| Humour and Healing
What would you do if Dr. Smith told you to rent a silly movie and read the “funny page” of your local newspaper? Laugh out loud? Great? Doctors of chiropractic, like Dr. Smith, prefer all-natural methods of healing rather than reliance on medication. Laughter may tickle your funny bone but it won’t cause injury. Despite the popularity of the common phrase “they died laughing,” few people do. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors teach patients about all-natural ways to prevent illness, such as nutrition, exercise, stress-reduction — and laughter. A giggle a day won’t keep all of your ills away. But there are a number of empirical studies supporting the healing aspects of humour. “Laughter has many clinical benefits, promoting beneficial physiological changes and an overall sense of well-being. Humour even has long-term effects that strengthen the effectiveness of the immune system.” (Health Prog 1992;73:66-70.) Simply anticipating a funny event — such as attending a local comedy club — may also lower levels of stress-causing chemical messengers in the blood and increase levels of chemicals known to reduce tension. Dr. Barbara Smith
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