Medical aspects of "Healing and Relaxation"
Improvements in the Quality of Life
"Healing" is an intrinsic purpose of healthcare. Mind-body medicine and psychosomatic internal medicine, as well as the treatment of illnesses including cancer and injuries, are fields of medicine; therefore, healing the mind and soul are also included in healthcare.
It is not uncommon for a patient’s symptoms to be affected by the state of his/her mind, soul and emotions. Human beings constitute a balance of body, mind and soul. Therefore, a well-balanced body and soul are essential in order to maintain a healthy body, to lead a life full of vigor and joy. Relaxation is believed to work on the autonomic nerve, immune and hormonal systems, effectively relieving stress. This is an important reason why the medical science of "healing and relaxation" in physical health has been attracting the interest of medical experts and society.
"Healing" has been attracting worldwide attention, especially in the Western countries, known as developed countries, and is being studied in connection to cancer as well.
For example, in 1991, a US public institution, the NIH, established the Office of Alternative and Complementary Medicine to conduct state-funded research on alternative and complementary medicine. Furthermore, the American equivalent of the National Cancer Center, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York has also set up a section to study "cancer and the soul."
In Japan, as well, the Research Institute at the National Cancer Center has a Psycho-oncology Division, which is engaged in improving lifestyles and the QOL (quality of life) of its patients. A lifestyle-related disease, cancer is gaining attention from a QOL viewpoint in which the importance of improving lifestyle is considered a different form of healing as well.
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