Introduction
Laughter has positive, quantifiable physiological and psychological effects on certain aspects of health. In the clinical setting, laughter interventions can be used with preventive intent (lifestyle medicine) or as a complementary or alternative therapeutic option to other established therapeutic strategies. Although the medical community has been reluctant to embrace and support laughter for health, laughter interventions are increasingly being implemented as a routine clinical practice in its therapeutic portfolio. However, the therapist will have to know, understand and manage the various techniques available to experience positive emotions (including hilarity-humor) and types of therapeutic laughter (spontaneous, simulated and stimulated). This review discusses laughter techniques for therapeutic use in medicine.
Discussion
A therapeutic laughter intervention usually consists of a minimum of three stages: (a) opening and warm-up; (b) experiencing laughter and (c) recovery, evaluation and closure. Breathing; facial and body gymnastics; laughter placing, intonation and releasing techniques are used in the beginning of each laughter intervention, both as a mental/physical warm-up and as a disinhibition practice. Within the experiencing stage, spontaneous laughter is mainly derived from any kind of playing, clowning, dancing, movement, humour and emotional contagion techniques; simulated laughter is mostly elicited through specific exercises and gymnastics (i.e. laughter yoga) and stimulated laughter is primarily generated by physical contact and sense stimulation (tickle, massages, hugs other techniques). To end a laughter session, floor laughter exercises, grounding techniques, feedback, and evaluation are usually employed.
Conclusion
Unlike other therapies which are more time-consuming, committed or expensive, laughter techniques can be easily implemented and cost-effective in traditional clinical settings for health and patient care.
