The corridors of Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu echo with laughter, and Hob Osterlund, palliative care nurse and comedian, hasn't been the only one to notice. Laughter tells Osterlund that her patients are not only having fun, they may even be getting well.

Although numerous studies point to the health benefits of humor, laughter is conspicuously absent from most hospital hallways and prescription pads. But Osterlund has found a way for patients to medicate themselves safely by tuning in to the new comedy channel on the hospital's in-house television. The channel, the first of its kind in the nation, airs clips of routines donated by local comics, including Osterlund, whose "Ivy Push" character delivers a poignant and pointed nurse's view of hospital life. Osterlund came up with the idea of an in-hospital comedy channel to give patients an upbeat alternative to news, drama, and action-adventure programs, all of which can reinforce anxiety and fear. Laughter seems to have the opposite effect.

Osterlund's review of the scientific literature convinced her that laughter can work near-miracles without side effects. Well, there are a few. Osterlund and her colleagues have noticed that patients, visitors, and staff are watching the comedy channel and laughing as a community. Patients also report less discomfort and request less pain medication. And when patients are comfortable and happy, they're less demanding and a lot less irritable.

Nurses and other attendants at Queen's report that their own morale has improved. "It's incredibly bonding to share laughter with a patient," says Osterlund. Little is more gratifying than a grinning patient delivering lines from the Ivy Push routine. The beneficial effects of the Queen's Medical Center comedy channel are so visible that Osterlund is seeking a corporate grant to help hospitals across the country start "chuckle channels."

—Joan Conrow

Not to take the fun out of laughter, but did you know that a good belly laugh triggers: an increased number and activity of natural killer cells that attack viruses and some types of cancer and tumor cells; an increase in activated T-cells; an increase in the antibody IgA, which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections; an increase in gamma interferon, which tells the immune system to go into action; and a decrease in stress hormones?

Subscribe to Spirituality & Health