Pentagon tries aroma therapy to ease combat stress

[Celebration]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64802D20100509?type=domesticNews

The U.S. military is experimenting with aroma therapy, acupuncture and other unorthodox methods to treat soldiers traumatized by combat experiences, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday.

He said the experiments showed promise.

Gates touted possible treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during a meeting with the wives of servicemen at Fort Riley, Kansas, when one woman asked him to explain why chiropractic and acupuncture therapies were not covered under her military health care plan.

"We have an experimental unit ... treating soldiers with PTS (post-traumatic stress) and using a number of unorthodox approaches, including aroma therapy, acupuncture, things like that, that really are getting some serious results, and so maybe we can throw that into the hopper as well," Gates said.

[havocmom]

1. Glad they are exploring some sound alternative therapy, but

did it ever occur to them to stop needless wars?

[kestrel91316]

3. [phone] 000 000 000 000

[foxfeet]

2. Anything has to smell better than blood and dead people. n/t

[jody]

4. aroma therapy and VA still won't fully acknowledge PTSD. May as well try faith healing. n/t

[Sanity Claws]

5. So will bullets now be lavender-scented?

[izquierdista]

6. Smell of napalm in the morning not working for ya?

:shrug: