iStock photo

“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Law or not, the old adage points to the negative expectations we sometime fall victim to whether merited or not. In medicine it might be called the nocebo effect.

We’ve all heard about the positive influence of placebos: take a pill with no active ingredients whatsoever and a healing response ensues anyway.  A nocebo is an ill effect caused by the suggestion or belief that something is harmful.  Think of it as the placebo’s sinister counterpart.

Researching the influence of nocebos on an individual’s health has lagged behind the study of placebos. Experts are just beginning to understand their importance through clinical studies.  These investigations point to a robust mental component when taking into account health maintenance and outcomes.

“For better or worse, our minds are as much a part of treatment as the pills and therapies we receive,” according to Matthew D. Erlich, M.D. and Lloyd I. Sederer, M.D. in, Should HealthCare Providers Be Afraid of the ‘Nocebo’ Effect?, published in the Huffington Post.  Read more…

iStock photo

Ever think about the origins of the barber pole with its red and white strips and brass cup?  It represents the bloody bandages of the barber profession from centuries ago which included performing surgeries and dentistry for customers. You can guess what the cup was used for.

Present day doctoring has advanced in so many ways since the days of knives and bloodletting.  Now there is robotic surgery and nuclear medicine. The training and expertise needed by today’s physician attest to the skills required to operate complex instruments and the software that runs them.  

And while the advancement of these innovating technologies has been welcomed in the health care community, experts are questioning whether the patient has been left behind in the push towards modernized medical treatment.  Welcome to the world of the “iPatient”.

“The patient in the bed has become an icon,” according to Abraham Verghese, M.D., renowned physician, author, and senior associate chair for the theory and practice of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.   He spoke at the Fifth Annual Medical-Spirituality Conference sponsored by Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University.

Verghese suggests the purpose of admission to a hospital is to “render the live 3-demensional patient into a 2-demensional image.”  Read more…..

iStock photo

Health care reform is SERIOUS business. Consumers as well as politicians, doctors, insurance execs and hospital administrators are wringing their hands over the implications of enacted and pending modifications to a behemoth industry.  Perhaps it’s time to add some humor…seriously.

The irony should not be lost on anyone that International Moment of Laughter Day (Sunday April 14^th) comes just two days before National Healthcare Decisions Day on Tuesday. Laughter Day encourages more people to laugh while the purpose of Healthcare Decisions Day is to educate the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.

Maybe both days should be combined, because it turns out laughter is not only good for the soul, but for the body too.  Your funny bone is connected to your health, both short and long-term.

Laughter as medicine gained national attention after the release of Patch Adams, the movie starring Robin Williams. The real life Adams founded the Gesundheit! Institute over 40 years ago.  Its mission includes care infused with fun and play, and uses clowns and other funny approaches in a fairly unique healthcare approach.

Adams writes, “The idea that a person was healthy because of normal lab values and clear x-rays had no relationship to who the person was. Good health was much more deeply related to close friendships, meaningful work, a lived spirituality of any kind, an opportunity for loving service and an engaging relationship to nature, the arts, wonder, curiosity, passion and hope.”

Research into the role of humor in health shows benefits, including pain reduction, easing tension, enhancing heart health and immune systems, boosting the quality of life, and even giving toddlers a head start in life skills.

I remember my dad using humor to get me to laugh at times when things seemed pretty serious.  It was contagious.  I could not help but feel better whether it was a physical or emotional issue I was dealing with.  Laughter is good for what ails you.

Karen Williams is a believer in the health benefits of humor too.  The Cleveland stand-up comic started the International Institute of Humor and Healing Arts, otherwise known as the HaHA Institute.  The organization “is deeply committed to the study and active use of humor in the healing process — personal, societal, and planetary.”  Her message – encouraging the potential for compassion, wisdom and life force through the daily use of humor and healing – has taken her around the globe.

Are you familiar with laughing clubs? The brain child of Dr. Madan Kataria, 6000 clubs have sprung up in over 60 countries since their inception in 1995.  He realized the “tremendous power of laughter and its efficacy as the best prescription for wellness.” In an NBC report Kataria goes so far as to say that laughter could be the answer to the U.S. health care reform.

