The Role of Regulating Shen in Acupuncture for Trauma Healing

Chani Greiner, Bing Yang

New England School of Acupuncture

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Introduction

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and specifically acupuncture, has increasingly been used as a supportive therapy for individuals experiencing anxiety, PTSD, and trauma. The Huangdi Neijing, one of the foundational texts of Chinese medical thought, emphasizes the Shen’s role in governing health, suggesting that restoring harmony to the Shen is essential for healing. A core idea drawn from the Neijing is that “the heart governs the spirit” and that when the shen is at peace, illness is prevented. This belief concept anchors many TCM approaches to emotional disorders, particularly through acupuncture. However, a controversy arises when this classical concept is applied to the modern, complex presentation of trauma. The question surfaces: Is regulating Shen with acupuncture alone enough for sustainable trauma healing? This paper explores classical ideals and contemporary trauma informed care, weighing the perspectives of both traditions.

“Trauma” here in English refers to “a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms a person’s coping mechanisms and has a significant impact on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being.”, does not include “damage to the integrity of tissue structure or dysfunction caused by external physical or mechanical force.

Importance of the Issue

The rise in trauma-related diagnoses, particularly PTSD and complex trauma, has led to a greater exploration of non-Western healing modalities. Acupuncture has gained traction as a complementary intervention to standard mental health care due to research showing its ability to reduce anxiety and trauma-related symptoms. At the same time, the Neijing’s ancient frameworks need to be reassessed in the context of 21st-century trauma. The emphasis on harmonizing the Shen resonates with many trauma patients seeking peace and emotional regulation. However, trauma healing is multifaceted, often involving the body, memory, emotions, and environment. To rely solely on the Neijing’s spiritual-centric model may overlook key somatic and psychosocial components essential to modern trauma care. The outcome of this debate has real implications for acupuncturists and integrative practitioners aiming to provide holistic, effective care.

Perspective One: Harmonizing Shen Through Acupuncture Is Sufficient

The Huangdi Neijing offers a sophisticated model of emotional and physiological interdependence, where disturbances in the Shen manifest physically, and vice versa. In this worldview, the heart houses the Shen, and acupuncture can regulate heart function to stabilize the shen. Acupuncture protocols such as PC6, HT7, and Yintang are frequently used to calm the spirit, reduce fear, and anchor emotional unrest. Empirical evidence supports this tradition. A meta-analysis by Errington Evans (2015) found acupuncture to be significantly effective in reducing anxiety symptoms, often outperforming controls (Errington-Evans, 2012). In another randomized controlled trial, Hollifield et al. (2007) reported that acupuncture reduced PTSD symptoms in a sample of trauma survivors, with results comparable to cognitive behavioral therapy (Hollifield et al., 2007).

From this viewpoint, acupuncture guided by classical principles provides a complete treatment. It regulates internal organ systems, addresses the emotional root of disease, and re-establishes balance in the patient. TCM practitioners trained in trauma sensitive approaches further argue that the nuanced pulse and tongue diagnostics, coupled with personalized needling strategies, allow for individualized, non-verbal trauma care that Western therapy sometimes cannot reach. The regulation of shen thus becomes not just sufficient, but ideal in certain contexts.

Perspective Two: Acupuncture Alone Cannot Fully Heal Trauma

On the other side of the debate are trauma specialists and integrative health providers who emphasize that trauma is stored not just in the Shen, but also in the nervous system, musculature, and memory networks of the body. Modern trauma theory, informed by the works of Bessel van der Kolk and Peter Levine, suggests that trauma is primarily a somatic experience, requiring interventions that integrate body awareness, emotional expression, and social context. While acupuncture can calm the nervous system, critics argue it does not inherently process the trauma narrative or address attachment wounds and cognitive distortions.

In a trauma informed model, healing involves multiple layers of establishing safety, fostering self-regulation, developing narrative integration, and re-engaging in relationships (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). Acupuncture may assist with the first two, but lacks tools for the later stages of this process. Moreover, some trauma survivors may experience re-traumatization or dissociation during needling if practitioners are not trained in psychological safety protocols. A study by Stuyt and Voyles (2016) showed that while acupuncture was helpful for veterans with PTSD, the most significant outcomes occurred when it was integrated with therapy, mindfulness, and peer support (Stuyt and Voyles, 2016).

Core Differences in Perspective

The essential difference between these positions lies in scope. Classical Chinese medicine sees the Shen as the central pivot of healing, implying that restoring it restores all imbalances. Modern trauma-informed care, however, views trauma as a multifaceted, biopsychosocial phenomenon that affects the mind, body, spirit, and relationships simultaneously, demanding integrated and layered interventions. While the Neijing framework places primary emphasis on cultivating inner peace and spiritual balance, trauma-informed approaches recognize the critical role of external safety, bodily autonomy, and interpersonal trust in the healing process. The Neijing calls for harmony within the individual’s internal environment. Trauma-informed care acknowledges that true healing also requires addressing external systems, community, and history. Although both systems share a goal of restoring wholeness, they define that wholeness differently. Classical theory seeks to realign with cosmic and physiological order, while contemporary trauma models aim for reintegration of fractured parts of self through embodied awareness, narrative coherence, and secure relationships.

Conclusion and Reflection

This discussion highlights the evolving dialogue between classical TCM principles and modern psychological models. Exploring whether regulating Shen is sufficient for trauma healing reveals the strengths and limits of both paradigms. Acupuncture, grounded in the wisdom of the Neijing, provides powerful tools for calming and regulating the emotional body. Yet, trauma healing often requires broader, integrative approaches that address the cognitive, relational, and somatic dimensions of experience. The most promising future lies in TCM practitioners working alongside therapists and somatic educators to co-create trauma sensitive, patient centered care. This research process illuminated the profound responsibility involved in Acupuncturists bridging ancient medical philosophy with the nuanced realities of modern trauma care. It reinforced the necessity of critical thinking when interpreting classical texts, particularly as we seek to apply their wisdom in a vastly different cultural and clinical landscape. Honoring the Neijing’s enduring insights calls for more than reverence, as it requires a discerning ability to translate foundational principles into approaches that address the layered nature of trauma in the 21st century. True integration lies not in choosing one paradigm over the other, but in cultivating dialogue between them that is both respectful to ancient culture and adaptive to modern times.

References

Errington-Evans, N. (2012, April). Acupuncture for anxiety. CNS neuroscience & Therapeutics. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-5949.2011.00254.x/full 

Hollifield, M., Sinclair-Lian, N., Warner, T. D., & Hammerschlag, R. (2007). Acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled pilot trial. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 195(6), 504–513. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e31803044f8

Stuyt, E. B., & Voyles, C. A. (2016). The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol, auricular acupuncture to support patients with substance abuse and behavioral health disorders: current perspectives. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 7, 169–180. https://doi.org/10.2147/SAR.S99161

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884. https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma14-4884.pdf

About the authors:

Chani’s lifelong fascination with the human body and medicine, fueled by finding answers to her own complex medical journey, led her on a path to becoming a dedicated health and wellness professional. With over a decade of experience in the field, she has specialized in Psychology, Trauma Informed Care, and Western herbal medicine. In 2025, she achieved her dream of graduating from the New England School of Acupuncture. Now, she’s excited to bring Traditional Chinese Medicine to her patients in Massachusetts. 

Bing Yang is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in Massachusetts. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in the 1990s and her Doctoral degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). Currently she is the associated professor and Director of Chinese Herbal Programs of New England School of Acupuncture, MCPHS and also maintains a private practice in Boston.