When I began practicing medicine 12 years ago, most doctors loved their work. They had a high level of job satisfaction and were in the lowest risk category for disability insurance. Today, the job satisfaction of many physicians is falling rapidly, and disability insurers rank them as a group in the highest risk category.

What happened? Doctors have always worked long hours under a lot of pressure. But the rapid expansion of managed care in the United States has created dramatic changes for medical practitioners. Doctors are required to see many more patients, and spend a shorter time with each one. Administrative complexity has increased, and there are growing conflicts between what the doctor feels a patient should have in their care versus what the insurance company is willing to pay for.

Physicians' magazines are full of articles about the increased stress of current practice, making it clear that doctors are in greater need than ever of the benefits provided by the Transcendental Meditation technique. The TM program offers doctors the tool they need to reduce their personal stress level and help prevent health problems from developing in their lives. In my personal experience, with just 20 minutes of the TM technique at the end of the day, problems that were gripping the mind a half-hour earlier seem like distant issues. You feel fresh and don’t carry that stress into the evening or the next day.

When I talk to other physicians about the benefits the TM program can offer them, I make the following points:

1. The healthier you are, the better care you're able to give to your patients.

2. You can feel confident in learning the TM technique yourself and recommending it to your patients, because there are more than 600 published scientific research studies which validate the TM technique as an effective means for reducing stress and improving health.

3. Patients notice whether their doctor practices what he or she preaches. If you look unhealthy or tense, if you're overweight or smoke, you don't inspire the confidence of your patients to follow your advice. Doctors should be positive examples of health, vitality and happiness for their patients.

4. The TM technique will help you be a better doctor at work, and a happier person at home.

Many people who practice the TM technique have told me that their own doctor has asked them, "What are you doing?" Their doctor notices they are healthier and more youthful than the average patient. If you'd like to introduce your doctor to the benefits of the TM program, I suggest that you:

1. Let your physician know that you practice the TM technique, and describe the health benefits you've noticed.

2. Give your doctor a copy of the the Physicians' Guide LINK

3. Provide reprints of articles with a scientific orientation.

4. Offer to arrange for a teacher of the TM program to meet your doctor.

5. Organize for your doctor to speak by phone or meet with another doctor who already practices the TM technique.

More than 6,000 medical doctors in the United States have already learned the TM technique. Yet whether doctors practice the TM technique themselves or not, they can prescribe it to their patients. Even though physicians are aware that 70 to 80 percent of all health problems are caused or aggravated by stress, they have neither the time nor expertise to reduce stress in the lives of their patients.

The gold standard for evaluating treatment is whether it has been proven by scientific research to be "safe and effective." Hundreds of scientific studies on the TM technique have validated its benefits for high blood pressure, insomnia, heart disease, and a host of other common health problems.

I prescribe the TM technique to my patients. Here's how I do it:

1. First I explain that in addition to "behavioral factors" such as diet and exercise, the mind has a very important role in maintaining good health.

2. I review the effects of stress on mental and physical health, and then recommend that they look into the practice of the TM technique.

3. I discuss the range of benefits of the practice—as demonstrated by scientific research—for their mind, body, emotions, and relationships.

4. If they ask why they should practice the TM program rather than some other technique, I point out that numerous comparative research studies have found it to be twice as effective than other stress reduction techniques in the areas of anxiety, high blood pressure, overall cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, self-actualization, and longevity. So if you're going to dedicate a part of each day to a practice, it's smart to get twice the benefits from the time you invest.

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO’s) and insurance companies are now realizing that the best way to reduce health care costs is to improve the health of their members. HMO’s such as Healthsource in New Hampshire now reimburse a portion of the course fee for any member who learns the TM technique.

If you belong to an HMO, you have an excellent opportunity to help other members. All you need to do is:

1. Make an appointment to visit your HMO with a local TM program teacher. You can also invite a local doctor who practices the TM technique.

2. After reviewing the benefits of the program for the HMO, including lower health care utilization by individuals who practice the TM technique, ask your HMO to pay for all or part of the TM course fee for its members.

As a doctor, it's very fulfilling to see my patients get better after they learn the TM technique. Not only do their symptoms improve, they start to become truly healthy. They gain "side benefits" such as closer relationships with their family, greater success at work, and more feelings of inner happiness.

This is why I encourage all physicians to learn the TM technique, and to recommend it to their patients. Regardless of the health care system, this one simple practice can make them a more effective doctor, and fulfill the ancient dictum, "Physician, heal thyself."

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Nancy Lonsdorf, M.D. is medical director of the Maharishi Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and author of A Women's Best Medicine.