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- Hilary McClafferty, MD*
- *Assistant Director of the Fellowship, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, Phoenix, AZ.
Author Disclosure
Dr McClafferty has disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.
Objectives
After completing this article, readers should be able to:
Define mind-body medicine.
Review evidence-based pediatric mind-body therapies and identify medical conditions where these therapies have proven beneficial.
Encourage pediatricians to consider integrating mind-body medicine into practice.
What is Mind-Body Medicine?
Mind-body medicine might be defined as the deliberate harnessing of positive thought and emotion and using them for the purpose of enhancing health.
It has been well established that poorly managed pain and stress can activate the inflammatory cascade, depress immune function, and increase the risk of chronic depression, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) The field of mind-body medicine capitalizes on the inverse association that positive emotions and use of self-regulation skills can trigger beneficial physiologic reactions, including enhanced immunity, decreased inflammation, and improved mental health. (6)
A wide variety of mind-body techniques can be used to achieve a state of calm, positive focus. The modalities that have the best supporting evidence of efficacy in pediatrics currently are biofeedback, hypnosis, guided imagery, mindfulness, music therapy, and yoga. (7)
Challenges in Mind-Body Medicine
New fields of medicine present unique challenges, and mind-body medicine is no exception. This broad, wide-ranging topic rarely is addressed in medical education. Mastery of new skills is required, treatment is highly individualized, insurance reimbursement may vary, colleagues may be skeptical, and pressure to prescribe medication rather than suggest an unfamiliar therapy may deter physicians from recommending it.
Why is Mind-Body Medicine Important?
Mind-body therapies encourage children to become active participants in their care and are low risk and cost-effective. They can be used as evidence-based alternatives to conventional therapies if conventional treatments have undesirable adverse effects, as adjunct supportive therapies, or as primary treatments in cases where they offer superior …
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