Spirituality and Healing in Medicine
PRNewswire, December 16, 2000 published an interesting article
concerning the movement of the medical profession toward spirituality. According
to Herbert Benson, M.D., president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute of
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, "Spirituality and healing are
rapidly becoming integrated into mainstream American medicine."
"Over the last ten years, we have witnessed a substantial growth
in the role and application of spirituality and healing in medicine,"
said Dr. Benson. "It is our hope that this evolution will continue
and build momentum for more widespread acceptance by managed care
organizations and insurers."
Dr Benson noted that since 1990, almost 1,500 research studies,
research reviews, articles and clinical trials have been published on the
connection of spirituality or religion to medicine and health. This figure
is equal to the total of all such pieces published prior to 1990.
Harold G. Koenig, M.D., associate professor of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center states, "We are
astounded and thrilled with the explosion of research in the past ten
years. These studies have explored almost all aspects of medicine, from
kidney disease to sexual dysfunction. The collective findings and positive
results indicate that we have just broken the surface. Imagine what the
next ten years will bring."
These views are certainly not just the views of certain individuals. In
a 1999 consensus report, the American College of Physicians and the
American Society of Internal Medicine suggested that physician care
include a review of, and attentiveness to, psychosocial, existential or
spiritual suffering of patients with serious medical illness.
The chiropractic slant on this is obvious. All healing comes from
within. Whether you consider it spiritual, nature, innate
intelligence, or whatever, the main focus of Chiropractic is to remove
interference and allow it to work!
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