by Jackie Hart, MD
Q: I have heard a lot lately about the use of prayer in modern-day medicine. Is there anything to this?
A: Prayer and other spiritual beliefs and practices have long been a part of many ancient, traditional systems of healing. In the Native American Indian culture, for example, prayer is used by the person with the illness, as well as the caregiver, friends, family, and the whole community.
Recently, many Western researchers have been exploring how prayer might be used in addition to standard treatment for conditions such as depression, alcoholism and other drug addictions, marital problems, cancer, HIV infection, heart disease, wound healing, infertility, and rashes.
These explorations have yielded some fascinating results. In one study, conducted in North Carolina, 150 people with heart disease who were about to undergo cardiac catheterization and angioplasty for a heart attack or unstable angina were randomly assigned to receive one of the following therapies in addition to the standard medical procedure:
The four groups that received "extra" care did better overall, as measured by adverse outcomes following the procedure, than did the group who received only standard medical care. The group that received intercessory prayer, or "distant healing" as termed by a research group in San Francisco, did better than any of the other groups, which is amazing since they were not actively doing anything nor did they know for sure if anyone else was actually praying for them.
Some skeptics question whether it is actually peoples belief that others are praying for them that causes them to experience a positive outcome. The belief may play some part, but many of the participants in the group that received no extra treatment may have also thought that others were praying for them, yet they still did not do as well.
Other studies in Kansas City and Ann Arbor, Michigan have found that self-prayer for patients with heart disease reduces length of stay in a coronary care unit and alleviates depression following a heart attack. It seems fitting that in matters of the heart, both self-prayer and prayer by others may be helpful in the healing process, as the heart often feels like the gateway to the soul.
The North Carolina research group has expanded from the original pilot study described; the new phase of the study to include 1500 patients is called the MANTRA trial. In addition, since participating in the pilot, the researchers say a prayer for each patient prior to performing a cardiac catheterization or angioplasty.
I believe that at one time in our Western world, a patient may have felt uneasy if his or her doctor were saying a prayer before performing a complicated procedure. Now I think many people may appreciate the act of humility, the willingness of the physician to ask for help from a higher power, and the simple beauty of a doctor wanting the best for his or her patient.
Q: I have heard a lot lately about the use of prayer in modern-day medicine. Is there anything to this?
A: Prayer and other spiritual beliefs and practices have long been a part of many ancient, traditional systems of healing. In the Native American Indian culture, for example, prayer is used by the person with the illness, as well as the caregiver, friends, family, and the whole community.
Recently, many Western researchers have been exploring how prayer might be used in addition to standard treatment for conditions such as depression, alcoholism and other drug addictions, marital problems, cancer, HIV infection, heart disease, wound healing, infertility, and rashes.
These explorations have yielded some fascinating results. In one study, conducted in North Carolina, 150 people with heart disease who were about to undergo cardiac catheterization and angioplasty for a heart attack or unstable angina were randomly assigned to receive one of the following therapies in addition to the standard medical procedure:
- Healing touch (massage, Reiki therapy, etc.).
- Stress reduction and relaxation (breathing exercises, meditation, etc.).
- Guided imagery.
- Intercessory prayer (off-site prayer by people unknown to the patient).
- None of the above (meaning they only received the usual care).
The four groups that received "extra" care did better overall, as measured by adverse outcomes following the procedure, than did the group who received only standard medical care. The group that received intercessory prayer, or "distant healing" as termed by a research group in San Francisco, did better than any of the other groups, which is amazing since they were not actively doing anything nor did they know for sure if anyone else was actually praying for them.
Some skeptics question whether it is actually peoples belief that others are praying for them that causes them to experience a positive outcome. The belief may play some part, but many of the participants in the group that received no extra treatment may have also thought that others were praying for them, yet they still did not do as well.
Other studies in Kansas City and Ann Arbor, Michigan have found that self-prayer for patients with heart disease reduces length of stay in a coronary care unit and alleviates depression following a heart attack. It seems fitting that in matters of the heart, both self-prayer and prayer by others may be helpful in the healing process, as the heart often feels like the gateway to the soul.
The North Carolina research group has expanded from the original pilot study described; the new phase of the study to include 1500 patients is called the MANTRA trial. In addition, since participating in the pilot, the researchers say a prayer for each patient prior to performing a cardiac catheterization or angioplasty.
I believe that at one time in our Western world, a patient may have felt uneasy if his or her doctor were saying a prayer before performing a complicated procedure. Now I think many people may appreciate the act of humility, the willingness of the physician to ask for help from a higher power, and the simple beauty of a doctor wanting the best for his or her patient.