Laughter is the best medicine

Laughter is a tonic that speeds up healing by boosting blood circulation in patients, say researchers.

Laughter is a tonic that speeds up healing by boosting blood circulation in patients, say researchers.

A five-year study of patients with leg ulcers has established that a hearty chuckle stimulates the diaphragm which, in turn, plays a vital part in moving blood around the body, the British Medical Journal reports.

It actually speeds recovery from leg ulcers, said the report by the University of Leeds' School of Healthcare. Conversely, expensive ultrasound therapy does little to help, contrary to what the researchers had expected to find, according to the Daily Mail.

Traditional nursing care is also effective and this human contact is likely to lead to jokes and banter which is where the laughter therapy comes in.

Andrea Nelson, who led the study, said: "The key to take care of this group of patients is to stimulate blood flow back up the legs to the heart."

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