What is Mind-Body Medicine?

Mind-body medicine focuses on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior, and on the powerful ways in which emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors can directly affect health. It regards as fundamental an approach that respects and enhances each person's capacity for self-knowledge and self-care, and it emphasizes techniques that are grounded in this approach. ^[1]

Mind-body medicine typically focuses on intervention strategies that are thought to promote health, such as relaxation, hypnosis, visual imagery, meditation, yoga, biofeedback, tai chi, and cognitive behavior therapies. The field views illness as an opportunity for personal growth and transformation and views health care providers as catalysts and guides in this process. ^[1]

Mind-body interventions constitute a major portion of the overall use of CAM by the public. In 2002, mind-body techniques, including relaxation techniques, meditation, biofeedback, and hypnosis were used by about 17 percent of the adult U.S. population. Prayer was used by 45 percent of the population for health reasons. ^[1]


Source:
[1] Mind-Body Medicine: An Overview, by National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/mindbody.htm