Earlier studies have demonstrated that music interventions can lessen symptoms of depression. Depression and burnout are closely related. We hypothesized that specially designed receptive music therapy programs and protocols might reduce the symptoms of burnout. In a four-arm randomized, placebo- and waiting-list-controlled double-blind study, including 150 participants, two specific music programs significantly reduced burnout symptoms after 5 weeks. The effects were maintained over a long time period. This newly developed method of receptive music therapy was also evaluated for the treatment of depression and dysthymia, with significant outcomes.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Jul;1169:422-5. Brandes V, Terris DD, Fischer C, Schuessler MN, Ottowitz G, Titscher G, Fischer JE, Thayer JF. Research Program MusicMedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. vera.brandes@pmu.ac.at

Bobbie Escolas has been privileged to experience the power of Angels in her life. They inspired her to learn hypnosis and subtle energy techniques so that she can help people heal their lives. She has authored two books of poetry, and six guided hypnosis recordings. She practices transpersonal hypnosis that integrates body, mind and spirit. She also offers workshops on various topics that connect body mind and spirit. Before devoting herself solely to this calling, she worked as a marketing executive for over twenty years.

[More]

Full Title: The predictive utility of hypnotizability: The change in suggestibility produced by hypnosis

Objective: The predictive utility of hypnotizability, conceptualized as the change in suggestibility produced by a hypnotic induction, was investigated in the suggested reduction of experimental pain. Method: One hundred and seventy-three participants were assessed for nonhypnotic imaginative suggestibility. Thereafter, participants experienced hypnotic and nonhypnotic imaginative analgesia suggestions, counterbalanced for order. Hypnotic suggestibility was then assessed. Results: Hypnotizability, operationalized as hypnotic suggestibility with imaginative suggestibility statistically controlled (Braffman & Kirsch, 1999), predicted intraindividual differences in responding to the hypnotic and imaginative analgesia suggestions. Higher hypnotizability was associated with relatively greater response to the hypnotic analgesia suggestion than to the imaginative analgesia suggestion. Conclusions: Operationalized in this way, hypnotizability may be a useful predictor of the effect of adding a hypnotic induction to a specific imaginative suggestion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010 Feb;78(1):126-30. Milling LS, Coursen EL, Shores JS, Waszkiewicz JA. Department of Psychology.

Full Title: Characterization of health status and modifiable risk behavior among United States adults using chiropractic care as compared with general medical care

OBJECTIVE: The causes of death in the United States have moved from infectious to chronic diseases with modifiable behavioral risk factors. Simultaneously, there has been a paradigm shift in health care provisions with increased emphases on prevention and health promotion. Use of professional complementary and alternative medicine, such as chiropractic care, has increased. The purpose of this study was to characterize typical conditions, modifiable risk behaviors, and perceived changes in overall general health of patients seeing chiropractors as compared with general medical doctors in the United States. METHODS: Secondary analyses of the National Health Interview Survey 2005 adult sample (n = 31,248) were performed. Multiple logistic regression models were applied to assess associations of health conditions/risk behaviors of patients with the doctors (chiropractors vs medical doctors) they saw within the past 12 months. RESULTS: Respondents who saw/talked to chiropractors were 9.3%. Among these, 21.4% did not see a medical doctor. Comparing chiropractor-only with medical doctor-only patients, we found no significant difference in smoking/alcohol consumption status, but chiropractor-only patients were more likely to be physically active (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.8) and less likely to be obese (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9). Respondents reporting acute neck (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.2-3.2) and low back pain (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 2.0-2.8) were more likely to have seen a chiropractor. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these analyses, Americans seem to be using chiropractic care for acute neck and low back pain more so than for other health conditions. However, there is no marked difference in their overall health promotion habits and changes in overall general health based on health care provider types.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Jul-Aug;32(6):414-22. Ndetan HT, Bae S, Evans MW Jr, Rupert RL, Singh KP. Parker College Research Institute, Dallas, Tex 75229, USA. hndetan@parkercc.edu

by Ron Eslinger, RN, CRNA, MA, APN, BCH

In her book, Notes on Nursing, published in 1859, Florence Nightingale said, "Volumes are now written and spoken upon the effect of the mind upon the body." She discussed in detail how nurses should help patients vary their thoughts. Florence Nightingale was more in tune with complementary therapy in 1859 than most nurses and physicians are today. She spoke at length in her book on the benefits of music, color, aroma, physical activity, fresh air, and exercise. She understood the power of words and how using hypnosis to help patients change their thoughts helped them heal.

