Integrative HEALTH
Mood Problems
Mind Body Practices in
by Andrew Newberg, MD Featured on M
www.JeffersonHospital.org/cim
At the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, we bring together the best of conventional medicine with complementary approaches to healing.
EXPO
Learn About Complementary and Integrative Treatments for Osteoporosis and Menopause with:
Anthony Bazzan, MD, Saturday, October 22, 11 a.m. Main Floor 2 and Birgit Rakel, MD, Sunday, October 23, noon Main Floor 1
Dr. Andrew Newberg will conduct a
Our services include: bio-identical hormone replacement, nutritional, herbal and anthroposophic medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, mind-body medicine and complementary cancer care. 215-955-2221 or 1-800-JEFF-NOW
Friday, 5pm - 6:30pm Room 1
“How God Changes Your Brain”
special, early Friday presentation:
any people who have mood problems such as depression or anxiety seek some type of mind-body practice such as medi- tation or prayer to help. In fact, many of these practices rank among the top 10 complementary and alternative medicine
practices reported by adults. A report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human Services indi- cated that the overall data suggest therapeutic benefits from a variety of meditation-based practices for health conditions, including mood disor- ders. Mindfulness meditation, the core practice of Buddhist meditation, has been incorporated into several clinically-based meditation therapies, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness- based cognitive therapy (MBCT), the two most studied mindfulness in- terventions for mood disorders. Mindfulness approaches are not consid-
Mindfulness training cultivates the ability to observe thoughts and feelings as events, similar to objects of sensory awareness, thereby cultivating the ability to respond reflectively rather than habitually or automatically. It is evident, based on this data, that the dismissal of homeopathy is not based on purely scientific principles but on biased opinion.
ered relaxation or mood management techniques, but rather practices for cultivating greater self awareness and acceptance. Practicing mindfulness also has the potential to expand one’s perspective, understanding and ac- ceptance of oneself. Mindfulness training cultivates the ability to observe thoughts and feelings as events, similar to objects of sensory awareness, thereby cultivating the ability to respond reflectively rather than habitually or automatically.
An early study of MBSR in patients with anxiety found a reduction in blood pressure and decreases in feelings of depression and anxiety. Howev- er, meta-analyses have come to conflicting conclusions regarding MBSR’s efficacy in patients with mood disorders. While one review of 15 stud- ies on the effects of MBSR found no clear positive effects on depression symptoms in patients with other medical conditions or in patients with mood disorders alone, another systematic review and meta-analysis found mindfulness-based therapies to have robust effects in patients with anxiety and mood disorders. When combined with cognitive therapy, some stud- ies have suggested that there may be an added benefit with significantly fewer episodes of relapse/recurrence than those who did not have MBCT training. Other types of meditation practices, such as transcendental med- itation, yoga meditation, and prayer also have been generally shown to
6 ▪ New Visions Magazine
have lower rates of anxiety and depression. We recently reported a study utilizing a meditation called kirtan kriya in older individuals and showed improvements in mood and stress as well as cognition.
A growing body of research also suggests that yoga is effective in improving anxiety and depression. A review of five randomized studies using different forms of yoga interventions in patients showed overall positive findings. A pilot study of Vinyasa yoga (a style of yoga that includes flowing from one posture to another) as an adjunctive treatment for depressed patients who were not responding adequately to antidepressant medication found that over a 2-month period, participants exhibited significant decreases in de- pression symptoms. Te decreased depression found in these yoga studies may relate to the changes in brain waves and the decreased cortisol levels reported during yoga postures and programs. Yoga has also been shown to reduce anxiety. Yoga led to reductions in anxiety in women with breast cancer. A systematic review of the effects of yoga on anxiety treatment identified five trials of persons with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders. While the studies were small the results were consistently positive.
Studies have also begun to explore the physiological basis of the effects of meditation and yoga on the brain which sheds light on their overall anti- depressant and anti-anxiety effects. Meditation and yoga practices actually change the brain’s function over time. Tere have been significant changes in the frontal lobes of the brain which are involved in regulating attention and emotions. Furthermore, studies have revealed changes in the limbic system, the primary emotional centers of the brain. In addition, studies have revealed some of the neurochemical effects of meditation practices. Tere appears to be a release of dopamine, one of the main chemicals in the brain’s reward system. Tis might explain in part the elevated mood associated with these practices. Another study showed that meditation re- sulted in a release of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) which affects the same receptors as benzodiazepine drugs such as Valium and Ativan. Tis might help explain the anti-anxiety effects of meditation.
Overall, there is interesting clinical and physiological evidence to support the use of meditation and yoga practices for helping with depression and anxiety. As with all conditions, it is always important to consult a physician/ psychiatrist to make sure that there are not other conditions that might be causing depressive symptoms or anxiety. And it is also important to exclude more serious psychological issues that require more than simply meditation or yoga practices. However, everyone experiences depressive symptoms and anxiety in their lives, and it might be useful to explore meditation or yoga practices as one possible approach to managing such issues.
Dr. Andrew Newberg is Director of Research, Myrna Brind Center of Integra- tive Medicine and Professor of Emergency Medicine and Radiology at Tomas Jefferson University, and the author of How God Changes Your Brain and Principles of Neurotheology. He has appeared on Primetime, 20/20, ABC’s World News Tonight and other programs, and his work has been featured in Time, Newsweek and other major publications.
At the Jefferson-My Thomas Jefferson U conventional medic
Learn About Comp Treatments for Oste
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