Find research articles in a peer reviewed source about a suc ✓ Solved

Find research articles in a peer-reviewed source about a successful functional therapy. Summarize the article by answering the following question: What is the therapy? How is the therapy used for illness prevention, health promotion, and heath restoration? Choose one (1) technique to promote self-wellness and describe its function. Identify the actions you can take to work with patients who use functional medicine and safeguard a patient's rights that choose to use this therapy.

What are some of the limitations of this therapy? Include any other pertinent information. Below are some guidelines on summarizing research articles. You may want to review one or more of these before beginning this assignment: APA format and cite sources.

Paper for above instructions

Functional therapy has emerged as a widely researched and increasingly accepted branch of integrative healthcare focused on individualized treatment, root-cause analysis, lifestyle modification, and mind–body healing techniques. This essay summarizes a peer-reviewed study on a successful functional therapy—Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)—and examines how it supports illness prevention, health promotion, and health restoration. Additionally, it presents one self-wellness technique, outlines strategies for collaborating with functional medicine patients, discusses patient rights, and highlights limitations of functional therapy.

Research Summary: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

A foundational peer-reviewed article by Goldberg et al. (2022), published in JAMA Psychiatry, demonstrates MBSR as a highly effective functional therapy. In a randomized clinical trial, researchers compared MBSR to escitalopram, a standard pharmacological treatment for anxiety. The study found that MBSR produced equivalent reductions in anxiety severity, establishing MBSR as a clinically effective alternative or adjunct therapy for anxiety-related conditions.

MBSR is an 8-week structured program combining mindfulness meditation, body scanning, gentle yoga, and controlled breathing. It is designed to help people recognize automatic stress responses, strengthen emotional regulation, and enhance present-moment awareness. Unlike conventional treatments that address symptoms, MBSR targets the underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms contributing to illness.

MBSR for Illness Prevention

Illness prevention is a cornerstone of functional therapy, and MBSR demonstrates strong preventive effects. Chronic stress is linked to numerous diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, immune dysfunction, and depression. MBSR reduces the physiological stress response by lowering cortisol levels, calming sympathetic activation, and improving immune function (Pascoe et al., 2020). Through stress reduction, individuals significantly reduce their risk for chronic illness.

MBSR also enhances awareness of behavioral patterns, making individuals more likely to adopt healthier lifestyles. Those practicing mindfulness frequently report better nutritional habits, increased physical activity, improved sleep, and reduced substance use. These preventive benefits align with the functional medicine model, which emphasizes proactive health rather than reactive treatment.

MBSR for Health Promotion

Health promotion goes beyond preventing disease and involves enhancing overall well-being. Repeated studies show MBSR improves emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, resilience, and general life satisfaction. Huang et al. (2019) found that employees who completed MBSR programs experienced lower stress levels, clearer thinking, and improved workplace performance.

MBSR also improves physiological well-being by enhancing heart rate variability, reducing blood pressure, and improving sleep quality. These outcomes collectively promote long-term wellness and improve quality of life at both the physical and psychological levels.

MBSR for Health Restoration

MBSR is widely used in health restoration for individuals managing chronic illnesses or recovering from medical treatments. Research shows significant improvements in chronic pain, cancer-related distress, post-traumatic stress, depression, and gastrointestinal symptoms among individuals participating in mindfulness programs (Bawa et al., 2020). MBSR helps patients reinterpret pain signals, reduce catastrophizing, and regulate emotional responses.

For cancer patients, mindfulness is shown to reduce fatigue, improve immune markers, and enhance emotional adjustment. Individuals with autoimmune disorders or gastrointestinal conditions experience symptom reduction due to reduced inflammation and stress regulation.

Selected Self-Wellness Technique: Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing—a core component of MBSR—is one of the most effective and accessible self-wellness techniques. The practice involves slow, intentional breathing with focused awareness on inhalation and exhalation.

Physiologically, mindful breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, reduces blood pressure, lowers heart rate, stabilizes emotional reactivity, and improves autonomic balance (Zaccaro et al., 2018). Psychologically, it improves focus, reduces anxiety, enhances emotional resilience, and interrupts stress-related cognitive patterns.

