Mind-Body Medicine in Clinical Practice

Consumer demand for integrative medicine has increased over recent decades, and cutting-edge research in neuroscience has identified opportunities for new treatment options. This text outlines the evidence behind mind-body medicine and provides rich case-based examples.. It is written by a clinician, for clinicians, to help practitioners stay current in this emerging field. Including foundational chapters on the relevance of mind-body medicine, the effects of stress, communication skills, and methods for incorporating mind-body medicine into consultation, this book then introduces various mind-body therapies and considers their use in selected clinical conditions. The therapies are grouped into chapters on breath work and relaxation; hypnosis and guided imagery; meditation, mindfulness, spirituality, and compassion-based therapies; creative arts therapies; and movement therapies. Each chapter includes case studies, background and history, best use, training requirements, risks and benefits. The part focusing on specific conditions updates research and provides pediatric and adult examples in the areas of: anxiety and depression; acute and chronic pain; gastrointestinal and urologic conditions; auto-immune, inflammatory; and surgery, oncology, and other conditions. Providing resources and practical tools to help clinicians incorporate evidence-based mind-body medicine therapies into patient care, this book is an invaluable reference for medical and nursing students, as well as for residents, fellows, nurse practitioners and physician assistants across a wide variety of specialties.