Arthritis - Prayer effective as painkiller?

Author

Prayer effective as painkiller?

Roman Bystrianyk

2005-05-12, 11:54 am

http://www.healthsentinel.com/news....ist_item&id=814

Anita Manning, "Prayer effective as painkiller?", USA Today, May 9,
2005,
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health...ayer-pain_x.htm

Americans have found a no-cost painkiller they say is as effective as
prescription drugs: prayer.

More than half of those who responded to a USA TODAY/ABC News/Stanford
University Medical Center poll released Monday say they use prayer to
control pain. Of those, 90% say it worked well, and 51% say "very
well."

Among a dozen therapies, including bed rest, massage and herbal
remedies, only prescription drugs were as successful as prayer in
easing pain: 89% report that such drugs work well and 51% say "very
well."

This comes as no surprise to preachers and doctors who say they have
seen the way personal faith can influence a patient's reaction to all
kinds of pain, psychological or physical.

"Prayer enables you to take your mind and place it in a new
perspective," says family doctor Harold Betton, who also is pastor of
New Light Baptist Church in Little Rock. By focusing on prayer, he
says, believers reduce stress and gain control over pain.

He says he's not suggesting anyone should expect miracles, "but you
need to utilize what people have: their faith. Let your faith and
prayer intercede, and your perception of pain decreases."

Why that might work is open to debate. Columbia university psychologist
Richard Sloan says it has more to do with the power of distraction than
the power of prayer.

"If you try to distract yourself by focusing on something else -
prayer or something else - I do think it works," he says. "I don't
think it's anything special about prayer. It's any kind of mental
activity that serves to distract you from the pain-producing
circumstances."

Hundreds of papers have been published on the possible link between
faith and health, but scientifically, "it's very hard to measure," says
John Tarpley, professor of surgery at Vanderbilt University.

Pain, in particular, is subjective and can be influenced by a variety
of factors that are difficult to assess by scientific standards.

"What we have to worry about is the difference between showing
association and causation," says Tarpley, who teaches a class on
spirituality and medicine at Vanderbilt.

For some deeply religious people, pain can be redemptive, but faith
also can carry an extra burden.

"In African-American belief, (often) pain is part of what we are
expected to endure," says Glenda Hodges, director of a course in
spirituality and medicine at Howard University's college of Medicine.

The feeling is that "if Jesus endured it, I should be able to handle
it," she says. "So if I'm not able to handle the pain, there must be
something wrong with the spiritual connection I have with God."

But "it doesn't work that way," says Harold Koenig, professor of
psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University. Faith and
medicine "work beautifully together. Just praying alone doesn't work as
well as if you're (also) taking your morphine."

Koenig and colleagues reported last month in the Journal of Nervous and
Mental Disease that among sickle cell patients, those who go to church
at least once a week had the lowest pain scores.

"People who are more involved with religious organizations seem to be
able to cope with stress," Koenig says.

Joel M. Eichen

2005-05-12, 11:54 am

"Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystrianyk@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1115829007.966103.135940@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> http://www.healthsentinel.com/news....ist_item&id=814
>
> Anita Manning, "Prayer effective as painkiller?", USA Today, May 9,
> 2005,
> Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health...ayer-pain_x.htm
>
> Americans have found a no-cost painkiller they say is as effective as
> prescription drugs: prayer.

REPLY

What do you mean no-cost? Churches and synagogues cost plenty!

