Mind Body Medicine



What is the mind body connection?  This phrase can be easily demystified with a brief explanation.  Our thoughts and beliefs effect changes in our physiology.  Interestingly, this connection is a two lane highway.  In other words, there is such a thing as the body-mind connection (like exercise).  

Our mind does not know the difference between imagination and reality.  If you imagine that you're being chased by a tiger, that thought will trigger a physiological stress response.  The same thing happens with thoughts about the plummeting economy or your bank account balance.  Because your body can only respond to danger and lacks the ability to differentiate between the real and imagined, these thoughts trigger the same response from your central nervous system.  This is also an all or nothing response.  All of the systems and organs in the body are called to action, and no system is left out of the picture.  It either happens or it doesn't.  

The stress response is a survival mechanism, and it helps us respond when the danger is real.  The body is suddenly flooded with adrenalin, which causes the heart to pump faster and speed up blood flow to the muscles.  The pupils dilate so that you can see in the dark.  Blood sugar spikes to increase energy.  The immune system gets a temporary boost.  Functions that the body considers unnecessary like reproduction and digestion stop.  Higher cognitive functioning (attention, concentration, judgement, insight) is compromised because the blood flow in the brain is redirected away from the prefrontal cortex.  You are in a reactive mode to the danger: act now, think later. If the processing signal between your thinking brain and your emotional brain stops, you are in "freeze" mode.   We can call this set of events the acute stress response.

The effects of chronic stress are far more corrosive to the body, and this is how health becomes an issue.  If a real or imagined stressor consistently appears or is unpredictable, the body's central nervous system can't really shut off the stress response.  It stays on cruise control to keep you in a "ready to react" mode.   This is much like keeping your car in neutral when you go home instead of turning it off.  In other words, your nervous system gets stuck in between relaxation and fight or flight mode. That feeling might be described as tension, nervousness, or being "uptight."  The following metaphor is the best way to describe how this happens:

Imagine you're in the woods hiking and you see a bear.  What do you do?  Freak out and run.  This is otherwise known as the fight or flight response.  The bear runs away and you're still in the woods.  How do you feel now?  Nervous, still scared, and on edge with anxious anticipation.  This is how many of us feel when faced with an acute stressor that becomes chronic.  Chronic stress feels a lot like being stuck in the woods and living in constant fear of the bear that lives there.

The chronic stress is a long term, lower grade physiological response that wears the body's resources down.  The adrenal gland gets tired of putting out adrenaline and begins to slow down and run out of gas.  The immune system becomes compromised, and you may be more susceptible to viral or bacterial infections.  The digestive system doesn't function well and food isn't digested properly.  This is how symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome or chronic reflux can begin, and it's probably the reason that Nexium is the most popular prescription medication in the nation.  The cardiovascular system suffers wear and tear because the heart works harder than it should under normal circumstances.  Blood sugar is chronically elevated and the body begins to become insulin resistant.  Insulin resistance is when the pancreas get pretty tired of responding to all of the high glycemic sugars you have circulating around in your bloodstream and begins to respond less.   Insulin resistance is also thought to be the root cause of "Metabolic syndrome" and can trigger a pattern of unstable blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia, and aggravation of diabetic conditions).  

Research has estimated that 80-85% of all medical needs are stress related.  Seven out of the nine top causes of death are behavioral (suicide, homicide, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, diet, smoking, failure to exercise).  These maladaptive behaviors are all related to chronic stress and emotional discomfort.  At some point in our lives, we are all guilty of using less than unhealthy behaviors to cope with stress.  Overeating, gambling, overspending, overexercising, smoking.....the list is endless.  Thus, the challenge is developing daily coping skills to help us cope effectively with chronic stressors like the motherhood, relationships, finances, career stress, and health concerns.  

This begins with your own thoughts and beliefs.  You can change your perception of stress through seeing the situation differently.  There are also behavioral approaches to stress management that are effective in curbing that adrenalin response.  The most effective behavioral techniques are a variety of relaxation practices, physical exercise, and meditation.  Research has clearly shown that exercise can moderate the stress response by boosting healthy neurotransmitters and burning off stress hormones.  The topic of exercise for stress management is too comprehensive here and will be discussed on a separate page of its own.   

Mind body medicine is the practice of using our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors to effect positive change in our physiology and overall health.  Your thoughts and beliefs beget your emotions, and our emotions often drive our behaviors.  Unhealthy behaviors like poor nutrition, alcohol or drug abuse, smoking, and self neglect are maladaptive ways of coping with chronic stress and damage our health even further.  Healthy, adaptive behaviors like exercise, meditation, protected sex, and hobbies effect positive changes in our physiology and improve our health.

The best way to change from unhealthy coping skills to healthy, adaptive behaviors is by learning this information.  Learning is one of the best ways to change our thoughts, which can then motivate us to change our behaviors.  For example, if you suffer from chronic joint pain and learn that exercise releases natural painkillers that are chemical cousins with synthetic morphine, you might begin to exercise with pain relief in mind.  Your thoughts effected a behavioral change which caused a physiological response.  This is mind body medicine at its best.