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What is Portland Veterans Acupuncture Project?

Portland Veterans Acupuncture Project (PVAP) is a non-profit, no-cost acupuncture clinic that opened its doors beginning in October 2007 to military veterans and their companions. The clinic has been open every Thursday evening since then. The clinic is a group clinic with patients sitting in comfortable chairs in a large common room. Acupuncture needles are mostly placed in the ears or scalp, or occasionally in the hands or feet. No undressing is required, except that shoes or socks may be asked to be removed.

PVAP was founded by a researcher and two acupuncture practitioners who realized that more and more military veterans were returning from deployment , suffering from serious stress symptoms. These typical symptoms of: frequent nightmares, sleeping problems, flashbacks, guilt over leaving, substance abuse, sexual dysfunction, difficulty concentrating, irritability, emotional detachment, anxiety or difficulty thinking clearly, are symptoms that are often not identified or treated by the medical system. Current research shows that while medications can help control some of these stress symptoms, only counseling or acupuncture shows promise in treating the cause of the problems.

The mission of PVAP is to provide acupuncture treatment to veterans and their families to heal the stress-related problems of civilian readjustment after deployment. We hope to show that acupuncture will improve the physical and mental well-being of veterans and their families. There should be no barriers to improved health.