Humor and other “mindfulness” methods to health – everything from relaxation techniques to prayer – are gaining wider acceptance. Laughter’s “outside the Jack-in-the box” approach to healing is one of those surprising treasures putting smiles on many faces.

There is a Bible passage that goes, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Taking the time to laugh is part of a good health strategy.

All of April is National Humor Month, so make the most of it. Laugh a little. And by all means remember to laugh out loud this Sunday.  Monday is Tax Day in the U.S..

This column was originally published at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

iStock photo

“I am only grouchy and moody on days that end in Y.”

My family and I were walking the sidewalks of the Big Apple eons ago when without warning…bam!  A woman smacked right into me, startling us both.  Before I could get out an apology, she blurted out in a foul tone, “Watch where you’re walking, child!”  I stopped myself before the words could form, “Geez, what a grouch!”

She was a character, and even decades later I can vividly remember her cantankerous demeanor.  Her comment was unexpected and seemed so hurtful to the child I was then.

As I’ve aged I’ve tried to become an adult who is upbeat, no matter how difficult the day. But, there are those times when it seems I, like many of us, just can’t control my disposition.

What kind of mood are you in today? It seems a common – almost rote – question. But, it turns out that the answer to that question is very important. Maintaining a positive attitude influences longevity and boosts brain power in older adults.  And an individual’s spirituality plays a big role in resiliency in later life too.  Separate studies confirm these findings.

One study of 660 Ohioans over 50 found people with more positive attitudes about aging lived an average 7.5 years longer than those with more negative outlooks. That is significant.  In fact according to the researchers a positive mood about aging has greater impact on longevity than any one of the following:

• Lowered blood pressure
• Lowered cholesterol
• Exercise
• Weight loss
• Not smoking

As reported in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, authors of the study offer two conclusions.  One “is that negative self-perceptions can diminish life expectancy.”  The other “is that positive self-perception can prolong life expectancy.”

A good attitude does not stop there.  A new study supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and appearing in the journal Cognition and Emotion, connects the power of positive mood with aiding older people in decision making and working memory. And this is important since maintaining their independence – the most important thing to most elderly – is heavily dependent on being able to remember what they need to do and to make sound decisions.

According to Ellen Peters, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, “Given the current concern about cognitive declines in the aged, our findings are important for showing how simple methods to improve mood can help improve cognitive functioning and decision performance in older adults, just like they do in younger people.”

You have to wonder, with research results like these, just how much influence one wields over his/her own health and wellness.  Thoughts, emotions, outlook are all shown to impact physical and mental health.  And control over these factors lies within each of us.

Keeping thoughts and emotions in check and maintaining a bright outlook has long been the purview of religiosity, faith, and spirituality.  Turning to God has been a natural inclination for generations of believers when dealing with life’s trials, not only for coping purposes, but also for healing these issues. The concept/principle underneath “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee” – i.e. calm thought focused on the divine results in good – is health enhancing whether it comes from the Bible or some other sacred text.

Now a research report out of Duke University supports what many of us have long known: the potential for spirituality in contributing to resiliency in life, especially in dealing with changes connected to aging.

Women from the age of 82 to 94 were interviewed for the study.  “Enduring hardship, challenge, and adversity while using their spirituality as a framework for making meaning and processing allowed them not only to cope with challenge, but also to bounce back in a manner that resulted in positive development, growth, and positive transformation,” concludes Lydia Manning from the Duke Center for Aging who conducted the project.

All in all, these studies and other research indicate mechanisms available to us 24/7 in the quest for wellness and contentedness.  What we think and how we act are things we can control. When the daily grind or clashes with others puts us out of sorts we can stop rehearsing the negative impulses and concentrate on the good in our lives. It’s doable and life enhancing.  Smile. It’s better than being a grouch any day of the week.

This post was originally published on the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

iStock photo

“Early to bed and early to rise,” the proverb goes “makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  Seems like great advice in our drive to staying healthy even though studies indicate most of us aren’t getting enough sleep these days.

