than those who did not deploy.
In my own experience, I have noted that it is always necessary to make a client feel comfortable from the first hello to the goodbye at the end of our session. The primary goal of massage therapy is to relax the body, in essence, we attempt to turn off the fight or flight nervous system and turn on the rest and digest nervous system. When done correctly, the body is allowed to heal much quicker and more optimally.
The most common reasons that veterans use massage therapy and other complementary healthcare includes but is not limited to:
Chronic musculoskeletal pain
Diagnosed PTSD
Depression
Anxiety
Obesity
Massage therapy and other integrative therapies provides many benefits to this segment of the population. Massage therapy can produce benefits that:
Address the hyper vigilance demonstrated by individuals with PTSD
Reduce exaggerated startle responses
Reduce sleep disturbances
Address problems in concentration and sleep disturbances.
I have treated many veterans of foreign wars ranging from Vietnam to Afghanistan and though not all had been diagnosed with PTSD, many, regardless of disclosure, benefited from healing touch. As we move further into the 21st Century, massage therapy remains a viable treatment for chronic injuries and offers veterans and those living with PTSD a viable option in their care regime.
At Massage Refresh, veterans are treated at a discounted rate. It is my way of giving thanks for the sacrifices they made for our country in the line of duty.
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