Humor Therapy As a Complimentary and Alternative form of medicine!

The Goal of Humor Therapy Improve general health Improve quality of life Reduce Stress Release Fear and Anger Reduce feelings of helplessness Help those with chronic diseases Help caregivers of people with chronic diseases

What is Humor Therapy Uses smiles and laughter to help heal Helps individuals to get others to laugh Laughter has been shown to change brain chemistry and boost the immune system Reference: Webmd.com (2010). Humor Therapy: Topic Overview. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from:

Safety Humor is safe Risk-free except in some cases where there has been surgery Cheap It is not recommended as a single treatment, only as complimentary

Humor can Induce Physiological Changes Studies show true physiological changes in the body after a period of laughter Changes that can occur are: Muscle Relaxation Increased Oxygen Consumption Increased Relaxation Increased immune function Reference: Bennett, M.P. (2007). Humor and Laughter may Influence Health IV. Humor and Immune Function. Oxford Journals, Vol 6(2) pp

Humor can Induce Physiological Changes Increased Heart Rate Short-term changes in hormones and certain neuro-transmitters Increase in pain tolerance Decrease in stress hormones Immunoglobulin increases in the body which help fight infections References: Traynor, D. Laugh it Off. (1997). American Fitness. May/June. Vol 15 (3). Retrieved October 28, 2010 from: PSI CHI. (2010). Is Laughter the Best Medicine or any Medicine at All? The International Honor Society in Psychology. Retrieved October 31, 2010 from:

Who Needs it, Who uses it? We all need it We all should use it How is it used in therapy? Intentional use of “fun” at the workplace is being adopted by more employers Hospitals use humor with clowns for children Humor rooms in hospitals Reference: Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. (2005). Humor Therapy. Retrieved October 30, 2010 from:

Laughter, the best medicine A study conducted by the University of Maryland on 20 students found that “provoking laughter did as much good for their arteries as aerobic activity” (Marano, as cited in Pscyhology Today, 2005). It can create a positive emotional energy which helps bring people together and allows a connection to form. Laughter “may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium” according to Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland (Miller, as cited by Marano, 2005). The endothelium is the lining of the blood vessels. It is the first place where atherosclerosis forms. When people laugh, the endothelium allows the blood vessels to expand which creates more blood flow. Reference: Marano, H. (2005). Laughter: The Best Medicine. Psychology Today. Retrieved October 31, 2010 from: A link to some good old fashioned humor by Ellen Degeneres

Humor Wrap Up Humor Therapy can reduce stress Help increase tolerance of pain Bring people closer together Reduce feelings of helplessness Help the body fight infections Is mostly risk free People love to laugh

Questions Any questions?