Mind-body medicine has quietly moved from the yoga mat to the front of the store

Mind-body medicine has quietly moved from the yoga mat to the front of the store

Mind-body techniques rest on the theory that mental and emotional factors can influence physical health. The toolkit includes biofeedback, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques. They are used for chronic pain, coronary artery disease, headaches, insomnia, menopausal symptoms, and as aids during childbirth. Scientific evidence is abundant, and many of these approaches are now considered mainstream.

Gobble's Take: When the "alternative" aisle starts looking suspiciously like the front of the store, the label is doing less work than the evidence.

Source: MSD Manuals

The body-based therapy basket is larger than most people expect

Complementary and alternative medicine sorts into 5 major categories, and manipulative and body-based therapies alone contain multitudes: chiropractic, osteopathic manipulation, cupping, massage, moxibustion, reflexology, gua sha, and sometimes acupuncture. The unifying belief is that the body can regulate and heal itself and that its parts are interdependent. These therapies are thought to stimulate the body's energy and help toxins leave the body.

Gobble's Take: That is a long list of practices united by one very optimistic theory about what the human body will do if you prod it correctly.

Source: MSD Manuals

"Natural" is not a free pass — especially if you have a prescription

The NHS flags that not enough is known about the safety of herbal medicines in several situations: pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney or liver problems, and use alongside certain prescription medicines. The conflict list is specific — statins, antidepressants, metformin, ramipril, warfarin, the combined pill. The warning is plain: combining them can cause harmful effects or stop the prescription medicine from working.

Gobble's Take: "Natural" is a description, not a safety certificate. Check the leaflet before you stack the bottles.

Source: NHS

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday's top stories:

• The “food in a capsule” argument gets a full-throated side-eye
• One writer’s reminder that wellness starts long before the wellness aisle