Laughter''the best medicine

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Laughter..the best medicine!
Dr. Zarmina Munir, Bradford 2008
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• FACT Medical studies demonstrate that the
  natural medicine of humour and the positive
  emotions it generates
• boosts the immune system
• stabilizes blood pressure
• massages inner organs
• stimulates circulation
• increase flow of oxygen to muscles
• ...thereby dramatically decreasing tension!

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• Laughter that is based on caring and empathy
  also
• ? creates bonds between people
• ? is nourishing
• ? helps people cope with difficult situations
• ? is supportive
• ? gives people cognitive control and
• ? provides a diversion.

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Humour therapyanyone heard of it? Its actually
used in medicine!.....seriouslyIm not
making this up!
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• What is it?
• The use of humour for the relief of physical or
  emotional pain and stress. Its used as a
  complementary method to promote health and cope
  with illness.
• What is it used for?
• Humour therapy is generally used to improve
  quality of life, provide some pain relief,
  encourage relaxation, and reduce stress. Being
  able to find humour in life can be helpful when
  dealing with cancer/terminal disease.
• What does it involve?
• Many hospitals and treatment centres
  (in the USA) have set up special rooms where
  humorous materials, and sometimes people, are
  placed to help make people laugh. Materials
  commonly used include movies, audio and
  videotapes, books, games, and puzzles. Many
  hospitals use volunteers who visit patients for
  the purpose of providing opportunities for
  laughter. A 1999 survey found that about 1 in 5
  National Cancer Institute-designated treatment
  centres offered humour therapy(in the US)

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What is the evidence?

• Available scientific evidence does not
  support humour as an effective treatment for
  cancer or any other disease however, laughter
  has many benefits, including positive physical
  changes and an overall sense of well being. The
  healing power of humour has been long been
  recognized but only in the past few years has it
  been supported by medical science. Everyone knows
  that 'laughter is the best medicine', and now
  international research has found real
  physiological and psychological benefits to
  patients.
• The findings show that humour
• ? Has a positive effect on the cardiovascular and
  respiratory system, similar to exercise
• ? Some studies have shown an increase in
  endorphin levels. This enhances a feeling of
  well- being and helps in pain reduction.
• ? The immune system is improved because laughter
  increases the level of N-K (natural killer)
  cells,IgA, IgG, IgM and plasma cytokine gamma
  interferon.
• The levels of the bodys major stress hormone
  cortisol are reduced not only during the time
  of laughter but for many hours after.
• Another study found that neuroendocrine and
  stress-related hormones decreased during episodes
  of laughter. These findings provide support for
  the claim that humor can relieve stress.

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RESEARCH FINDINGS

• Norman Cousins (long time editor of Saturday
  review in USA) was the first person in recent
  times to draw attention to the health benefits of
  humour. This was from his own experience of
  illness.
• William Fry (psychiatrist and professor emeritus
  from the Stanford University School of Medicine)
  is another that has contributed greatly to the
  physiological research on humour. Berk and Tan
  have also done many of the studies on which
  claims for the physiological benefits of laughter
  are made. 

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Effect on Pain

• Norman Cousins found humour and laughter relieved
  the pain of his ankylosing spondylitis. In 1969
  he collaborated with his physician Dr Hitzig and
  watched funny films and read humorous books and
  found that 10 minutes of laughter gave him 2
  hours of pain free sleep. There was physiological
  evidence in his lower ESR . The reduction not
  only held, but was cumulative. He popularised the
  benefits of laughter in his books Anatomy of an
  Illness and Head First The Biology of Hope.
• His theory that positive emotions had a positive
  effect on health lead to modern research. Based
  at UCLA Medical School, he established the Humour
  Research Task Force to co-ordinate and support
  world wide clinical research on humour.
• In 1928 Dr James Walsh noted in his book
  Laughter and Health that laughter reduced the
  pain after surgery and promoted wound healing.
• Women with painful muscle disorders got
  significant pain relief after a course of humour
  therapy. (L. Ljungdahl Journal of the American
  Medical Association 1989)
• Young girls with burns were shown cartoons during
  very painful hydrotherapy. Their perception of
  pain was reduced. The study was done by ML Kelly
  and published in the Journal of Applied Behaviour
  Analysis 1984)

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CARDIOVASCULAR Effects

• Laughter, like exercise, increases the heart
  rate. William Fry in 1971 first demonstrated that
  laughter increases the heart rate, blood
  pressure, oxygen consumption, and works the
  muscles in the face and stomach. Shortly after,
  these levels drop, providing a relaxation
  response.
• STRESS
• Prolonged stress creates unhealthy physiological
  changes. Stress causes the adrenal glands to
  release cortico steroids and high levels have an
  immunosuppressive effect. Laughter is an
  antidote. Berk, Tan, Fry et al reported this in
  Neuroendrocrine and stress hormone changes during
  mirthful laughter American Journal of the Medical
  Sciences. 298(6), 390-396.

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Effect on the IMMUNE SYSTEM

• Laughter stimulates the immune system. L. Berk,
  of Loma Linda University School of Medicine 
  demonstrated that laughter
•      lowers serum cortisol levels    
  increases the number of T-cells that have
  helper/suppressor receptors       increases the
  number activity of natural killer cells
• Other research supported these findings.
• Blood of patients was analysed before, during and
  after watching a humorous video. The test found
  significant boost to immune function, including
  higher levels of anti-bodies and natural killer
  cells which are the bodys defence against
  aberrant cells such as cancer. Thi s study was
  done by  Barry Bittman, neurologist pioneer in
  psychoneuroimmunology (how emotions effect the
  immune system)
• The positive effects of laughter on the immune
  system continued the next day - - - levels of
  Plasma Immunoglobulin, Plasma Cytokine Gamma
  Interferon and killer cells remained high 12
  hours later. Berk /Tan published this study in
  Laughter The Immune System a serious approach

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RESPIRATORY SYSTEM effects

• Dr David Garlick of University of NSW School of
  Physiology Pharmacology studies the effects of
  laughter on the respiratory system. Abdominal
  movements were measured during funny videos and
  documentaries. Laughter was followed by a long
  sigh and a large intake of breath, leading to
  better respiratory movement.

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SOlaugh moredie old.