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The Benefits of Exercise for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Military Veterans

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The Benefits of Exercise for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Military Veterans

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Sarah Lesko

IHP 262- Lifestyle Medicine

Spring 2020

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My name is Sarah Lesko, and I am currently working towards a degree in Integrative Health, as well as a degree in Business. In addition, I am working towards certifications in Health and Wellness Coaching as well as Aromatherapy. I was drawn to this program and to coaching because of my love for health, fitness, and people. I wanted to work in a career where I could be people in a more holistic way.

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Post-traumatic stress disorder is a topic that has always interested me, due to its impact on the people in my life. I have seen the effects of PTSD in both military veterans and those who have PTSD from childhood trauma. While taking psychology classes in college and highschool I began to do more research on PTSD as well as read articles and books surrounding this topic. I did extensive research on the use of service dogs for the treatment of PTSD, and saw the benefits of using a more natural treatment in addition to or in place of pharmaceuticals.

My fascination with treating PTSD in a more holistic way came when I met a Vietnam veteran who had struggled with PTSD for many years. I saw the heartbreaking effects that it had on his physical and mental health, as well as the negative effects on those around him. Towards the end of his life, I saw him finally make progress towards his recovery, using a variety of more holistic treatments along with therapy. He took advantage of treatments such as Healing Touch and counselling. Additionally, he began to exercise more and switched to a mostly plant based diet, which allowed him to treat his heart condition and high blood pressure. It was after his death, that I was inspired to help people struggling with similar hardships.

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Post-traumatic stress disorder is very common in veterans. Although all wars are different, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, between eleven and twenty percent of veterans involved in Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) experience PTSD, twelve percent of veterans involved in the Gulf War experience PTSD, and fifteen percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2018). This number is based on reported and diagnosed cases, but the actual percentages most likely are much higher.

PTSD and veteran suicide as tighly linked. In 2005, there were 5,787 veteran suicides. This number increased, and has remained above 6,000 deaths since 2008 (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2019,p.9). Although there have been efforts by the VHA health care system to increase emphasis on mental health in veterans, there is still a large demand for increased availability to treatment for PTSD and other mental health related disorders, as well as access to new and more effective treatments.

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A research study done by University of California studied the benefits of integrative exercise on veterans diagnosed with PTSD (Mehling et al., 2017,p.554). The study put a group of veterans through a twelve week study in which the participants participated in group exercise that included yoga, aerobic exercise, as well as resistance training (Mehling et al., 2017,p.557). Although this was a pilot study, the results showed that the participants saw improvements in mindfulness, introspective bodily awareness, as well as increased positive state of mind (Mehling et al., 2017,p.562).

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A study done by Whitworth and Ciccolo showed that exercise can be beneficial for the treatment of PTSD by treating the symptoms commonly associated with the disorder. They found that exercise was beneficial in veterans to reduce depression and anxiety, decrease the use of substances, a decrease in physical pain, and increased brain function (Whitworth & Ciccolo, 2016,p.954). They concluded that there is a distinct connection between reduction in PTSD symptoms and exercise, but the main barrier to implementing this treatment is availability and accessibility (Whitworth & Ciccolo, 2016,p.959).

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After research in exercise and its impact on the treatment of PTSD in veterans, I can see the benefits that exercise could have on veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Although I do not think that exercise could be used on its own to treat PTSD, it seems that exercise paired with other treatments such as meditation, yoga, therapy, and/or medication could be used to improve current treatment. Coaching could be used to help a client with PTSD develop a goal surrounding exercise and/or movement. Additionally coaching could be used to explore motivation behind implementing an exercise plan. This could be done specifically by exploring PERMA and guiding the client through visioning.

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After studying the benefits of exercise for the treatment of PTSD, I have hope that exercise could be used to treat PTSD in veterans, as well as those with other mental disorders or traumas. I hope to continue to research the benefits of lifestyle medicine in treating disorders, to provide clients with a way to treat and manage their health in a more holistic way. As a coach I want to bring awareness to alternative treatments, in order to help my clients take control of their health.