While old adages can offer helpful insights, when it comes to maintaining our health, a mountain of new information is available based on research.  Unfortunately, it has both useful and dubious results.

Studies on diet, vitamins, stress, and smoking and their impact on health get pretty wide coverage in the media.  Then there are other research findings that leave you scratching your head.  A study out of the University of California, San Diego found that people with “positive” initials like A.C.E. or V.I.P might live longer that those with “negative” initials like P.I.G. or D.I.E.. And there are studies that point to the health benefits of watching TV reruns or swearing to relieve pain.  What do you do with information like that?

The fact is, there have been so many health research studies published over the years and so many voices promoting a particular approach to well-being, the health consumer is often confused.

February is Wise Health Consumer Month.  The American Institute for Preventive Medicine sponsors the observance to help empower consumers to better “understand their options, communicate with their care providers and make educated decisions about their own health.”

“Studies show that Americans spend more time researching car purchases and new appliances than they do choosing doctors and health plans,” according to the institute’s website. “We’re not even sure we have options.” That’s a good point.

Most of the conversation surrounding health care choices has dealt with insurance coverage, doctor selection, and brand name drugs versus generic substitutions.  And a lot of the debate has to do with quality of care and economics.

But those are not the only choices of which consumers are becoming aware.  Looming even larger on the health care front are choices over the actual type of care received.  Take for example, integrative medicine which is quickly receiving the attention of consumers, hospitals, and medical schools.

Integrative medicine is a whole-person approach to health, treating the person, not just the disease according to WebMD.com.  Another source, the Bravewell Collaborative Report 2010, puts it this way:    “A practical strategy, integrative medicine puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health.”

Note that “physical” is just one of six components integrative health addresses with the patient.  The recognition of other influences on health seems an obvious conclusion, one more health professionals are increasingly willing to investigate and take advantage of.

Case in point, Larry Dossey, MD, Texas physician, author, and executive editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. His work has led to exponential growth in the exploration of the role of religious practice and prayer in health.

“For too long, spirituality has been viewed as a luxury or as an optional nicety where health is concerned,” writes Dossey.  ”This view is outdated and archaic and is inconsistent with emerging data. A sense of the spiritual is often a matter of life and death.  No other perspective, in view of the evidence, can be considered scientific.”

As more research is conducted and studies released in the quest for better health, we are going to have to cogitate over a wealth of data in order to discern what constitutes valuable information. Consumers not only have a choice in their health pursuits, they have a responsibility.

One of my heroes, Paul of Bible fame, put it succinctly, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise.”

This column was originally published at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

Would you stand in a glass booth on a crowded city sidewalk and let passersby judge how old you are before engaging experts to give you a new look?  How about compete with other contestants to win a dream wedding and plastic surgery? That’s makeover TV.

Makeovers fascinate us and TV has exploited our insecurities over self-image cranking out shows that often highlight a superficiality the viewer might accept as bona fide change. Modern fashion and an up-to-date hair cut might provide the reboot you need to feel better and put a smile on your face. But do these changes contribute to a better you, to a longer and healthier life in both mind and body?  It’s doubtful.

What is it that creates lasting change in us and provides that spark allowing for authentic transformation?   Consider love, in this case a deep, Godly love. That has been the focus of a four year initiative called the Flame of Love Project.

Over 80% of Americans directly feel God’s love according to a survey conducted by the organization funded by the John Templeton Foundation.  The findings also report a similar number “feel that God’s love increases their compassion for others.”

Now, three of the project’s co-directors, Matthew T. Lee and Margaret M. Poloma from the University of Akron and Stephen Post, from the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, have collaborated on a new book, The Heart of Religion: spiritual empowerment, benevolence, and the experience of God’s love, published by Oxford University Press.

Detailed interviews in the book “shed new light on how Americans wake up to the reality of divine love and how that transformative experience expresses itself in concrete acts of benevolence.”

