Modern Day Mind Body Medicine

Pioneering doctors and modern technology are proving that not only is there a mind body connection, but it's virtually impossible to separate the two if you want to truly affect healing and change.

What were often thought of as diseases originating in the physical body, are now seen as diseases that are triggered by the psyche. Not surprisingly, healing can also originate in the mind with no real medical intervention.

Quite by accident, pharmaceutical companies have been significant contributors to the study of mind body medicine and subconscious mind healing.

During drug studies, researchers have to account for the powerful placebo effect which accounts for at least one-third of all improvements noted in these studies.

Once the domain of 'new agers', several prominent physicians have come to the forefront of mind body medicine. Many more holistic physicians are joining the ranks.

Dr. Herbert Benson - The Relaxation Response

His research led to findings about how the mind body healing connection could be accessed using techniques such as biofeedback to help people relax and be healthier. Harvard now houses the Mind Body Medical Institute.

Dr. Bruce Lipton - Cellular Biology

The DNA sequence did not change, but how the genes expressed themselves did. The cell may have begun as a muscle cell, but it could become any other kind of cell.

His work contributed to the study of epigenetics and challenged traditional ideas of nature versus nurture.

Scientists now understand that your health is not predetermined by your genes alone, but by your environment and consciousness. The word epigenetics means 'over the genes'.

Dr. Lipton explains epigenetics in this way. He says that

genes are the 'blueprints' for the body's construction and epigenetic mechanisms resemble a contractor that can select and modify the gene blueprints to fit the perceived needs of the body.

In the first weeks after conception embryonic development is controlled by genes. But then something interesting happens. These genes take a back seat to environmental information.

The child receives this information via hormones and other chemicals from its mother. In turn, the child's body structure and function are adjusted in response to the mothers perception of her environment. For example, if a mother experiences a lot of stress during pregnancy, the child is at higher risk for emotional issues. Children with learned helplessness often come from mothers who were stressed out during pregnancy.

The mind body healing connection is further supported as Dr. Lipton explains that thoughts actively shape our genes. Only 5% of human diseases are related to inborn genetic defects. Lifestyle is responsible for 90% of heart disease, 60% cancer and possibly all of type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer - German New Medicine

Dr. Hamer had been healthy all his life until developing testicular cancer three months after his son's tragic death. He was suspicious of this coincidence and began researching the personal histories of thousands of cancer patients to see if they had experienced some shock or trauma before their illness.

Based on his extensive research, Dr. Hamer concluded that disease is only brought about when we are not prepared for the shock or distressing event we experience. When the distress is resolved, mind body healing occurs and the body can return to its normal state.

Like other medical pioneers, Dr. Hamer was ridiculed for his work with mind body therapy and was imprisoned. His form of mind body medicine is called German New Medicine and is gaining some acceptance.

Dr. John Sarno - Rehabilitative Medicine

Dr. Sarno theorizes that most back pain has mind body origins, most notably from stress. This phenomenon, known as tension myositis syndrome, may also be responsible for pain in the lower back, upper back, neck, knees and feet.

When muscles become tense due to self-induced stressors and stored negative emotions, especially rage, muscles don't receive enough oxygen. This can result in back and joint pain.

Dr. Sarno claims a 70% success rate for curing severe musculo-skeletal pain without medical procedures. His mind body therapy consists of guiding people to examine their emotions. His patients ask themselves, "I wonder what I am angry or anxious about?" He found that it is important to observe and flow with the feeling with non-judgmental awareness and notes that the process may unfold over time.

The list of researchers and physicians bringing the validity of mind body medicine to the forefront is rapidly growing. Almost every holistic health or major magazine carries articles about the mind body connection and how it relates to certain medical conditions.

Mind body medicine is becoming integrated into modern medicine. Practitioners, coaches, and licensed therapists using mind body therapy and techniques abound. It seems this is just the beginning of a new medical paradigm that could have great benefits for everyone.

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