Summary
Medical professionals are seeing growing signs that humor can have a positive effect on patient health. Chaplain Jim Gearhart said when he visits patients (often wearing a pig snout), that humor allows them to take control of their situation a little, and deal with the overwhelming emotion disease can cause. Linda Schultz, licensed psychologist department supervisor at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, said.
"Laughing releases serotonin, increases T cells, increases endorphins and improves the immune system." Dr. Greg Markway, a St. Mary's psychologist, says humor is also a great form of preventative medicine.
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http://springfield.news-leader.com/news/today/20050416-Somehealthexper.html
Details
Jefferson City --- The chaplain with a pig snout visiting patients in Jefferson City's St. Marys Health Center personifies what many medical professionals and researchers are prescribing for their patients --- a good dose of humor.
Medical professionals agree patients' health is no laughing matter, but they are increasingly looking to a growing body of evidence indicating humor's benefits for physical and mental health, as well as patient-caregiver relationships.
After getting to know them, Chaplain Jim Gearhart intentionally uses humor to relate to patients, their families and hospital staff.
But lightening the mood need not mean silly costumes or telling a joke, Gearhart said.
Peggy Van Gundy, St. Marys director of mission effectiveness, said humor in the medical workplace is needed to let out some of the tension.
"It's a way of venting all the emotion inside when dealing with life and death situations," she said.
Like many medical professionals, Linda Schultz, licensed psychologist department supervisor at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, selectively incorporates humor in her patients' treatment.
Some T cells, a type of white blood cell, can increase immune response.
Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, is key to mood regulation.
Endorphins, "the body's natural painkiller," are made in response to pain or extreme physical exertion.
Stress causes these responses to go in the opposite direction, causing negative thoughts and paranoia, while observing things from a different angle using
humor can give people greater problem-solving ability, Schultz said.
Dr. Greg Markway, a St. Marys psychologist, cited several studies demonstrating the adverse effects of stress and depression upon heart health.
He said cortisol, a stress hormone, affects heart rate and blood pressure, so anything a person can do to reduce stress and feel more optimistic will have a positive influence.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, May 18, 2005
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