Medical and scientific researchers have been trying to understand how the mind affects the human body for decades. What's obvious is that there is a connection, but what connection? As more studies are conducted, more people appear to be experiencing the magic of self-healing. Supplemental therapies like meditation and deep breathing exercises are helping more people recover from depression, drug, and alcohol addiction and even cancer.
Benefits of Holistic Treatments
Stress is something that occurs on a very mental and emotional level. When we get angry, sad or depressed, it triggers chemical reactions in our brains that have dramatic effects on the body. Stress increases your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and a host of other bodily functions. Harnessing the power of the mind towards positive bodily responses has become a medical science.For example, men and women struggling to recover from cancer have more than their bodily illness to worry about. Receiving treatment and the harsh side-effects of many of them leave cancer patients feeling drained. Fear, depression, hopelessness and many other negative emotions take their toll as well. Successful holistic treatments have proven the power of a positive mindset when battling cancer and other chronic illnesses.
This has been seen with Hodgkin’s lymphoma natural treatment as well as alternative therapies for other types of cancers. For professional treatment. There are therapists available online, on your schedule, to help with whatever you are struggling with.
Stress and the Immune System
When struggling to recover from illnesses like cancer, a healthy immune system is as good as gold. Negative emotions weaken the immune system. Medical research has proven that stress reduces the body's ability to fight off infection. This is a very real danger when it comes to chemotherapy treatments because they increase the risk of dangerous infections occurring.Holistic treatments relax the mind and body, helping patients cope with their conditions and dramatically improving their moods. Alternative therapies and their effects for pain management and stress relief include, but are not limited to:
- Meditation helps you regain some control of your thoughts, directing them away from pain and discomfort you are feeling. It can help regulate breathing patterns and help with relaxation.
- Breathing exercises can have powerful effects on those who live with pain and anxiety. Practiced regularly, it can help interrupt the pain/stress cycle.
- Progressive muscle relaxation is a way of relaxing the body one muscle at a time, starting from head to toe.
- Visualization or guided imagery is a scientifically validated technique used by many who live with pain, including those with arthritis.
Treating Cancer Patients
The mind and body connection is no longer considered a pseudoscience and a lot of alternative and holistic therapies are based on this. Cancer patients need to think positively, not just for mental health reasons, but to support their immune systems. It can take great measures to stay positive while being treated for cancer, but the effort is worth it.When infections occur in cancer patients, the effects can be devastating. Multiple organs can be damaged by sepsis, the body's response to a serious infection. This can lead to further complications and treatments that can be overwhelming for the patient. If you are being treated for cancer or any other serious condition or illness, remember how stress reduces your body's ability to fight infection. Keeping your thoughts positive any way you can will do a lot to help you recover.
