Exploring the Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Mind–Body Intervention for Medical Symptom Relief

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe possible changes in physical and psychologic symptoms among outpatients completing a 12-week mind–body medical symptom reduction program related to chronic medical conditions. Design: The cornerstone of the program is elicitation of the relaxation response, and the curriculum also incorporates trainings on mind–body interactions, cognitive restructuring, nutrition, and physical activity. The Medical Symptom Checklist (MSCL), Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II) and Symptom Checklist-90R (SCL-90-R) were used to assess 331 patients' physical and psychologic symptoms before and after the intervention. Results: Significant post-treatment improvements in symptom frequency occurred for 12 individual symptoms on the MSCL, all 6 of the HPLP-II subscales, and 8 of the 9 SCL-90-R subscales from pre- to post-treatment. Conclusions: The results from this uncontrolled study suggest that a comprehensive mind–body intervention program might be useful as a complementary or adjunct therapy for treatment of chronic medical symptoms.