Oleg I. Reznik, M.D.   Board Certified Family Physician

Assistant Professor at OHSU  Department of Family Medicine

Inflammatory Disorders

Inflammation is one of the ways our bodies can communicate to us that something is wrong. While it may not always be possible to find a mental correlate of a physical condition, it is worth looking for. From the perspective of Mind-Body medicine, the name of the disorder is not as important as the set of symptoms it produces. The name, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, colitis, Crohn’s disease, are only important in a sense that they tell us about the duration of the problem (it is a chronic problem).

Unlike acute conditions such as a common cold, a bone fracture, or a pneumonia, the chronic inflammatory conditions take months to years to develop. This tells us how deep seated or pervasive the underlying issue may be.

Looking for correlation between the symptom, the function of the organ involved, and the person’s social terrain may provide some ideas as to the true nature of the illness. It has been observed and is well known in the conventional medical field that psychosocial stressors exacerbate chronic medical conditions.

A correlative or reflective exploration of the actual symptom may reveal some specific details. An intestinal system, for example, has to do with digestion in general. More specifically, terminal ileum, the area of the small intestine most commonly affected by Crohn’s disease deals, with absorption of many important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Thus in the mental terrain we may look for a correlation to that. The issues involved may be the inability or unwillingness to accept or absorb something, withholding from oneself or from others something important, feeling that something important is being withheld (not given) by someone else. The patters usually starts with the family members and continues to be played out in other social non-familial relationships in a repetitive way.

In Ulcerative colitis the colon is affected. Its function is to hold as it is the largest body reservoir where fecal material is held in order to solidify it by reabsorption of the liquid, thus minimizing fluid losses. Colitis is one of the ways the body can express the maladaptation of the mind at handling losses. It may be an attempt to hold on to something as it is receding or moving away and out of our lives.   

A joint is a place where two or more bones meet to create movement and flexibility while maintaining some degree of rigidity and strength. When joints become inflamed in Rheumatoid Arthritis, one can look for correlations which differ depending on the affected joints, or the joints affected first and most. Thus with the hand joints one may explore the issues of grabbing, holding on to, not letting go. In advanced cases of rheumatoid arthritis that affects hand—the hands often turn into almost literal claws, with shape closely resembling the claw of a scavenger bird (animal that holds onto and depends on the death and the dead).  With the leg joints one may explore the issues of not wanting to move forward, not advancing.

Scleroderma may often be manifested by hardening of the skin on the hands and face in addition to numerous other problems. Mask-like face of some of the scleroderma patients may have to do with unwillingness or fear of expressing oneself, or feelings that others are not true with them. Hands affected by scleroderma remain outstretched. Often, the person with this condition is unable to grasp objects. Raynauds phenomenon—a condition that frequently accompanies scleroderma, may lead to a literal loss of tips of fingers.  As in Rheumatoid Arthritis, this may reflect the inability to hold onto or preserve something important in one’s life, or a conflict about holding onto something excessively. In Lupus and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease multiple organ systems are affected but the approach is similar. One may look at ferocity (lupus is a Latin word meaning wolf—due to a characteristic facial rash that makes one appear wolf-like) or mercilessness toward oneself or others. With all health problems, one looks for a correlation which may be the key to healing. 

In Mind-Body medicine, mental exercises are designed to reverse the process that has led to the development of a problem. There is no psychotherapy, no analysis of behavior, emotion, thought, or past experiences (except when these experiences directly relate to the present events, or when they help to recognize patterns). The participant is allowed to experience the work of his own creative imagination and make discoveries without an attempt to assign  hidden meanings. The images discovered in the imagination of each person are allowed to speak for themselves and to effect transformation, healing, and cure.