Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture Clinic Team Leader Christine Jablonski Talks About Acupuncture

Christine Jablonski, MSOM, MB, LicAc, BSN*

Registered Nurse/ Licensed Acupuncturist

The Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture clinic was established two years ago by Christine Jablonski. Christine is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Acupuncturist. After graduating from Marquette University's College of Nursing in 1975, she worked in a wide variety of health care settings in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Germany. 

After several years of study at the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine (Chicago, Milwaukee, and Guangzhou, China), Ms. Jablonski obtained her Master's Degree in 1998. Currently she is employed as the sole licensed acupuncturist for ProHealthCare in Wisconsin. 

ProHealthCare offers a variety of videos on their consumer services website. One of their most recent showcases the acupuncture services that Ms. Jablonski offers at ProHealthCare. 

The treatment shown in the video is not the community style that is offered at the Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture clinic. The MVA clinic treatment uses the NADA Protocol which uses only five designated ear points. (You can learn more about the MVA Clinic approach on this page of our site; and more about the NADA Protocol here.)

_________________________________________________________________

*

• MSOM (Master of Science of Oriental Medicine) Midwest College of Oriental Medicine 
• MB (Bachelor of Medicine) Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China 
• LicAc (Licensed Acupuncturist) State of Wisconsin 
• BSN (Bachelor of Science Nursing) Marquette University

Celebrating with Dryhootch

Dryhootch.org was celebrating its 5th anniversary today and Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture was there.

 

We were glad to see familiar faces.  Heather was preparing the brats and burgers on a the grill out back. Jeff (Dryhootch TwitterMaster) and his friend Liz were busy helping out inside.

We met a few new friends too.  Ruth from Vitas Hospice Service was baking fresh chocolate cookies for everyone.

Ruth and Chris (MVA Clinic acupuncturist)

And a certain friendly pooch was happy to be a part of the meet-n-greet.

We were glad to be part of the day.  

 

  MVA Clinic Table

Many thanks to Dryhootch for supporting Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture!  

Volunteer Spotlight: Garilyn

The MVA Clinic is staffed and supported entirely by volunteers. One of our Greeters (and all-around go-to person!) is Wisconsin native, Garilyn.

Garilyn is a Vietnam-era Vet who served as an MP for the US Army. Her tour of duty took her to Fort Ord, CA and Camp Humprey's in Korea where she served as a criminal investigator.  

 Image source/credit

Garilyn also worked for 24 years in the City of Oconomowoc Police Department were she was a patrol officer, crime prevention officer and Administrative Lieutenant 

Currently, Garilyn teaches at Madison Area Technical College in the Criminal Justice 2 year Program. She serves as the Program Director of the Digital Forensics Program. Her courses include Criminal Law and Criminology.

Thank you, Garilyn!

To learn more about how you can support our work, check our Volunteers Page.   

 

Acupuncture Treats Military Sexual Assault PTSD

A growing number of women are serving in the US military. According to CNN, "more than 200,000 women are in active-duty military, including 69 generals and admirals."  The breakdown: 

About 203,000 in 2011, or 14.5% of the active-duty force of nearly 1.4 million. That number comprises about 74,000 in the Army, 53,000 in the Navy, 62,000 in the Air Force and 14,000 in the Marine Corps. [Source: CNN]

More women serving means more women veterans.  And for many, it means having to deal with a specific kind of trauma: Military Sexual Trauma (MST) (also known as Rape by Rank).

In both civilian and military settings, service members can experience a range of unwanted sexual behaviors that they may find distressing. These experiences happen to both women and men. "Military sexual trauma" or MST is the term used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to refer to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment.  [Source: National Center for PTSD]

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2010 found that 15% of women veterans had reported experiencing MST. 

Psychology Today reports

"Among veterans using VA health care, about 23 out of 100 women (23%) reported sexual assault when in the military, 55 out of 100 women (55%) and 38 out of 100 men (38%) have experienced sexual harassment when in the military."

