December 14, 2007

A new strategy in the fight against stress

Stress can wreak havoc on both mind and body, and prolonged exposure can
exacerbate the physical symptoms of any medical condition. Based on the link between stress level and the severity of disease symptoms, clinicians at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH (BHI) have developed a program that helps patients manage illness more effectively by proactively coping with stress. The Medical Symptom Reduction (MSR) program is an interactive 12-week program that incorporates relaxation techniques, positive psychology, exercise and nutrition to help individuals reduce symptoms, better cope with chronic health conditions and regain a sense of control and well-being.

MGHer Beverley Keele, MT, supervisor in the Clinical Immunology Lab, first heard of the program in January through the Be Fit relaxation sessions offered at the MGH. Keele, who was diagnosed five years ago with multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory, often painful neurological condition, noticed that after the relaxation sessions, getting up and walking was easier. Immediately, she signed up for the program.

MSR has two main focuses: reducing stress by eliciting the "relaxation response" and facilitating coping and acceptance through cognitive restructuring. The relaxation response is a term coined by Herbert Benson, MD, director emeritus of the BHI and author of The Relaxation Response. Benson was one of the first Western physicians to incorporate spirituality and holistic healing into medicine. The term describes a state of deep rest that changes the body's physical and emotional responses to stress. Its benefits include decreased heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing and muscle tension. With practice, the body is trained to shed stress and embrace calm.

Just as the body can be trained for the relaxation response, the mind can change how it handles stress as well. Participants complete assignments and progress reports and have weekly check-ins with a doctor or nurse practitioner.

"Over the 12 weeks of the program," remembers Keele, "I only felt better, never worse. Through meditation, I learned to listen to my body and not push myself as hard." As a result of the program, Keele mastered new strategies to control the symptoms of her condition and is progressing toward her goal of walking without a cane.

For more information or to register for the program, contact the BHI by calling
(617) 732-9130 or accessing www.mbmi.org.