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If you asked your diabetes educator 15 years ago about how mind-body therapies could help you to manage your diabetes then you may have been met with a blank stare. Not so today.

The use of mind-body therapies in Australia for health and wellbeing is expanding rapidly. Examples of mind-body therapies being practised include tai chi, qi gong, meditation, yoga and biofeedback.

Traditionally, Western medicine has treated the mind and body independently of each other. As our understanding of the human body and mind has evolved we now understand that the health of our mind impacts greatly on the health of our body and vice-versa.

The concept of mind-body health has been used for thousands of years in traditional Eastern medicine. The concept focuses on the communication that occurs between the mind and the body and the ways in which emotional, mental, social and spiritual factors can directly affect the health of our body.

How can mind-body therapies help diabetes?

Our lifestyles today are busy and stressful. When you also have a chronic medical
condition such as diabetes that requires self-management 24/7, this stress is often increased.

Our bodies are equipped to respond to physical and emotional stress by releasing stress hormones. The increase in these hormones results in an increase in heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

This response is helpful in short bursts, but if it remains ongoing it can be detrimental to health and wellbeing. Mind-body therapies can be useful in addressing this.

The aim of practising mind-body therapies regularly is to achieve a relaxation response in the body. During the relaxation response the level of stress hormones decrease and the body begins to slow down. Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing also slow down. This relaxation response has also been shown to decrease blood glucose levels for some people.

Will mind-body therapies work for me?

We now know that mind-body therapies have the potential to help many people who have a chronic medical condition such as diabetes although our understanding and research into this is still in its infancy.

Although not diabetes specific, research has shown that people who undertake mind-body therapies can improve their quality of life and coping skills, increase immunity, decrease their blood pressure and are able to reduce stress and tension.

If you are interested in giving mind-body therapies a go, talk to your diabetes health care team first.

It is important to remember that these therapies are not designed to replace your current diabetes treatment, but can be used in addition to help enhance your health and wellbeing.

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