Positive Visualization May Have Effect on Visual Healing

A very interesting trend is taking hold in healthcare: that positive visualization and general optimism may tie to enhanced physical recovery. Investigations into the increasing use of virtual reality with hospital patients, as well as literature exploring the effect of general optimism on injured athletes, points to healing being more of a mental game than we thought.

A 2006 study by Handergard, et al., involved athletes listening to recorded audio messages directing the listener to focus on the injured body part healing, improving its range of motion, and getting stronger. The athletes who participated reported an increase in confidence that those who did not participate failed to acknowledge, and attributed 30-40% of their recovery to mental imagery.

The growing influence of virtual reality suggests a similar conclusion, as a study from the University of South Australia shows children undergoing physiotherapy after ligament surgery for cerebral palsy-related muscle spasticity had significantly lower pain levels reported when distracted by a virtual reality game in conjunction with their normal pain dosages. Virtual reality has also shown promising effects of making physical therapy more fun in senior homes, translating into improved willingness to participate and improved results.

Scientist Barbara Fredrickson spent years accumulating research and insights that remind us regular mental positivity can have physical effects that stretch from improved sleep and fewer colds to improved recovery from cardiovascular stress. This University of Minnesota article reminds us a two-way correlation indeed exists, as chronic negativity can lead to high blood pressure and even digestive disorders.

Even the basic grasp of “forgiveness” can have notable effects. 27% of 260 adults that participated in a 6-week Stanford Forgiveness Project ultimately reported a decrease in physical ailments that included general pain, gastrointestinal upset, or dizziness.

The mental aspects of healing from physical trauma need not be ignored. Perspective and positivity have been proven to affect physical health and the specific recovery processes, meaning a new chance to facilitate recuperation in hospital patients. It will be interesting to see where virtual reality, a major player in this new approach, and other visualization techniques take modern healing and recovery practices.