When you find out that you will be having surgery, you may experience a range of emotions including fear of the unknown. This audio will help you re-orient your mind to positive healing images and suggestions.
You can listen to this audio weeks ahead of time and then continue on with the post surgery audio for as long as you wish.
Research shows that practicing guided imagery can both shorten recovery time and improve the quality of recovery after surgery. It is helpful to make a list of affirmations you would like to be reminded of just prior to and after your surgery.
An Article in Scientific American notes two studies that found that people who used guided imagery recovered more thoroughly and quicker than the control group. The article is titled:
Mental Imagery May Hasten Recovery after Surgery
By Tori Rodriguez
"In the first study, people who had undergone knee surgery mentally rehearsed physical therapy exercises and visualized the physiological healing process specific to ACL surgery, such as scar tissue becoming flexible with gentle stretching. According to the results published in the December 2012 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, the group that practiced imagery showed greater improvements in knee stability and reduced levels of stress hormones. The study authors speculate that imagery may speed recovery by reducing stress, which has been shown to interfere with healing.
The other experiment focused on patients scheduled for gallbladder removal and was published in the February 2012 issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. The patients were randomly assigned to either a group receiving only standard care or to one that also involved relaxation and guided imagery for three days before and seven days after surgery. “We used a relaxation intervention to try to reduce stress and therefore get a better inflammatory response to surgery and improve healing,” says Elizabeth Broadbent, professor of medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and co-author of the study. The first set of imagery exercises focused on being relaxed and ready for surgery, whereas the postsurgery imagery concentrated on the body's healing process. For example, participants imagined oxygen and nutrients traveling to the surgical wound and helping the body knit the skin back together, easing discomfort and bringing soothing relief.
Compared with the control group, participants who practiced imagery reported a larger reduction in stress, and their wounds showed signs of greater collagen deposition and faster healing.
This article was originally published with the title Healing the Body with the Mind."
My audio "Healing Surgery " is now sold at the Mayo Clinic Medical Store.
You can listen to this audio weeks ahead of time and then continue on with the post surgery audio for as long as you wish.
Research shows that practicing guided imagery can both shorten recovery time and improve the quality of recovery after surgery. It is helpful to make a list of affirmations you would like to be reminded of just prior to and after your surgery.
An Article in Scientific American notes two studies that found that people who used guided imagery recovered more thoroughly and quicker than the control group. The article is titled:
Mental Imagery May Hasten Recovery after Surgery
By Tori Rodriguez
"In the first study, people who had undergone knee surgery mentally rehearsed physical therapy exercises and visualized the physiological healing process specific to ACL surgery, such as scar tissue becoming flexible with gentle stretching. According to the results published in the December 2012 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, the group that practiced imagery showed greater improvements in knee stability and reduced levels of stress hormones. The study authors speculate that imagery may speed recovery by reducing stress, which has been shown to interfere with healing.
The other experiment focused on patients scheduled for gallbladder removal and was published in the February 2012 issue of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. The patients were randomly assigned to either a group receiving only standard care or to one that also involved relaxation and guided imagery for three days before and seven days after surgery. “We used a relaxation intervention to try to reduce stress and therefore get a better inflammatory response to surgery and improve healing,” says Elizabeth Broadbent, professor of medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and co-author of the study. The first set of imagery exercises focused on being relaxed and ready for surgery, whereas the postsurgery imagery concentrated on the body's healing process. For example, participants imagined oxygen and nutrients traveling to the surgical wound and helping the body knit the skin back together, easing discomfort and bringing soothing relief.
Compared with the control group, participants who practiced imagery reported a larger reduction in stress, and their wounds showed signs of greater collagen deposition and faster healing.
This article was originally published with the title Healing the Body with the Mind."
My audio "Healing Surgery " is now sold at the Mayo Clinic Medical Store.
Disclaimer:
This audio track is provided for your individual purchase. You may not copy, reproduce, edit, adapt, alter, republish, post, broadcast, transmit, make available to the public, or otherwise use this audio in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Relaxing Haven is not liable for any loss or damage which you may incur as a result of or connected with the use of this file.
This audio track is provided for your individual purchase. You may not copy, reproduce, edit, adapt, alter, republish, post, broadcast, transmit, make available to the public, or otherwise use this audio in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Relaxing Haven is not liable for any loss or damage which you may incur as a result of or connected with the use of this file.