By Christine Cioppa
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Now new research shows that regularly performing mind-body relaxation techniques (e.g., yoga, meditation, prayer) may also keep your physician away.
The study, published by PLOS, shows that patients who received mind-body training to build resilience and counter stress, were 43 percent less likely to need health care services.
Stress is connected to 70 percent of doctors' caseloads, the researchers note, as it is behind many conditions, from depression and anxiety to headaches, back pain, insomnia, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and chest discomfort.
“I like to think that there are many gates to wellness. However, not all of them are easy for everyone right away,” says study researcher James Stahl, MD, CM, MPH. “The choice of which one works best to start depends a bit on the person. The most important element is regular practice.”
To get started, “take control of a piece of your time. It can be in the morning, before you go to bed or some other time during the day in which you can devote to yourself and your own practice. It can be as little as 10 minutes. It just needs to be consistent,” says Dr. Stahl. “Mind-body skills are not expensive—you are born with the tools. Seeking a coach of one sort or another can be helpful. You can also get started with online material, like that offered at the Benson-Henry Institute.”
For more information check these resources:
http://www.bensonhenryinstitute.org (Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine)
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health—meditation)