Take Charge of Your Health - Laughter is Great Medicine

Being able to laugh in a place of pain
was the most powerful thing I could do to take my life back.
-Susan Sparks, author

Few of us have the ability to offer the witty commentary of Stephen Colbert or Tina Fey, but we all can laugh. Not only is laughing fun, numerous studies have shown it is actually good for us. We love that. Laughter as Medicine, it’s something Mary Poppins would say and in this case, she would be right. 

Humor and laughter have significant health benefits - and cost nothing. Laughter promotes positive physical and emotional changes in the body and can help keep a positive, optimistic attitude through difficult challenges, disappointments and loss. Humor connects us to others, adds joy to our life, lightens our burdens, strengthens our resilience and inspires hope. Laughter also helps create and strengthen anti-stress hormones, increase endorphins, strengthen our immune system, reduce pain, relax our bodies and increase blood flow. Cue: start laughing…:) 

Pediatrician Howard Bennett explains that not only does humor have, “The potential to relieve stress in patients and medical professionals, humor gives patients the opportunity to forget about their anxiety and pain…When doctors share humor with patients they create lines of communication that encourage patients to discuss difficult issues. In effect, humor can put both parties at ease in a way that more formal types of communication cannot.”

Family Medicine physician Richard Wender agrees. He describes humor as “…a means of narrowing interpersonal gaps, communicating caring, and relieving anxiety associated with medical care…When patients quip to the doctor, they not only let off steam, but they also reveal hidden agendas…" He knows that medical providers need to, "Pay attention to these overtures and use them as jumping off points to discuss a patient’s deeper concerns.” In essence, humor sets the stage that allows us an opening to discuss problems that can be too scary or threatening to talk about otherwise.

Norman Cousins, author of the book, Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration, wrote of overcoming his own painful battle with a connective tissue disease by prescribing laughter. He says, “He made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.” In fact, not only does laughter feel good, it has been shown to increase an individual’s pain threshold by as much as 10%.

So this summer, take some time to laugh. Seek out your playful friends. Watch a funny movie. Go play miniature golf. Sing at Karaoke. Go bowling. Read a joke book. Hang out with children and celebrate your inner child. Dance. Do something silly. And if anyone asks. Tell them it’s good for you.

As always, join us on the Health-E³ website blog page. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences. Check out our newest page on Personalized Care. Feel free to ask a question about anything on the website or suggest ideas for additional helpful information. And remember, it's up to you to Take Charge of Your Health.