About this Research Topic
This Research Topic is the second volume of Research Topic "Mind-body medicine and its impacts on psychological networks, quality of life, and health". Please see the first volume here.
Living conditions in industrialized countries have led to a significant increase in life expectancy in recent decades. Likewise, the proportion of chronic diseases is growing. This includes cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, inflammatory bowel diseases, and cancer. Unfavorable lifestyle factors, such as accumulative stress, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition, compounded by a persistent imbalance between exertion and recovery, lead to the manifestation and chronification of disease. A fundamental awareness of the connection between our mind, emotions, lifestyle, and health has grown. Understanding of body and mind interaction is increasing. The high clinical relevance is also supported and confirmed by evidence. Out of this field of research, mind-body medicine (MBM) has developed. MBM targets the interplay of body, mind, emotions, and behavior extending to the regulation of vegetative physiological signaling pathways.
The analysis of these signaling pathways, as part of Network Physiology, of structural, dynamic, and regulatory mechanisms and the information transfer in healthy and diseased states provide insights into physiological structures and functions of the whole integrated system with its different types of interactions.
Complementary treatment pathways for a variety of conventional medicine practices have developed from the emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors influence that influence health.
The goal of MBM is to use the interactions between body, mind, and emotions on the basis of scientific knowledge to promote salutogenetically based resources. In this context, body, mind, and emotions are regarded as working in unity while illnesses can be understood as producing disbalance in complex bio-psychological systems. A central theme of MBM is the need for a lifestyle change. MBM works on lifestyle through the psyche and thus indirectly affects many areas. MBM techniques include MBSR, meditation, active movement, relaxation, mindfulness, stress management and relaxation, habits of perception, and evaluation among others. These work through complex bio-psychological and social systems on different areas of lifestyle. MBM provides a set of tools to increase the sense of self-efficacy and elevate health literacy for sustaining health. MBM is a therapeutic approach that encompasses a variety of different methods that often facilitate cost-effective preventive or therapeutic options. Relevant evidence-based data are available, and this is an area with high scientific and clinical growth potential for lifestyle change and prevention of some of the most important health issues.
This Research Topic focuses on scientific evidence-based investigations based on physical exercise, integrative strategies for self-care, applications from traditional Chinese medicine, hypnotherapy, Ayurveda, relaxation, meditation methods, yoga practice, qigong, tai chi, biofeedback interventions, implementation of digital health tools, evaluation of behavioral change techniques, mindful stress relief, cognitive restructuring, autogenic training, and health-impacting social support. This research topic aims to collect and analyze diverse research content, from comprehensive data analysis to clinical practice applications. The objective aspires to understand how different physiological control systems, from the mind to the body, interact and to improve quality of life and health. We aim to provide a foundation of evidence for new theoretical and practical approaches to solving problems and challenges in MBM. We welcome original articles, review papers, and especially multidisciplinary contributions in the field of MBM. Contributing to a comprehensive overall picture of MBM, this unique set of multidisciplinary approaches and visions, will further the knowledge of integrative medicine forward and have a positive impact on future therapeutic developments.
Living conditions in industrialized countries have led to a significant increase in life expectancy in recent decades. Likewise, the proportion of chronic diseases is growing. This includes cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, inflammatory bowel diseases, and cancer. Unfavorable lifestyle factors, such as accumulative stress, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition, compounded by a persistent imbalance between exertion and recovery, lead to the manifestation and chronification of disease. A fundamental awareness of the connection between our mind, emotions, lifestyle, and health has grown. Understanding of body and mind interaction is increasing. The high clinical relevance is also supported and confirmed by evidence. Out of this field of research, mind-body medicine (MBM) has developed. MBM targets the interplay of body, mind, emotions, and behavior extending to the regulation of vegetative physiological signaling pathways.
The analysis of these signaling pathways, as part of Network Physiology, of structural, dynamic, and regulatory mechanisms and the information transfer in healthy and diseased states provide insights into physiological structures and functions of the whole integrated system with its different types of interactions.
Complementary treatment pathways for a variety of conventional medicine practices have developed from the emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors influence that influence health.
The goal of MBM is to use the interactions between body, mind, and emotions on the basis of scientific knowledge to promote salutogenetically based resources. In this context, body, mind, and emotions are regarded as working in unity while illnesses can be understood as producing disbalance in complex bio-psychological systems. A central theme of MBM is the need for a lifestyle change. MBM works on lifestyle through the psyche and thus indirectly affects many areas. MBM techniques include MBSR, meditation, active movement, relaxation, mindfulness, stress management and relaxation, habits of perception, and evaluation among others. These work through complex bio-psychological and social systems on different areas of lifestyle. MBM provides a set of tools to increase the sense of self-efficacy and elevate health literacy for sustaining health. MBM is a therapeutic approach that encompasses a variety of different methods that often facilitate cost-effective preventive or therapeutic options. Relevant evidence-based data are available, and this is an area with high scientific and clinical growth potential for lifestyle change and prevention of some of the most important health issues.
This Research Topic focuses on scientific evidence-based investigations based on physical exercise, integrative strategies for self-care, applications from traditional Chinese medicine, hypnotherapy, Ayurveda, relaxation, meditation methods, yoga practice, qigong, tai chi, biofeedback interventions, implementation of digital health tools, evaluation of behavioral change techniques, mindful stress relief, cognitive restructuring, autogenic training, and health-impacting social support. This research topic aims to collect and analyze diverse research content, from comprehensive data analysis to clinical practice applications. The objective aspires to understand how different physiological control systems, from the mind to the body, interact and to improve quality of life and health. We aim to provide a foundation of evidence for new theoretical and practical approaches to solving problems and challenges in MBM. We welcome original articles, review papers, and especially multidisciplinary contributions in the field of MBM. Contributing to a comprehensive overall picture of MBM, this unique set of multidisciplinary approaches and visions, will further the knowledge of integrative medicine forward and have a positive impact on future therapeutic developments.
Keywords: Network Physiology, mind-body medicine, psychological networks, integrative medicine, chronic diseases, movement, relaxation, mindfulness, stress management, perception, internal and external communication, social networking, lifestyle, behavioral factors, health, digital health, behavioral change techniques
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