Mind-body interventions

Mind–body interventions are medical and pseudomedical interventions based on the idea of the mind influencing the physical body. The category was introduced in September 2000 by the United States National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), so encompasses primarily complementary and alternative medicine interventions, but also includes scientifically validated practices such as cognitive behavioural therapy.

The NCCIH defines mind-body interventions as those practices that "employ a variety of techniques designed to facilitate the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms", and include guided imagery, guided meditation and forms of meditative praxis, hypnosis and hypnotherapy, prayer, as well as art therapy, music therapy, and dance therapy.

All mind-body interventions focus on the interaction between the brain, body, and behavior and are practiced with intention to use the mind to alter physical function and promote overall health and well-being.

However, the NCCIH does not consider mind-body interventions as within the purview of complementary and alternative medicine when there is sufficient scientific evidence for the benefit of such practices along with their professional application in conventional medicine. One such practice that the NCCIH defines as a mind-body intervention because it utilizes the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms, but for which there is sufficient scientific evidence and mainstream application for it to fall outside the purview of complementary and alternative medicine is cognitive behavioral therapy.

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