ěWe will provide acupuncture and therapeutic bodywork on a walk-in basis, one day per week to WRAMC caregivers ó nurses, doctors, social workers, chaplains, etc.,î said acupuncturist Alaine Duncan, executive director of Crossings Healingworks.

ěReducing stress in any aspect of a system affects all its parts,î Duncan said. ěAcupuncture and therapeutic massage are ancient methods that help people find balance and maximize healing. Tending the human circle around seriously ill patients with complementary medicine helps to reduce stress and fatigue, and creates a calmer, more alert staff that can more readily respond to the critical tasks demanded of them.

ěOur experience is clear ó the impact of war is not limited to its geographic borders, to the Soldiers who serve, or to their time of serviceî Duncan added. ěCaregivers in military hospitals during times of war are at particular risk for developing secondary trauma reactions, such as sleeplessness, anxiety, panic and nightmares. WRAMC military caregivers who remember and/or anticipate their own battlefield deployment are particularly affected by their work with war injured Soldiers.î

Duncan said Crossing Healingworks have tested the effectiveness of their model through the Caring for the Caregivers clinics they have offered annually at WRAMC during National Nurses Week. These clinics provide acupuncture and therapeutic bodywork to nurses and doctors, chaplains and social workers, physical therapists, and administrators.

ěOur services received enthusiastic support from the Department of Nursing, as well as the over 300 participants in our three 12-hour days of service this past May,î Duncan said.

She added that WRAMC caregivers have said theyíve experienced ědeeper sleep, less mood-disturbance, fewer aches and pains and increased vitality,î after receiving services from Crossings Healingworks.

For more information about Crossings Healingworks call Duncan at (301) 806 4003, or e-mail aduncan@crossingshealingworks.org. The Crossing Healingworks Web site is www.crossingshealingworks.org.