[More]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The current pharmacological management of depression remains limited. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in combination with fluoxetine as an intervention for major depressive disorder (MDD). SUBJECTS AND INTERVENTIONS: A total of 80 patients with MDD (DSM-IV) were randomized to two groups: VA group received verum acupuncture, 10 mg/day fluoxetine and placebo; SA group received sham acupuncture and 20-30 mg/day fluoxetine. Acupuncture was applied 5 times a week over a period of 6 weeks. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, sham-controlled trial was conducted in Dehong Prefecture Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. OUTCOME MEASURES: All subjects were assessed in a double-blind fashion at four time points (i.e., baseline, the end of the second, fourth, and sixth week of treatment. The primary outcome measure was the therapeutic response rate based on the rate of total score change in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD). Anxious symptoms, antidepressant side-effects, and acupuncture adverse effects were also measured additionally. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment period, the therapeutic response rates were not statistically significant between groups (80.0% for the VA group and 77.5% for the SA group, respectively). No statistical significance was found between the 2 groups in the rate of HRSD score change (z = 1.80, p = 0.07), but patients in the VA group showed better improvement than the SA group in symptoms of anxiety and side-effects of antidepressant (z = 2.60, p = 0.01 and z = 23.60, p < 0.001, respectively). The overall rate of adverse events due to acupuncture was 8.75%. CONCLUSIONS: Additionally applied standardized acupuncture to low-dose fluoxetine for depression is as effective as a recommended dose of fluoxetine treatment. Depressive patients with severe anxious symptoms and/or intolerable side-effects of antidepressants can benefit from it.

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Aug;15(8):837-44. Zhang WJ, Yang XB, Zhong BL. Beijing MeiTan General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

by Mark Gorkin, LICSW

One Man's Restless Journey into Creative and Cohesive Space-Time

Recently, an Internet colleague asked me to share how my mind works when it's in creative gear. The question has motivated this essay: an examination of how a second colleague's brainstorming request initially stirred those creative juices and, then, how a sci-fi cinema classic and a current mega-movie really got the electricity flowing...or jolted me over the creative edge. (I'll let you decide.)

[More]

Full Title: Unique changes found on the Qi Gong (Chi Gong) Master's and patient's body during Qi Gong treatment; their relationships to certain meridians & acupuncture points and the re-creation of therapeutic Qi Gong states by children & adults

Changes taking place in both Qi Gong Masters and their patients during Qi Gong treatment were evaluated using the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test. During the Qi Gong state, on the Qi-Gong Master's body, as well as the body of the patient being treated, acupuncture points CV5 (Shi Men) and CV6 (Qi Hai)-- located below the umbilicus-- show changes from +4 in the pre-Qi Gong state to between -3 and -4 during the Qi Gong state. Before and after the Qi Gong, there is a normal +4 response to the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test at these acupuncture points. Similar changes were also observed on acupuncture points CV17 (Shan Zhong), CV 22 (Tian Tu), Yin Tang (at an area just between the eyebrows: the pituitary gland representation area, colloquially known as the "third eye") and GV20(Bai Hui), the entire pericardium meridian & triple burner meridian, their acupuncture points, the adrenal glands, testes, ovaries and perineum, as well as along the entire spinal vertebrae, particularly on and above the 12th thoracic vertebra, medulla oblongata, pons, and the intestinal representation areas of the brain located just above and behind the upper ear. Using these findings as criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of reaching the Qi Gong state, we were able to reproduce during the experimental trials similar changes in ourselves and the patient being treated with therapeutic effects comparable to those of the Qi Gong Master. Beneficial effects of external Qi Gong treatment given by a Qi Gong practitioner 1 to 3 times for 10-20 seconds each (although most Qi Gong masters take 3-20 minutes per treatment) often resulted in improvement of circulation and lowering of high blood pressure, as well as relaxation of spastic muscles, relief of pain, and enhanced general well-being, all of which resemble acupuncture effects. In order to reproduce the same procedure with others, we selected 4 children ranging between 8 and 11 years of age who had no knowledge of Qi Gong or Oriental medicine. One of these four children, the 8 year old, was able to consistently reach the same Qi Gong state after less than a half day and another child, 11, after less than 2 days. Within a week, the other two were sometimes able to reproduce the Qi Gong state but not always. Using the Qi Gong state thus obtained, it was found that this type of Qi Gong energy is directed to specific directions from the hand and can even penetrate wooden or metal doors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acupunct Electrother Res. 1989;14(1):61-89. Omura Y, Lin TL, Debreceni L, Losco BM, Freed S, Muteki T, Lin CH. Heart Disease Research Foundation, New York, NY.

