by Ronald Adams

Created on: May 08, 2008

I'm not sure who said it first, but while I was growing up Reader's Digest posted the news in every issue, every month, every year. Laughter is the best medicine. And there seems to be a growing amount of research and information to prove it.

A small but growing number of research articles have actually begun to back this point of view.

As a clinician, I notice the effect of humor and laughter on my patients every day. Most of my cases are orthopedic in nature, and most are in terrible pain from surgery to the hips, the knees, the back, the neck. It is the job of the therapists to get them back to a more normal state of function in the shortest amount of time possible. The doctors have done their special surgeries, the nurses have provided the care and medicines they need. And it is up to the physical and occupational therapists to help improve their range of motion, their strength, their walking and transfers, and their overall ability to take care of themselves following their particular injury or surgery. I can tell you from my own 25 years of experience that my patients always respond better when you approach them with a smile, a joke, a funny story to open the lines of communication. It lets them know they're dealing with another human being, not just another "white coat."

I'm not alone in my opinion. Psychologist Steven Wilson founded the World Laughter Tour on the principle that the positive mental attitude of mirth and good cheer can significantly add to the quality of a person's life. While it may not add years to the person's life, laughter can add significantly to the life in their years. Even the philosopher Voltaire stated, "The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Taking that even further, certain hospitals around the country are even designating humor rooms, devoid of all medical equipment. Instead, the rooms are brightly lit and cheerful, and videos of comedies, comedians, and old time comedy radio tapes are available to those patients oppressed by their diagnoses. They are considered an oasis to the medical 'machine' many critically ill patients find themselves in, and have shown themselves to be a valuable resource in giving the natural part of healing a big boost.

Need more? Lee Birk, associate director of the Center for Neuroimmunology at Loma Linda University, performed clinical research in 2001 on the medical benefits of laughter. His conclusions were as follows:
"Modulation of neuroimmune parameters during and following the humor-associated eustress of laughter may provide beneficial health effects for wellness and a complementary adjunct to
whole-person integrative medicine therapies. (AlternTherHealthMed. 2001;7(2):62-76)."

Please don't misunderstand. There are still very serious health issues faced by many people, and certainly bad taste and bad timing can make humor not only unwelcome, but inappropriate in the healthcare setting. But there are many opportunities to utilize humor and laughter as a way to more fully enhance the healing process. So have a laugh on me. Turns out, it's good for you.

Learn more about this author, Ronald Adams.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.