Wellness, Stress and The American Health Care System

A number of
years ago, changes in my life style led to a transition from working as an RN
in Emergency Departments to a private practice in hypnotherapy. I had no idea the impact this would have on
my life and the potential it holds for transforming the health care system as
we know it, in addition to individual lives.

As I began
treating patients for the usual fears, phobias, unwelcome habits and to prepare
them for surgery something else was happening.
They would call back saying that in addition to managing the primary
issue, other changes were happening as well.
For instance, one man said the psoriasis he had for 20 years was gone. Another woman who was scheduled for surgery on
her knees got better. One woman began to
sleep through the night for the first time in her life. One man whose broken arm had not healed for 9
months returned to his doctor to find it had suddenly healed.

Reviewing
literature and anecdotal reports, I’ve come to the conclusion that stress is
the underlying issue in the vast majority, perhaps as much as 90%, of health
issues. In the mid 1950′s Hans Selye
encouraged doctors to treat the whole person, not the organism causing illness
and yet that suggestion has not yet been adequately integrated into our
systems.

In the February 27, 2008 issue of JAMA, Thomas
R. Frieden, MD, MPH writes

If
reforming US health care results only in expanded access to care, costs will
increase faster but with limited health benefits. If only cost controls are instituted, even
more individuals will be denied access to care.
Health care must be restructured to make maximizing health the
organizing principle. To do this, 3
synergistic changes are needed: (1) payment that offers substantial rewards for
disease prevention and effective management of chronic disease; (2) an
information system oriented toward prevention; and (3) changes in care
management and practice workflows.

Let’s
consider how managing stress could impact the current crisis in health care
funding.

Janet
Kiecolt Glaser, University of Ohio Medical School did a study measuring the
rate of healing of a small, intentional wound (size of an eraser on a
pencil). The wound took nine days longer
to heal on the group experiencing stress versus the control. Think of the implications of this on
diabetics and wound healing. Would you
be stressed if you were diabetic with a foot ulcer? How about patients undergoing surgery who are
scared to death? Reading about the
history of hypnosis and surgery, it is said that back in the early 1800′s
surgery was done without anesthesia.
When hypnosis as anesthesia was introduced, the mortality rate decreased
from 40% to 5%.

Blue Shield
of California gave a group of 941 women undergoing surgery a guided imagery
(hypnotherapy) CD which cost them $17.95 each.
This reduced the per patient cost by $2,000 on average.

Similar
studies and results abound. This is such
a simple, powerful, affordable intervention.
Why is it not commonly done?

How about
reducing stress among asthmatics, IBS patients, cancer patients, couples
seeking fertility treatments, people with dental phobias? Insomnia.
Think about the implications of sleep deprivation which can be caused by
stress. The applications are endless. Studies
support these applications and others.

Hypnosis was
approved by the AMA in 1958 50 years ago.
Since then the trend has favored pharmaceuticals. In my opinion, it’s time to revisit
that. Hypnotherapy is evidence based,
effective, affordable and without adverse side effects. It manages underlying stress that impacts our
physical and mental health, our ability to heal and ultimately our quality of
life.

Sharon M.
O’Connor, RN, CEO

Atlantic Complementary Medical Solutions, LLC

2 Dearborn Avenue

Hampton, NH
03842

888-441-3332
sharon@acmswellness.com
www.acmswellness.com