Could Laughter Really Be Good Medicine for Chronic Pain?

It's one of the oldest cliches around, but are the folks at Readers' Digest onto something? Doctors seem to think so - "humor therapy" is becoming more popular around the country for people with cancer or other chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS).

What is humor therapy? It's kind of like a support group, only you get together with other people to tell jokes and funny stories, watch funny videos, and maybe even see a comedic performance.

It might sound strange, but there's actually a medical reason behind it. Doctors say laughter lowers your stress level and blood pressure, improves breathing, and helps your muscles function better. Those are all things that those of us with FMS and ME/CFS could use.

While it certainly doesn't replace any of your other treatments, I think laughing does correlate to feeling better. During my first year with FMS, I spent a lot of time on the couch, unable to do anything but stare blankly at the TV. I started watching daily reruns of a sitcom that I love, and I noticed that laughing did actually make me feel a little better. Laughter is free and doesn't generally have side effects, so it's in the "can't hurt to try" category.

Sometimes it's hard to find the humor in anything - believe me, I've been there - but try to find something that cuts through the fog and gives you a chuckle. If nothing else, at least it'll boost your mood, right?

Do you think laughter makes you feel better? What's guaranteed to make you laugh, even when you feel lousy? Share your experiences (and maybe a funny anecdote) here or in About.com's Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome community forum (under Newsletter & Blog Topics).

Suggested Reading:

• 10 Little Things that Help
• Living with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Survive Holiday Shopping

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