Joel

>
> More than half of those who responded to a USA TODAY/ABC News/Stanford
> university Medical Center poll released Monday say they use prayer to
> control pain. Of those, 90% say it worked well, and 51% say "very
> well."
>
> Among a dozen therapies, including bed rest, massage and herbal
> remedies, only prescription drugs were as successful as prayer in
> easing pain: 89% report that such drugs work well and 51% say "very
> well."
>
> This comes as no surprise to preachers and doctors who say they have
> seen the way personal faith can influence a patient's reaction to all
> kinds of pain, psychological or physical.
>
> "Prayer enables you to take your mind and place it in a new
> perspective," says family doctor Harold Betton, who also is pastor of
> New Light Baptist Church in Little Rock. By focusing on prayer, he
> says, believers reduce stress and gain control over pain.
>
> He says he's not suggesting anyone should expect miracles, "but you
> need to utilize what people have: their faith. Let your faith and
> prayer intercede, and your perception of pain decreases."
>
> Why that might work is open to debate. Columbia university psychologist
> Richard Sloan says it has more to do with the power of distraction than
> the power of prayer.
>
> "If you try to distract yourself by focusing on something else -
> prayer or something else - I do think it works," he says. "I don't
> think it's anything special about prayer. It's any kind of mental
> activity that serves to distract you from the pain-producing
> circumstances."
>
> Hundreds of papers have been published on the possible link between
> faith and health, but scientifically, "it's very hard to measure," says
> John Tarpley, professor of surgery at Vanderbilt University.
>
> Pain, in particular, is subjective and can be influenced by a variety
> of factors that are difficult to assess by scientific standards.
>
> "What we have to worry about is the difference between showing
> association and causation," says Tarpley, who teaches a class on
> spirituality and medicine at Vanderbilt.
>
> For some deeply religious people, pain can be redemptive, but faith
> also can carry an extra burden.
>
> "In African-American belief, (often) pain is part of what we are
> expected to endure," says Glenda Hodges, director of a course in
> spirituality and medicine at Howard University's college of Medicine.
>
> The feeling is that "if Jesus endured it, I should be able to handle
> it," she says. "So if I'm not able to handle the pain, there must be
> something wrong with the spiritual connection I have with God."
>
> But "it doesn't work that way," says Harold Koenig, professor of
> psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University. Faith and
> medicine "work beautifully together. Just praying alone doesn't work as
> well as if you're (also) taking your morphine."
>
> Koenig and colleagues reported last month in the Journal of Nervous and
> Mental Disease that among sickle cell patients, those who go to church
> at least once a week had the lowest pain scores.
>
> "People who are more involved with religious organizations seem to be
> able to cope with stress," Koenig says.
>

2005-05-12, 11:54 am

Since prayer can cover a host of recitations, the shortest route are a few
words that cover most sentiments and relaxes the mind and body
immeasureably.
"I will revere the Lord going out and
I will revere the Lord coming in
I will revere the Lord lying down
and I will revere the Lord upon rising up" (Doesn't work at the dentist,
take a pain killer.)
I will revere the Lord always?
Just wish there was a special prayer that would help the crohns and Colitis
group.
Detachment is the key. The nursing homes are the worst offenders. And
I am their worst visitor. The theory is bashed and I am almost banned.
But my friend has sores on the back of her neck extending into the head
Does anyone pay attention. They would if it were their daughter.
Enough to keep one in tears. Just venting. But more needs to be done.
Talking to myself, cant get a decent answer.
Gail

"Joel M. Eichen" <joeleichen@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:428296ad_2@x-privat.org...
>
> "Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystrianyk@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1115829007.966103.135940@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> REPLY
>
> What do you mean no-cost? Churches and synagogues cost plenty!
>
>
> Joel
>
>
>
>
>

2005-05-14, 8:50 am

James Abner

2005-05-28, 8:46 am

Roman

Sure, prayer is cheaper than going out and buying a heap of medications.
Hey, the human mind is a lot more powerful than most of us give it
credit. Sure ... it can do amazing things, things that Science is unable
to explain and the allopathic doctors exclaim as "miracles".

Sure, it's possible that God (in his great Divinity) selecte me as the
ol' poor sole that is going to receive his miraculous blessing today,
but I doubt it.

However, I've been hearing a lot about this sugar nutriment stuff that
is supposedly made from manna (the gift of God as described in the
Bible). http://www.sickandtired.com.au/pages/arthritis.html

The company even named itself on the gospel plant - mannateck. The
company says this stuff called mannose is the same thing as manna and
it's in the bible and what not. So I had a look and I found it a couple
of times: (King James version)

Exodus 16:15
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is
manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is
the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Exodus 16:31
And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like
coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

Deuteronomy 8:3
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he
might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Anyhow, I'm getting off track. I wonder if this mannose stuff is the
same manna stuff that God speaks of in the Bible. My question is, is
the carbohydrate mannose and the food spake in the Bible called Manna
the same thing?