Military Sexual Trauma combined with combat trauma is especially devastating. The National Center for PTSD goes on to say that "Sexual assault is a type of trauma that often leads to the onset of PTSD for both women and men. Given greater exposure to this type of trauma, women are particularly at risk for PTSD."

Acupuncture is one form of treatment that can help alleviate MST-related PTSD (for women and men).

"Acupuncture regulates the autonomic nervous system, allowing a break from “Fight or Flight”.  Regular acupuncture (2-3x week) can transform someone who is suffering from severe symptoms of PTSD, whether it is chronic pain, nightmares, insomnia, or emotional symptoms such as rage or depression.  Since approximately 18 veterans commit suicide daily, there is nothing more urgent than treating these service men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country."[Source: Pamela Howard, Community Acupuncture in Richmond, Virginia]

Acupuncture helps by helping the body handle the physical and emotional after effects of traumatic experiences.  

The type of acupuncture used at the MVA Clinic is non-invasive.  The person keeps all their clothing on and sits in a chair. Five 'acu-points' in the ear are used. The treatment session lasts 30-45 minutes. Some people find they need to sit a few minutes before they get up to leave. Health care personnel are available in case of need and the acupuncturist is ready to answer any questions before, during, and after the sessions.

 Veteran receiving ear acupuncture.

Image source: U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

Because of the nature of MST/PTSD, many women do not feel comfortable being treated in a mixed gender environment.  The Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture clinic has a private treatment area available for anyone, male or female, who would prefer it. 

If you have concerns or would like more information, please contact us at info@themvaclinic.com.

And if you have never had acupuncture before, here are a few links from our site with more information. 

• What Happens at the MVA Clinic? -- a step-by-step, illustrated review of a typical treatment day at Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture.

• What is Acupuncture?

________________________________________________________

RESOURCES

The National Center for PTSD has posted the following fact sheets on their site.

• Rape of Women in a War Zone
  Summarizes the prevalence and effects of war-related rape on women in a war zone, such as in Kosovo and Bosnia.
• Sexual Assault against Females
  Defines sexual assault, how often it occurs, and the characteristics of perpetrators. Discusses women's reactions to sexual assault and what to do if you have been sexually assaulted.
• Traumatic Stress in Women Veterans
  Discusses stressors faced by women Veterans and what can help.
• Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
  Discusses what military sexual trauma is, how common it is, and what you can do about it.
• Women, Trauma and PTSD
  Learn about trauma and PTSD in women.
• Women's Mental Health Services in the VA
  Describes services offered to women Veterans, including the Women Veterans Health Care Program.

For additional information on acupuncture and veterans, see our Articles & Resources page.

________________________________________________________
Top image of female soldier - Licensed from GettyImages.

MVA Clinic Has a New Home!

On Monday February 4, 2013 

the Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture clinic 

opens its doors at its new home!

 Milwaukee County War Memorial Center

750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive

Milwaukee, WI 53202 

ROOM 413

(in the board room of Dryhootch.org)

The clinic will be open on Mondays from 3:00pm to 6:00pm with three sessions (3pm, 4pm, and 5pm). 

We have arranged for FREE PARKING for our visitors in the lot north of the War Memorial Center.  When you drive in to park, just tell the parking attendant that you are there to visit Dryhootch.  (You may be asked to sign in too.)

Both the interior and exterior or the War Memorial Center comply with all ADA regulations.  Handicapped parking is available on the west side of the building on Lincoln Memorial Drive (at the main entrance that faces west.)

Hopefully, with this new larger space, we can expand our services and reach out to more of our military and their families.  Pictures of the new location will be posted to the MVA site soon!

And please keep in mind, the Milwaukee Veterans Acupuncture clinic is staffed and supported entirely by volunteers. Donations are very welcome. Please consider donating your time, your talents, or your financial gift to the clinic. It is greatly appreciated. 

For information about volunteering or making a donation, or if you are interested in learning more about the MVA clinic and its mission, contact Team Leader Christine Jablonski (MSOM, MB, LicAcu, BSN).