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Local group, Tuberville pushing for alternative treatments for PTSD

Cullman Times - 6/26/2021

Jun. 26—According to the American Red Cross, 7.8% of Americans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 30% of them are military veterans. As the nation recognizes National PTSD Awareness Day Sunday to bring attention to PTSD and educate people about it, a local organization and Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville are trying to make alternative treatments available to veterans.

Locally, Saving Forgotten Warriors (SFW) and VFW Post 2214 are paying for and arranging stellate ganglion block (SGB) procedures for veterans. Since the program started in January, 2020, 170 local veterans have received the SGB shot. It "resets" the central nervous system, which controls the "fight or flight" instinct. It's administered into the neck, and, according the research published in the JAMA Psychiatry, has shown to provide "a significant difference" for sufferers of PTSD.

Retired Air Force Col. Ken Brown said they've seen a significant difference in the men and women that have received the shot. "We know we saved six lives in 2020," he said. "We're having great success rates on lessening the effects of PTSD."

They first began sending veterans to Annapolis, Maryland, for the procedure, but as of January this year veterans have been going to Nesbitt Pain Associates on the campus of St. Vincent Hospital in Birmingham.

This is saving the veterans' travel time and SFW the cost of sending veterans out of state on an overnight trip. "They can just go on down there and get the shot," said Brown. The shot costs $800 per person, and the group relies on donations to make it possible to send veterans for treatment.

But with about 7,000 veterans in Cullman County and an estimated 12% suffering from PTSD, there's just not enough funding to get the roughly 850 veterans treated with SGB.

The Department of Defense has approved SGB and uses it at selected military hospitals, but, said Brown, "You have this tremendous population [of veterans] and their health is supposed to be taken care of by the Veterans Administration." The VA, he said, is treating PTSD through counseling and drugs.

"They are not allowing hospitals to give SGB to veterans for PTSD," he said.

Brown said counseling is important even with SGB treatment and the local VFW has a PTSD support group that meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. But he believes the focus on drugs for treating PTSD is driven by the pharmaceutical companies.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Penn.) introduced a bill that would require the VA to expand the use of SGB. So far, said Brown, the bill has not made it out of committee.

Brown said he believes the reason there's been no movement on the bill, which has bipartisan support, is money. "The committee members are getting a lot of money for campaigns from pharmaceutical companies," he said. "The companies are making a heck of a lot of money from the pills for all these veterans all over the country."

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville this week signed on to legislation that would allow the VA to use Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat veterans with PTSD. The treatment is similar to decompression chambers used by divers. Patients breathe pure oxygen in a pressurized environment, sending more oxygen throughout the body and helping to repair tissues and restore functionality.

Tuberville, who serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said, "Many veterans say HBOT helps treat their traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and PTSD — ailments that can lead to suicide. But perhaps most importantly, HBOT is a holistic treatment. Instead of loading up on prescribed medications, this treatment involves no drugs, no endless trips to the pharmacy, and no medicine schedules to keep up with."

It's also relatively inexpensive, costing between $250-$450 per treatment.

He noted, "HBOT is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment option for more than a dozen different conditions, including severe burns, infections, and decompression sickness. In fact, there are many former professional athletes, including football players, who have found success with this treatment for different injuries, including severe head injuries. But the FDA does not recognize HBOT as an approved treatment option for TBI and PTSD, meaning veterans can't receive this care at VA facilities and must pay for it out of their own pockets. It's time that changed."

The bill, HBOT Access Act, would require the VA to refer veterans to HBOT if they have tried at least two evidence-based treatment options and are at high risk for suicide.

Meanwhile, Brown, who hopes pressure will be put on Congress to make SGB available to veterans, is also hoping more Cullman County veterans with PTSD come to them for help and that the organization can continue sending them for treatment.

"The community has really stepped forward," he said, but he realizes people can only give so much, and Cullman has many worthwhile causes also seeking funding.

He invites any veterans with PTSD or their families who are looking for more information or support to contact him at 256-507-1121.

The VFW PTSD support group meets every Wednesday at the VFW post located at 112 Veterans Drive, SW. The phone number is 256-739-6611.

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