Psychoneuroimmunologybased relaxation therapy for chronic conditions
Judy Lovas
Relaxation therapy is evidencebased , non-pharmacological , non-invasive and cost-effective . It includes diaphragmatic breathing , guided imagery , progressive muscle relaxation , yoga , meditation , mindfulness and tai chi . Today , medical and health professionals recognise the negative effect of chronic stress on mental and physical health ( 1 ) and therefore , the need for relaxation as a therapeutic intervention . Relaxation therapy is ( slowly but surely !) being implemented in areas of health care such as aged care , neurological rehabilitation and mental health .
Randomised controlled trials show that relaxation techniques can affect cellular , molecular and even genetic changes .( 2,3 ) This is of critical importance for best clinical practice since simple , evidencebased relaxation can reduce negative effects of stress , enhance parasympathetic responses , affect brainwave activity , decrease heart rate , blood pressure , adrenaline , noradrenaline and cortisol , and thereby improve mental health and physical wellbeing .
Psychoneuroimmunology ( PNI ) investigates interactions and communications between the nervous , endocrine and immune systems . It examines links between psychological processes , behaviour and immunity . In more simple terms , PNI demonstrates that thoughts and feelings have measurable effects on the immune system and vice-versa . PNI grew from a landmark study in the 1970s which demonstrated that the nervous system can and does affect immune responses . Rats were classically conditioned with a combination of saccharin-laced water and a drug that induced nausea and suppression of immune function . After repeated exposure to both the sweet water and the poison , feeding the rats saccharin-laced water without poison led to the death of some rats . This was the first time that science identified that a signal via the nervous system ( taste ) can affect immune function . From this study , the science of PNI was born .( 4 )
Today , PNI brings together expertise from different disciplines , which were previously independent of each other . ( 5 ) Most importantly , PNI breaks down distinctions between the mind and body and PNI research has demonstrated that mind and body are best treated together . ( 6 ) It can be fairly considered that PNI is cutting-edge science of conventional wisdom . Psychological factors in PNI research include personality , behaviours , beliefs and emotions , and how they all influence specific and different immune responses , the inflammatory process and our ability to fight disease . PNI also examines the reciprocal effects of immune responses on behaviour , mental health and psychological processes .( 7 )
PNI research continues to investigate how mood , emotion , trauma , pain and sleep disorders can influence inflammatory pathways . It includes research in relationships between immune function , and acute and chronic stress .( 8 ) There is now strong evidence to show that different psychological stressors can suppress a range of immune parameters , can reduce resistance to infectious disease , inhibit wound healing , and hasten the onset and increase the progression of such conditions as Alzheimers ’ disease , coronary heart disease , post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) and depression . ( 9-11 ) Inflammation is an immunological response to psychological or physical stress that causes fever , changes in sleep , appetite , libido , social interactions and mood .( 12 ) One study suggested that feelings of social disconnection may play a role in inflammatory-induced depressed mood .( 13 ) Trauma and PTSD disrupt normal sympathetic nervous system responses and the pathways involved in regular stress responses . This disruption can chronically activate the stress response , causing abnormally high inflammatory responses . High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines can increase vulnerability to disease .( 14 ) People who have experienced trauma
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