Forest Therapy

            When guide William James Stillman set out for the infamous 1858 Philosophers’ Camp with a group of intellectuals including Ralph Waldo Emerson and scientist Louis Aggasiz, they longed for an Adirondack experience. The troop sought a hands-on camping expedition, and an escape from society. Even in 1858, individuals recognized the special transcendent and seemingly healing properties of submerging oneself in nature. Interestingly, as research methods have improved, more and more studies have been done to explore such effects. Research has shown, for example, that therapy programs for physiological and psychological pain might benefit from the healing aspects of nature. Such research holds interesting applications not only for individuals in need, but for the future of therapy within parks such as the Adirondacks.

            One recent study in particular addressed widespread physiological and psychological pain using a “forest therapy” group and a control group. (Han, 2016) Sixty-one individuals with chronic widespread pain participated in the study. Widespread chronic pain is defined as significantly distressing pain in at least five areas of the body for three or more months. Chronic pain is clearly distressing to the individual and can cause stressful psychological problems such as increased anxiety and depression. Many treatment methods have been used to decrease widespread pain such as exercise, pharmacotherapy and psychological services. Although some methods have been effective, researchers are still continuing to look for more consistently promising treatments. Forest therapy, as used in the study, combines aspects of psychological approaches, physical activity and a restorative environment. In the current study, therapy lasted just two days but revealed impressive improvements. After two days, the participants in the forest therapy group experienced physiological improvement, decreases in both pain and depression and improvement in health-related quality of life in comparison to controls.
          The results of the current study have important applications for the future of forest therapy. One service within the Adirondacks called the Adirondack Youth Lodge provides individualized psychological treatment, however, the success of forest therapy for chronic widespread pain implicates that even more can be done using the unique restorative environment. Locals within the Adirondacks face the challenges of limited access to health care resources in a rural environment, but with the promotion of such studies, practitioners might begin to use the environment advantageously. While parks such as the Adirondacks might not thrive in terms of health facilities and resources, they do have components that actually put them at an advantage. Conditions such as chronic widespread pain are distressful to both the individual and their family, and treatment must address both physiological and psychological aspects. Forest therapy is a unique approach that equally addresses both aspects of health through exercise, community, psychological treatment, and engaging with a natural, restorative environment.

Han, Jin-Woo et al. “The Effects of Forest Therapy on Coping with Chronic Widespread Pain: Physiological and Psychological Differences between Participants in a Forest Therapy Program and a Control Group.” Ed. Agnes van den Berg and Jenny Roe. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13.3 (2016): 255. PMC. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.