When examined on its surface the concept of laughter therapy may be viewed as a non-scientific new age quasi-therapeutic remedy. But a closer look actually reveals some interesting perspectives on this form of treatment that actually has legitimate science supporting it. While a past blog discussed the negative physiological effects of stress on various aspects of health and the body it should not then be a leap to expect the opposite effect from humor.

Although laughter and humor have forever been constituents of humanity their systematic study has begun only relatively recently. Through experimental electro-stimulation the specific area of the brain that provokes laughter and humor has been identified as the left inferior frontal gyrus.

Studying humor

Gelotology is the study of humor and laughter and their effects on the human body.  It involves both the psychological and physiological study of laughter. Humor or laughter therapy therefore is the use of humor for the relief of physical or emotional pain and stress. It is primarily used as a complementary method to promote health improve quality of life provide pain relief encourage relaxation and reduce stress during times of severe physical or psychological illness. Humor has demonstrated its physical effects through its stimulation of the circulatory system immune system and other systems in the body.

Laughter's benefits

For instance laughter's immune benefits were made apparent after watching a humorous video when male study subjects experienced an increase in natural killer cell activity and increases in serum immunoglobulin levels as well as various T helper cell subsets. Other studies have demonstrated these same effects reflecting the immune-boosting properties of laughter.

Another interesting physiological effect was observed in patients with allergic bronchial asthma. Again after viewing a humorous film a reduction in bronchial responsiveness was experienced in these patients when they were exposed to a bronchial challenge.

Nighttime waking is common in individuals suffering with atopic dermatitis as the itching can be very disruptive to normal sleep patterns and can lead to exhaustion. Ghrelin is a hormone most commonly associated with appetite regulation but also has a role to play in anxiety and nighttime awakening. Children with the condition who watched a humorous film before bedtime experienced improvements in waking patterns through the mechanism of ghrelin modulation.

Release those endorphins!

A healthy and intense burst of laughter is known to release endorphins and it is this endorphin release that leads to an increase in nitric oxide formation the body's primary vasodilator.  This explains laughter's positive effect on the cardiovascular system and its ability to reduce blood pressure.

Laughter therapies are used extensively in cancer treatments as a complementary way of improving quality of life and patient resilience.

Through the loss of a spouse or family dislocations the elderly frequently find themselves either alone or in assisted living environments that make transition from family to being suddenly alone very difficult. Use of laughter therapies can help smooth this transition and help decrease depression anxiety and improve cognition in this vulnerable population.

In a new landscape fraught with the emotional instabilities caused by home foreclosures unemployment wars and political polarization perhaps finding the humor in the everyday is the tonic that can heal us and our world.  As E.E. Cummings wrote The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

Michael Fuhrman D.C.