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The basis of mind-body medicine is the intimate links between the brain, the body, and behavior. It takes into account not just your physical health, but how emotional, spiritual, social, and behavioral factors in your life can affect your body.

Generally, mind-body programs work in a preventive sense, helping to intervene and disrupt the ill effects of outside forces on our health – such as stress or other environmental factors.  Mind-body interventions include yoga, relaxation response therapy, hypnosis, visual imagery, mediation, biofeedback, tai chi, behavioral therapy, and prayer.

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If by “faith healing” you mean the power of prayer in health crises, studies show it is extremely popular. A survey conducted by the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that of the 31,000 Americans questioned, 45% say they turn to prayer during a health crisis.

Moreover, there have been some 1,200 studies documenting the power of prayer. Some of the findings include:

 

• Patients who never attend church  remain in hospitals three times longer than  those who attend regularly.

 

• Heart patients are 14 times more likely to die following surgery when they don't participate in a religion.

 

• Elderly people who never or rarely attend church have double the stroke rate of regular churchgoers.

 

• In Israel, religious people had a 40% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

 

One possible link, say experts, is that our spiritual beliefs help us cope with stress, which in turn has a positive impact on our health. As to the presence of “divine intervention,”  that remains a mystery science has yet to unravel.

Answer:

The phrase "alternative medicine" means any healing or preventive health practice that falls outside the mainstream of Western medicine -- and this includes homeopathy.  

 

But what sets it apart from some other alternative treatments is that it is based upon a complete system of beliefs and practices. Homeopathy relies on the tenet that “like treats like,” meaning in order to cure something you have to expose the body to small but controlled amounts of the offending substance. The idea is to stimulate the immune system and help the body build its own defenses – in much the way a vaccine does.

 

But what makes homeopathy unique is that it takes into account a patient's body, mind, and spirit when seeking both the cause and cure of a health problem – and no two people are treated exactly alike, even if they have similar symptoms.  Holistic medicine as well as integrative medicine work on a similar mind-body-spirit principal, but have their own set of treatments.

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In general terms it means a home that is environmentally “friendly” and promotes good health.  This often means a reduction in chemical exposures, particularly in regard to cleaning chemicals, and  “off-gassing” of toxins emanating from items such as pressed wood furniture, carpet padding, or stain-resistant fabrics. It also includes concerns about mold, which grows in wet or damp places and can cause respiratory problems and neurotoxic effects. Another concern is radon, a colorless, odorless gas that comes from the earth and can get into a home via cracks in the foundation.  Exposure has been linked to various health concerns. Also important is making sure your home is lead-free - it’s still found in some water pipes and on older painted surfaces – since it remains particularly harmful to growing children and pregnant women.  The most important way to keep the environment in your home healthy is to not smoke.

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The color green has become synonymous with saving our earth’s resources – and to stopping chemical pollution and other practices damaging the earth’s surface as well as the environment. Going “green” means doing whatever you can, on a personal level, to foster the care of the earth – including reducing local pollution by using your car less or switching to a “hybrid” model. It also means conserving energy by switching to fluorescent light bulbs in areas like hallways, garages, and closets and reducing the amount of landfills contributing to ground and water pollution by recycling everything from newspapers to used furniture. Another good “green” action is switching to organic lawn care products - instead of harmful, air-polluting chemicals - and working to keep your homes as free of chemical pollution as possible.

 

Overall “living green” puts the focus on not only saving the earth’s resources, but in living a simpler, more natural life overall.

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Experts say the brain is not separate from the body – it’s just another part of your physiology that uses hormones and other chemicals to interact with the areas from your neck down.  At the same time, there are many who believe that it is the “thinking” area of our brain – and the thoughts it processes -- that can affect some of that chemistry. One example is the role of stress in infertility. A new study shows that when women are stressed, those emotions can affect the brain chemistry that influences reproductive hormones. The reverse can be seen in the healing powers of mind-body treatments such as medical hypnosis and meditation. They work to reduce stress by countering negative thoughts and emotions.

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An ancient spiritual tradition that is very much at home in the modern world, meditation seeks to relax the body by relaxing the mind. The most popular – and medically proven – are transcendental meditation and kundalini. Both involve focusing the mind by repeating a word or phrase (known as a "mantra") continuously for 10 to 20 minutes. The idea is to block all thoughts, so the brain is essentially “quiet.” It is this “quietude,” say doctors, that produces a deep relaxation that in turn affects systems body-wide, including heart rate, blood pressure, and even our response to pain. Indeed, studies have shown that regular meditation can reduce blood pressure and even help reduce the size of blockages deep within the arteries.

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While technically any workout that requires concentration can have mind-body benefits, in general the workouts that fall into this category include tai chi, yoga, and Pilates.

 

Tai chi was originally conceived as a marshal art, a type of self-defense training that keeps the body in a constant state of fluid motion.  The goal of yoga is to concentrate on establishing inner peace rather than preparing for war, and it’s based on achieving and holding “poses.” Pilates falls somewhere between the two.

 

What all three have in common, however, is that they focus the mind while moving the body. Counted among the benefits is a deep sense of relaxation, which in turn increases blood flow and revs energy levels. All three activities also improve balance and reduce stress, which in turn may affect blood pressure, heart rate, or even help control pain.  All three also help build muscle tone and increase flexibility.

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Because the field of alternative medicine is so broad and encompasses so many different types of treatment, it’s impossible to find any medical doctors who, across the board, endorse them all. That said, as more and more medical researchers are attracted to this field, and more studies are done, doctors are increasingly welcoming many forms of alternative medicine into their practice. 

 

Among the most popular endorsed by doctors are biofeedback, massage, acupuncture, and other relaxation techniques.  According to one survey of some 700 doctors, the treatment least likely to be recommended was herbal therapies, though some 68% admitted they have patients using products on their own.

 

Meanwhile, over 80% of the doctors surveyed said they wanted to learn more about alternative medicine – so expect that in the future more will be incorporating various forms of this treatment into their mainstream medical practices.

Answer:

Most doctors are not routinely familiar with every alternative medicine treatment. However, most know a little something about the ones backed by scientific evidence. As such, the best place to start is by asking your primary care doctor for a recommendation.

Additionally, most medical schools and major teaching hospitals have centers devoted to alternative medicine – or at the very least, retain a list of local practitioners they can recommend. If your insurance company covers alternative medicine treatments – for example, biofeedback or acupuncture – they would be the best source of information. You can also contact professional organizations that represent the type of practitioner you are seeking.  A good source is the Directory of Information Resources Online (www.dirline.nim.nih.gov), a U.S. government agency that maintains locations and descriptions of many health organizations, including those associated with the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).