Central to psychotic disorders, delusions are associated with disability and often respond inadequately to pharmacotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral treatments have been developed over the last 20 years that successfully address delusions. However, meta-analyses suggest only a modest improvement in psychotic symptoms. Because delusions share considerable overlap with anxiety, adapting principles and techniques that have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of anxiety disorders might improve the impact of cognitive-behavioral treatment of delusions. We report a case illustrating a cognitive-behavioral approach to delusions with an emphasis on mental imagery techniques. A 25-year-old male diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia whose clinical presentation was dominated by paranoid delusions received 6 months of treatment. At the end of the follow-up period, the patient's delusions were minimal and his negative symptoms had significantly improved. Mental imagery may be an important treatment tool for delusions.

J Clin Psychol. 2009 Aug;65(8):791-802. Serruya G, Grant P. School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

by Tim Brunson, PhD

One of the biggest obstacles to becoming a master presenter is those butterflies that seem to be fluttering around in your stomach before you start to speak. Although you are an expert in your subject, your fears create a fight/flight reaction. Your hands become cold, your vital organs stop functioning properly, and a majority of your brain's blood flow shifts to the ancient reactive defensive areas that reside just above your brain stem. Your mind and body begin shutting down. You are not your best. However, you can speak to small and large audiences in total comfort and excitement if you only understand what is really going on.

[More]

by Tim Brunson, PhD

For years I have studied experts in a wide range of endeavors, included sports, science, and the arts, as well as professional trainers. There are three attributes that each of them share. They have developed an exceptional ability to install new information, to increase the depth of their knowledge, and have the ability to trigger superior performance with ease. These three steps apply both to the trainer's skills as well as to how to accelerate the student's progress.

[More]

According to DSM-IV, personality disorder constitutes a class only when personality traits are inflexible and maladaptive and cause either significant functional impairment or subjective distress. Classical treatment of choice for personality disorders has been psychotherapy and/or psychopharmacotherapy. Our study is to determine if subjects with antisocial personality disorders will benefit from quantitative EEG (qEEG) guided neurofeedback treatment. Thirteen subjects (9 male, 4 female) ranged in age from 19 to 48 years. All the subjects were free of medications and illicit drugs. We excluded subjects with other mental disorders by clinical assessment. Psychotherapy or psychopharmacotherapy or any other treatment model was not introduced to any of the subjects during or after neurofeedback treatment. For the subject who did not respond to neurofeedback, training was applied with 38 sessions of LORETA neurofeedback training without success. Evaluation measures included qEEG analysis with Nx Link data base, MMPI, T.O.V.A tests and SA-45 questionaries at baseline, and at the end of neurofeedback treatment. Lexicor qEEG signals were sampled at 128 Hz with 30 minutes-neurofeedback sessions completed between 80-120 sessions depending on the case, by Biolex neurofeedback system. At baseline and after every 20 sessions, patients were recorded with webcam during the interview. Twelve out of 13 subjects who received 80-120 sessions of neurofeedback training showed significant improvement based on SA-45 questionaries, MMPI, T.O.V.A. and qEEG/Nx Link data base (Neurometric analysis) results, and interviewing by parent/family members. Neurofeedback can change the view of psychiatrists and psychologists in the future regarding the treatment of personality disorders. This study provides the first evidence for positive effects of neurofeedback treatment in antisocial personality disorders. Further study with controls is warranted.

Clin EEG Neurosci. 2009 Jan;40(1):5-10. Surmeli T, Ertem A. Living Health Center for Research and Education, Gazeteciler Mah. Saglam Fikir Sokak. No: 17 Esentepe, Sisli, Istanbul 34387, Turkey. neuropsychiatry@yahoo.com

Full Title: The effect of group music therapy on quality of life for participants living with a severe and enduring mental illness