Thanks mate
James

Harvey R. Stone

2005-05-28, 8:46 am

"James Abner" <Jamo.com> wrote in message news:4298snet.com.au...
> Roman
>
> Sure, prayer is cheaper than going out and buying a heap of medications.
> Hey, the human mind is a lot more powerful than most of us give it credit.
> Sure ... it can do amazing things, things that Science is unable
> to explain and the allopathic doctors exclaim as "miracles".
>
> Sure, it's possible that God (in his great Divinity) selecte me as the ol'
> poor sole that is going to receive his miraculous blessing today, but I
> doubt it.
>
> However, I've been hearing a lot about this sugar nutriment stuff that is
> supposedly made from manna (the gift of God as described in the Bible).
> http://www.
>
> The company even named itself on the gospel plant - mannateck. The company
> says this stuff called mannose is the same thing as manna and it's in the
> bible and what not. So I had a look and I found it a couple of times:
> (King James version)
>
> Exodus 16:15
> And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is
> manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is
> the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
>
> Exodus 16:31
> And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like
> coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with
> honey.
>
> Deuteronomy 8:3
> And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna,
> which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
> thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
> proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
>
> Anyhow, I'm getting off track. I wonder if this mannose stuff is the same
> manna stuff that God speaks of in the Bible. My question is, is the
> carbohydrate mannose and the food spake in the Bible called Manna the same
> thing?
>
> Thanks mate
> James

James,,,,, misc.health.arthritis newsgroup has a charter which does not
allow advertising and it is respected by most internet servers.
You will be reported like the 100s of spammers about mannose before you.
It is not new.

Paul T. Holland

2005-05-29, 8:45 am

complaints for spam abuse in violation of usenet charter to:

abuse@optusnet.com.au
abuse@yahoo.com

Checking server [whois-generic.ausregistry.net.au]

Results:
Domain Name: sickandtired.com.au
Last Modified: 14-Dec-2004 06:00:51 UTC
Registrar ID: R00015-AR
Registrar Name: NetRegistry
Status: OK
Registrant: Anthony Woods
Registrant ID: ABN 42082881930
Registrant ROID: C2292089-AR
Registrant Contact Name: Anthony Woods
Registrant Email: sickandtired@optusnet.com.au
Tech ID: C0573762-AR
Tech Name: Dominic Main
Tech Email: dmain@netregistry.com.au
Name Server: ns.au.com
Name Server: ns2.au.com

A&M Enterprises
31 Kiora Street
Panania NSW 2213
AUSTRALIA

James Abner wrote:

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> Roman
>
> Sure, prayer is cheaper than going out and buying a heap of medications.
> Hey, the human mind is a lot more powerful than most of us give it
> credit. Sure ... it can do amazing things, things that Science is unable
> to explain and the allopathic doctors exclaim as "miracles".
>
> Sure, it's possible that God (in his great Divinity) selecte me as the
> ol' poor sole that is going to receive his miraculous blessing today,
> but I doubt it.
>
> However, I've been hearing a lot about this sugar nutriment stuff that
> is supposedly made from manna (the gift of God as described in the
> Bible). http://www.sickandtired.com.au/pages/arthritis.html
>
> The company even named itself on the gospel plant - mannateck. The
> company says this stuff called mannose is the same thing as manna and
> it's in the bible and what not. So I had a look and I found it a couple
> of times: (King James version)
>
> Exodus 16:15
> And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is
> manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is
> the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
>
> Exodus 16:31
> And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like
> coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
>
> Deuteronomy 8:3
> And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
> manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he
> might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every
> word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
>
> Anyhow, I'm getting off track. I wonder if this mannose stuff is the
> same manna stuff that God speaks of in the Bible. My question is, is
> the carbohydrate mannose and the food spake in the Bible called Manna
> the same thing?
>
> Thanks mate
> James

Paul T. Holland

2005-05-29, 8:45 am