Mind/Body Medicine Health Article

Biofeedback

Biofeedback uses special instruments that measure and display heart rate, perspiration, muscle tension, brain wave activity, body temperature, respiratory patterns, and other indicators of stress and physiological activity. Patients can observe their measurements and learn to consciously control functions that were previously unconsciously controlled. Biofeedback also helps people learn how to initiate the relaxation response quickly and effectively.

Biofeedback is used to treat hypertension, stress-related headaches, migraine headaches, attention-deficit disorder, and diabetes. Biofeedback is used often in physical therapy to rehabilitate damaged nerves and muscles. It is also an approved treatment for a vascular disorder called Raynaud's syndrome. Patients with this syndrome experience blanching and numbness in their hands and feet in response to cold or emotional stress. A 2002 study showed that biofeedback helped children with a disease called vesicoureteral reflux (an abnormal backflow or urine from the bladder to the ureter) learn to correct reflux. This helped the children avoid surgery and prolonged antibiotic therapy.

Breath therapy

Breath therapy works on the premise that breathing plays a central role in the body and mind. People who are under stress tend to breathe rapidly and shallowly, whereas slow and deep breathing has been shown to reduce stress and promote the relaxation response. In Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, the breath is considered the most important metabolic function. In yoga, there is a science of breathing techniques known as pranayama, which is designed to reduce stress and promote health.

Breath therapy is often used in conjunction with meditation and other mind/body techniques. It can be learned from books and tapes, or can be learned from a yoga or mind/body specialist. It is an inexpensive treatment, and once learned can be practiced easily anywhere.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is deeply focused attention that brings about a trance state that is somewhere between waking and sleeping. During hypnosis, the mind is very open to suggestion. Mental imagery is often used in conjunction with hypnosis to maximize positive thinking and healing.

Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, is used to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain, and help patients suffering from chronic diseases. It is also used to assist people in overcoming bad health habits, and addictions to nicotine, alcohol and drugs. Some dentists use hypnosis to help patients relax during dental procedures. Research continues to show the benefits of hypnosis. In 2002, a summary of recent studies included one that evaluated the effectiveness of self–hypnosis for patients undergoing angioplasty and other medical procedures. They required half the sedation of patients in control groups, and their procedures took less time. Pregnant adolescents who were counseled on hypnosis needed less anesthesia during delivery, needed less pain medication after delivery, and left the hospital sooner than patients in the control groups. Hypnosis is best performed by trained hypnotherapists, who can teach techniques of self-hypnosis to the patient.

Mental imagery

This technique uses the imagination to stimulate healing responses in the body, as studies have shown that the imagination can cause the same activity in the brain and immune system as real events. Patients are taught to imagine places or situations in which they have felt happy, healthy, or safe. Patients can also focus on images that increase confidence, reduce stress, and promote healing. Cancer patients are taught to imagine that their immune cells are eliminating cancer cells from their bodies. Heart attack sufferers are taught to imagine their hearts getting healthy and strong. Women can mentally rehearse childbirth, and patients imagine themselves successfully going through surgery as preparation for the real event.

Mental imagery has shown promise treating immune system problems, and is used often in cancer treatment and AIDS cases. It has been used to treat irritable bowel syndrome and asthma. Mental imaging techniques are also used in conjunction with many other mind/body techniques like meditation and hypnosis, as it is an efficient means of promoting positive mental attitudes. Mental imaging techniques can be learned from books, audiotapes, videos, and from professional therapists and teachers.

Movement therapy

Movement routines such as dance therapy have been shown to have a significant mind/body element. In these therapies, which also include martial arts, yoga, and tai chi, strict routines of physical movements are designed to involve high levels of mental concentration and awareness of the body. Movement therapies are good for people who have trouble sitting still for meditation, and are an excellent way of improving physical strength and mental health at the same time.

Precautions

Mind/body practices are safe and have few side effects. They should not, however, be relied upon solely when other medical care is required, particularly for serious conditions like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Consumers should also seek out reliable and properly trained practitioners, particularly in those practices and states for which certification is not required by law.