OUR PROJECTS
Our research centers around the investigation of integrative health treatments for chronic pain and fatigue. Current studies focus on the roles of acupuncture/acupressure, meditation, and shamanism in the reduction of chronic pain and how these interventions work on the central nervous system. Outcomes of interest will include brain function, structure, and neurochemistry assessed non-invasively with magnetic resonance imaging as well as heart rate variability, sensory sensitivity, and symptom outcomes (pain/fatigue/sleep/mood).
The Effects of Core Shamanism in Fibromyalgia
Shamanism is an ancient spiritual practice found in all indigenous cultures on the planet. It is a methodology and as such is not in conflict with any specific religions. For example, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews may all practice Shamanism and not conflict with their religion. During this form of healing, a Shamanic Practitioner (SP) and the patient listens to repetitive drumming or rattling music and the SP enters a non-ordinary state of reality where they interact with helping spirits to engender healing in specific patients. This is called Shamanic Journeying. The patient may also be called upon to enter this altered state of reality during a healing session.
The type of practice used in this study is called Core Shamanism (CS), which was created through the research of Michael Harner, an anthropologist with deep personal experience in multiple cultures. Core Shamanism combines common elements of all the world’s shamanic practices into a simple structured method which involves listening to repetitive drumming music and experiencing altered conscious states for healing. Importantly CS does not incorporate unique or personal spiritual practices from any one
specific culture.
The purpose of this study has three aspects:
1) to determine if fibromyalgia patients will enroll in a shamanic healing experience, 2) to see if it helps their pain and other symptoms, and finally 3) to determine if shamanic journeying results in altered physiological processes of the lung, heart, and brain.
Energy Medicine for Fibromyalgia Pain
Energy medicine or energy healing (EH) is an emerging therapy with significant promise. EH derives from the theory that by using the body’s biological energy, there can be a therapeutic effect that guides the patient towards a homeostatic state. Preliminary data in chronic pain patients, suggests that EH, delivered by an experienced practitioner, is able to reduce self-reported pain symptoms within minutes. Effects lasting for weeks to months have also been anecdotally reported. EPs may be trained within a specific tradition such as healing touch, reiki, and qigong, or work via novel unique methods.
We propose to study energy medicine delivered by an experienced therapist, for the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic pain state that results from aberrant central nervous system function and chemistry.
If our hypotheses are proven true, 1) critical information will be provided that may help incorporate EH into mainstream management of FM, 2) EH may be shown to reduce pain symptoms in FM and other nociplastic pain conditions, 3) we may obtain a better understanding of EH and how it might be utilized in
future studies.