A 10-week group music therapy project was designed to determine whether music therapy influenced quality of life and social anxiety for people with a severe and enduring mental illness living in the community. Ten one-hour weekly sessions including song singing, song writing and improvisation, culminated in each group recording original song/s in a professional studio. The principal outcome measure was the WHOQOLBREF Quality of Life (QoL) Scale; other instruments used were the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Qualitative data were gathered through focus group interviews and an analysis of lyric themes. Statistically significant improvement was found on five items of the QoL Scale. There were no changes on the BSI indicating that QoL improvement was not mediated by symptomatic change. Themes from the focus groups were: music therapy gave joy and pleasure, working as a team was beneficial, participants were pleasantly surprised at their creativity, and they took pride in their song. An analysis of song lyrics resulted in 6 themes: a concern for the world, peace and the environment; living with mental illness is difficult; coping with mental illness requires strength; religion and spirituality are sources of support; living in the present is healing; and working as a team is enjoyable.

J Music Ther. 2009 Summer;46(2):90-104. Grocke D, Bloch S, Castle D. The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital.

Full Title: Mediators of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients: Response expectancies and emotional distress.

Objective: The present study was designed to test the hypotheses that response expectancies and emotional distress mediate the effects of an empirically validated presurgical hypnosis intervention on postsurgical side effects (i.e., pain, nausea, and fatigue). Method: Women (n = 200) undergoing breast-conserving surgery (mean age = 48.50 years; 63% White, 15% Hispanic, 13% African American, and 9% other) were randomized to a hypnosis or to an attention control group. Prior to surgery, patients completed assessments of hypothesized mediators (response expectancies and emotional distress), and following surgery, patients completed assessments of outcome variables (pain, nausea, and fatigue). Results: Structural equation modeling revealed the following: (a) Hypnotic effects on postsurgical pain were partially mediated by pain expectancy (p < .0001) but not by distress (p = .12); (b) hypnotic effects on postsurgical nausea were partially mediated by presurgical distress (p = .02) but not by nausea expectancy (p = .10); and (c) hypnotic effects on postsurgical fatigue were partially mediated by both fatigue expectancy (p = .0001) and presurgical distress (p = .02). Conclusions: The results demonstrate the mediational roles of response expectancies and emotional distress in clinical benefits associated with a hypnotic intervention for breast cancer surgical patients. More broadly, the results improve understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for hypnotic phenomena and suggest that future hypnotic interventions target patient expectancies and distress to improve postsurgical recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010 Feb;78(1):80-8. Montgomery GH, Hallquist MN, Schnur JB, David D, Silverstein JH, Bovbjerg DH. Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program.

by Joyce-Anne Locking

How easy it is for us to get too wrapped up in the bustle of everyday life, so much so we sometimes lose track of thought. If possible, it would be nice to take time to sit and gaze out the window and let the day unfold in natural delight. Without the stress and scurry, life is truly a blessing. Repeat after me: there is no present like the present moment! If we could make up our minds like we make up a room or make up a lunch, we could set ourselves straight on a daily basis.

[More]

There is an increasing trend in society to look beyond conventional medicine to find answers to problems in health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the most popular alternative, complementary therapies worldwide. It is becoming a popular alternative in otorhinolaryngology where its use in the treatment of sinusitis, tinnitus, deafness and Meniere's disease is growing. Despite the general awareness of TCM, the literature relating specifically to otorhinolaryngology is relatively scarce. In this review, we have traced the origin and development of otorhinolaryngology with respect to TCM and have provided a few interesting insights into otorhinolaryngology, as it used to be practised. Archaeological sources have shown that diseases affecting the ear, nose and throat were of medical concern as early as the 18th century BC. The first practising otorhinolaryngologist can be traced back to the 5th century BC. Acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal therapy and massage were amongst his treatments. Otorhinolaryngology was recognised as a major specialty when formal medical education began in the 7th century AD. Therapeutic measures since then expanded to include exercise, food therapy and surgery. References to using oesophageal speech as a substitute voice generator, the use of copper wire to excise nasal polyps, procedures for removal of sharp foreign bodies in the oropharynx, repair of lacerated trachea and treatment of cancer of lips can be found in historical notes. In conclusion, from its primitive roots, TCM has developed into a distinct branch of health care system in China today that works alongside Western medicine.

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2009 Sep;266(9):1353-9. Epub 2009 Jul 14. Yap L, Pothula VB, Warner J, Akhtar S, Yates E. Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan, UK. leesien@tiscali.co.uk

Lauren Archer offers mind-body hypnotherapy and coaching, using an integrative approach to positive achievement and wellness, serving the greater Seattle area, especially Seattle's Eastside. She teaches weight loss and wellness classes at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland.

