When Donald arrived for his first group-therapy session he was in a wheelchair, suffering from malignant melanoma and severely depressed. But after he spent six months sharing stories and good times with other cancer{{U}} (51) {{/U}}and learning relaxation techniques, his mood had improves considerably and{{U}} (52) {{/U}}had his condition.{{U}} (53) {{/U}}his attitude brightened, an important change took{{U}} (54) {{/U}}inside his body: an increase in the activity of his "natural killer cells," a crucial link in the immune{{U}} (55) {{/U}}. By year's end, though he still had cancer, Donald was able to dance for his group.
{{U}} (56) {{/U}}role, if any, does emotions play in{{U}} (57) {{/U}}or curing illness? The question is older{{U}} (58) {{/U}}western medicine, but it has been given new importance by modern science's discovery of innovative{{U}} (59) {{/U}}to measure the mind's impact{{U}} (60) {{/U}}the body's health. Scientists are studying whether, and to what{{U}} (61) {{/U}}, disease can be affected by the use of{{U}} (62) {{/U}}mind-body techniques as meditation, yoga, group therapy, guided imagery (visualizing the desired effect){{U}} (63) {{/U}}relaxation. There is little question that we can alter the course of disease{{U}} (64) {{/U}}manipulating psychological factors.{{U}} (65) {{/U}}to make this knowledge useful to physicians, we need to understand the mechanisms. When researchers can pin{{U}} (66) {{/U}}the appropriate clinical uses for mind-body therapies, the result will be a revolution in medical{{U}} (67) {{/U}}.
For many patients, the{{U}} (68) {{/U}}has already begun. Increasingly, people are using mind-body therapies on their own, even{{U}} (69) {{/U}}seeking conventional medical treatment. Stories of seemingly miraculous recoveries may grab the public's attention but the real work is being{{U}} (70) {{/U}}quietly and out of sight. In laboratories around the world, medical researchers are exploring the mind-body connection, separating myth from reality, intuition from fact, belief from science.