Its simplicity, portability, and evidence-based effectiveness make mindful breathing an essential tool for long-term personal wellness.

Working with Patients Who Use Functional Medicine

Healthcare professionals must collaborate ethically and safely with patients who use functional therapies. The following actions support patient-centered care:

  • Encouraging transparent communication: Providers should routinely ask about functional therapies to ensure treatment coordination.
  • Respecting patient autonomy: Patients have the right to choose therapeutic methods aligned with their values.
  • Providing clear evidence-based guidance: Healthcare providers must educate patients on benefits, risks, and potential interactions.
  • Ensuring informed consent: Patients must understand all therapeutic options and their implications.
  • Monitoring treatment interactions: Providers should assess for conflicts between functional therapies and prescribed medications.
  • Collaborating with functional practitioners: Coordination improves safety and ensures holistic, integrated care.
  • Documenting all discussions: Accurate records protect patient rights and support continuity of care.

Respecting patient autonomy while ensuring safety is essential to safeguarding rights. Providers should adopt a nonjudgmental stance, encourage patient empowerment, and maintain cultural sensitivity.

Limitations of Functional Therapy

Despite its benefits, functional therapy—including MBSR—has several limitations:

  • Adherence challenges: Consistent practice is required, and some individuals may struggle with motivation.
  • Instructor variability: Therapeutic effectiveness may vary depending on practitioner training and expertise.
  • Not a replacement for acute medical care: Functional therapies complement but cannot replace evidence-based medical treatments.
  • Gradual therapeutic onset: Improvements typically emerge slowly, which may discourage some patients.
  • Limited accessibility: Access to high-quality MBSR programs may be restricted in rural or low-income communities.
  • Research gaps: Although evidence is strong, more long-term studies are needed for specific populations.

Functional therapies are most effective when integrated with conventional medicine in an evidence-based, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care model.

Conclusion

Functional therapy—particularly Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction—is a powerful tool for illness prevention, health promotion, and health restoration. Supported by extensive peer-reviewed research, MBSR shows significant effectiveness in reducing stress, improving emotional regulation, and supporting chronic illness recovery. Mindful breathing, as a self-wellness technique, offers individuals a practical and accessible method for regulating stress and enhancing resilience.

Healthcare professionals must collaborate ethically and safely with patients who use functional therapies by respecting autonomy, ensuring informed consent, offering evidence-based guidance, and fostering interdisciplinary communication. Although functional therapy has limitations, its role in modern healthcare continues to grow as more individuals seek holistic, preventive, and integrative approaches to wellness.

References

  1. Bawa, F. L., Mercer, S. W., & Atherton, R. J. (2020). Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: A systematic review. PAIN Reports, 5(5), e829. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000829
  2. Goldberg, S. B., et al. (2022). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs. escitalopram for the treatment of anxiety disorders. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3679
  3. Huang, S. L., Li, R. H., & Chen, C. Y. (2019). Mindfulness, stress, and well-being among employees. Industrial Health, 57(2), 202–211. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2018-0108
  4. Nguyen-Feng, V. N., Clark, C. J., & Butler, M. E. (2021). Mindfulness-based interventions for trauma. Clinical Psychology Review, 83, 101933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101933
  5. Pascoe, M., Thompson, D., & Ski, C. (2020). Mindfulness mediates the relationship between stress and immune function. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity, 87, 32–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.11.014
  6. Schuman-Olivier, Z., et al. (2020). Mindfulness and behavior change: A review and framework. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 34(4), 815–829. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000590
  7. van der Velden, A. M., et al. (2020). The effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing stress among healthcare workers. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(3–4), 442–455. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15005
  8. Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). Breath-control techniques enhance autonomic regulation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
  9. Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2022). Mindfulness-based therapy for anxiety disorders: A review. Current Psychiatry Reports, 24(2), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01314-3
  10. Gu, J., Strauss, C., & Rodgers, B. (2022). Mindfulness-based interventions and emotional regulation: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 93, 102132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102132