[More]

Clark Hull's (1933) research on dissociation was based on a 'straw man' formulation of dissociation; he claimed that dissociation requires noninterference. Hull completely ignored the then-current paradigm of dissociation--dissociation as automatism--and claimed that he had refuted the validity of the phenomenon of dissociation. Hull's view of dissociation held sway in the hypnosis field for 60 years. This essay seeks to retrieve the Janetian paradigm of dissociation as automatism. Automatisms are unexpected, uninitiated, involuntary behaviors that just 'happen.' The author argues that human sensitivity to the experience of involuntariness (a) is quite important, (b) was selected by evolution, and (c) is central to both hypnotic responses and dissociative symptoms. This editorial urges the hypnosis field and the dissociation field to jointly undertake a renewed investigation of the experience of involuntariness and to follow recent neuroimaging studies which indicate that the parietal cortex underlies the experience of involuntariness.

J Trauma Dissociation. 2010;11(1):1-18. Dell PF.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article was to review the literature on the use of chiropractic for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on 4 electronic databases (Medline, Index to Chiropractic Literature, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database) for clinical research pertaining to chiropractic treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Retrieved articles were hand searched for relevant references. Inclusion criteria consisted of any clinical study design (including case reports) using chiropractic care on patients with lumbar spinal stenosis published in English in the past 25 years. RESULTS: Six articles on a total of 70 patients met the inclusion criteria for the review. These articles included 4 case studies, a case series, and an observational cohort study. Treatments included spinal manipulation and, most often, flexion-distraction manipulation. Numerous other interventions including exercise, activity of daily living modifications, and various passive care modalities were selectively used in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of evidence available with respect to chiropractic treatment of spinal stenosis. The limited evidence that is available points toward chiropractic care being potentially beneficial in the treatment of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, but further clinical investigations are necessary.

J Chiropr Med. 2009 Jun;8(2):77-85. Stuber K, Sajko S, Kristmanson K. Private practice of chiropractic, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

by Coach Cary Bayer

Restaurants, shoe stores, athletic stores, bookstores, you name it...these days it's hard not to find an ad for a "Buy one, get one free" offer. I can hardly walk down an aisle in my local Public supermarket in south Florida without seeing the word "FREE" in huge bold letters, while the "Buy one, get one..." piece of copy is in smaller font and without bold face. Oh, sure, you don't see it in the ads for medical practices, auto dealers, and healers. It's understandable why businesses that sell big-ticket items like cars aren't going to give away something as expensive as a $20,000 item just for purchasing another one. And it's understandable why MDs, uncomfortable about advertising in the first place, aren't running such specials. But massage therapists, hypnotherapists, chiropractors? There's no really good reason why they're not doing it.

[More]

Full Title: Mind-body complementary alternative medicine use and quality of life in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND:: Mind-body complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities (e.g., relaxation or meditation) for symptom management have not been well studied in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The purposes of this study were to: 1) determine the prevalence of 5 types of mind-body CAM use, and consideration of use for symptom management; 2) assess characteristics associated with regular mind-body CAM use; and 3) examine whether regular and/or considered mind-body CAM use are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS:: Sixty-seven adolescents with IBD ages 12-19 recruited from a children's hospital completed a questionnaire on CAM use and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Logistic regression models were estimated for regular and considered CAM use. RESULTS:: Participants mean (SD) age was 15.5 (2.1) years; 37 (55%) were female; 53 (79%) were white; and 20 (30%) had moderate disease severity. Adolescents used prayer (62%), relaxation (40%), and imagery (21%) once/day to once/week for symptom management. In multivariate analyses, females were more likely to use relaxation (odds ratio [OR] = 4.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.25-15.29, c statistic = 0.73). Younger adolescents were more likely to regularly use (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.42-0.95, c statistic = 0.72) or consider using (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.59-1.00, c statistic = 0.64) meditation. Adolescents with more severe disease (OR = 4.17, 95% CI = 1.07-16.29, c statistic = 0.83) were more willing to consider using relaxation in the future. Adolescents with worse HRQOL were more willing to consider using prayer and meditation for future symptom management (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:: Many adolescents with IBD either currently use or would consider using mind-body CAM for symptom management. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009.

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009 Aug 24. Cotton S, Humenay Roberts Y, Tsevat J, Britto MT, Succop P, McGrady ME, Yi MS. Department of Family Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.