We innately sense that altruism is good for the other guy, but there are benefits for the giver too; healthy paybacks.   Volunteerism is good medicine. That’s according to UnitedHealthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, the largest single health carrier in the United States. On their “do good. live well.” website, they have amassed health info from a variety of sources that should not be ignored.

Through the research compiled they conclude that volunteering:

• Improves physical well-being

The social activities associated with volunteering have been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, improve the immune system and safeguard from the effects of stress.

• Raises self-confidence and self-esteem

Volunteering has a positive influence on social psychological factors. Confidence, self-assurance, and worth are heightened when participating in the act of helping others.

• Encourages friendships that buffer against stress and illness 

New opportunities and a fresh start come from activities like volunteering where you meet new people and get to know them.  These connections can help guard against despair and hopelessness and their

associated illnesses – such as chronic pain and eating disorders.

•  Volunteering may help you live longer

Life expectancy has been shown in studies to increase through volunteer involvement.  Quality of life is improved too.

All this sounds very helpful and certainly healthful.  Link here to dogoodlivewell.org for more information and research sources.

Love is a trending topic this time of year when our attention and intentions are drawn to others. Affection, forgiveness, volunteerism and other hallmarks of love have lasting impact.  It was Jesus who long ago admonished us to, “Love others as well as you love yourself.” And this counsel is found in some form in many other sacred teachings.

Brotherly love delivers a real makeover with healthy benefits.

This column was originally published at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

Juxtaposed against this exponential growth in health technology reliance comes an increased awareness by consumers and health professionals of the innate power of empathy – person to person – and its application in feeling good physically and mentally.  It’s an intriguing dynamic: faith in a software gadget and trust in the natural quality of compassion both used to boost one’s well-being.

An estimated 44 million health apps were downloaded in the past year. And everyone is in on it, including health professionals.  One study reports that 70% of doctors with a smartphone have downloaded anywhere from 26 to over 50 apps so far and use 29 of them on a monthly basis.  And it’s not just for their personal use. Doctors are prescribing apps for their patients too.

Increased use of health apps coincides with a growing number of people going to the internet for health information.  According to the latest research from the 2013 Pew Internet & American Life Project, 72% of internet users have looked for health information online within the past year.

The impact of health Googling and smartphone doctoring remains unclear.  Read more…

There is something appealing about a fresh start.  No matter what has occurred the preceding day or over the past year, finding within ourselves the courage to begin again contributes to the promise of success.

That’s one reason for so many New Year resolutions.  New plan + new resolve = victory!

Experts have concluded that the formula does not live up to the hype and most resolutions don’t stand a chance.  In fact, some reports peg the failure rate of individuals achieving their New Year goals at 78%. Bummer!

Will you make any this year?  Healthier living is on many peoples’ minds.  The list includes losing weight, eating better, exercising, and to stop smoking.  And it’s more than a wish list, it’s a necessity.

A new national study released by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention concludes that American’s are living longer, but sicker.

Read more…

What’s the appeal? There is something about an old, miserly curmudgeon obsessed with money and power acknowledging the depths of his misery and awakening to a lost sense of generosity that melts the heart.  What can I say?

If you count them all there have been over 200 different undertakings to share the classic story of the transformation of a miserable old soul into a giddy and happy benefactor.  It is a story that resonates in our culture and speaks to every heart regardless of age or nationality.

During that fateful Christmas Eve night when confronted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, Scrooge remembers to love.  And his love is embodied in giving. And his generosity changes his whole demeanor for the better.  Read more…

How good?  The effects of thankfulness on health are measurable according to researchers who have been studying the connection with great interest.  One example: Robert Emmons at the University of California-Davis and Michael McCullough from the University of Miami have deduced that people feel better physically and mentally when counting their blessings. Their study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The two psychologists open their report with a Charles Dickens quote: “Reflect on your present blessings, on which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”  The researchers studied three groups each with a different assignment.  One group focused on things they were grateful for over a one week period.  Another group concentrated on daily irritations over the same period, while a third group dealt with things that had impacted their lives with no positive or negative emphasis.  It turned out that over a ten week span, those focusing on gratitude experienced fewer health complaints and felt better about their lives.

Read more …