Laughing matters

By Tracy Yoshida Gruen, Daily Herald Correspondent

With all the laughter filling the room of the Vernon Hills facility, you would have thought you had walked into the Zanies comedy club. But, all the laughter was really coming from people who attended the laughter therapy session recently at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) clinic in Vernon Hills.

The featured speakers at the event were Colleen Caron, a laughter therapist and chronic back pain patient, and Dr. Daniel Hurley, a physiatrist for clinic. Guests at the event either suffered from back pain and other types of pain, or just wanted to experience laughter therapy firsthand.

Caron explained that laughter helps to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, relieve pain and massage the immune system. It also releases endorphins and helps with breathing.

Caron found that by doing the laughing exercises, her own back pain has improved significantly.

"It's inspirational," Caron said. "It's practicing laughing as you would do physical therapy. It truly helps with decreasing stress and releasing endorphins in the brain that give you energy and make you feel better." Hurley kicked off the presentation by talking about how people tend to be consumed with all of the serious aspects of life and he believes people should make room for humor as well.

"Laughter, because it's a relaxation phenomenon, is more like an aerobic exercise," said Hurley. "It's a healthy cardiovascular activity." Hurley said that laughter has helped patients with back pain, as well as people suffering from other types of pain, including pain caused by cancer.

Often times Hurley finds that patients feel they don't have time for fun and they feel overwhelmed in their lives. He feels that sometimes patients feel they shouldn't laugh because then people won't take their illness seriously.

"One of the most innate things they can do is access their humor," Hurley said.

After Hurley and Caron made their formal presentations, things started to really come alive as laughter took over the room.

Caron led the group of about 20 individuals in some of her unique laughter exercises. One of the exercises had the participants laughing loudly and waddling around the room like penguins. Another had them laughing and acting as if they were going down a roller coaster ride. Each of the exercises incorporated deep breathing as well.

All of the participants looked happy and energetic as they moved around the room laughing.

Carol Durietz of Vernon Hills was enjoying the laughter yoga therapy session with her husband, her daughter, Julie, and her 90-year-old mother, Elizabeth Kadlec of Libertyville.

"I love laughter yoga," said Durietz. "I think it's the best."

Durietz said that she had seen laughter yoga on television and so when she heard about this program she was excited to see what it was all about.

"I feel more alert now," said Julie, after participating in the laughter exercises. She said she was feeling kind of tired before the session started, but after the session she was ready to hit the gym and continue her day.

With a big smile on her face, Kadlec said she really enjoyed the laughter session as well. At 90, Kadlec goes to Bally Total Fitness twice a week.

Durietz said that if they started a local laughter club, which Caron is considering, she would love to be part of it. She likes the fact that her entire family can participate in laughter therapy together.

"I hurt my back last year," said Malina Chin, of Lincolnshire, about why she decided to come to the session. "I wanted to see how it works."

Chin is also a pain therapist and she wanted to come and learn about laughter therapy and also support the medical community.

A soft red clown nose was placed at every seat in the room and guests received a handout full of quotes about the importance of laughter as well as goody bags.

So, how did Caron become a laughter therapist?

She started her career as an oncologist and worked on a unit that was very intense. After receiving a book called "Anatomy of An Illness" by Norman Cousins as a graduation gift, she discovered the importance of humor and how much it can truly help a patient.

Caron has more than 20 years of experience as a psychiatric nurse. She provides caregivers with advice on how to use humor to help with chronic pain or cancer patients and she recommends that hospitals create humor carts with funny books, jokes and movies for patients.

No matter what group Caron is presenting to, whether it be a Rotary Club consisting of men in their business attire, or a young moms group, she has found one thing to be consistent: "The laughter is contagious."

"Laughing is serious business," said Caron. "I tell people to laugh as if nobody's looking."

To learn more about laughter therapy and other programs for back pain sufferers, visit www.cinn.org.