New Healing Green Space for Injured Warriors Will Help Fill Research Gap
September 26 2016 - 11:30AM
Business Wire
Scientists to Quantify Nature’s Impact on
Traumatic Injuries
The Green Road, a two-acre outdoor healing environment for
injured military service members and their families, opens today at
Naval Support Activity Bethesda, home of Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center. One of the first of its kind on a military
base, the Institute for Integrative Health initiative includes
research to measure the Green Road’s healing effects on
catastrophic injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD).
"The Green Road is a place to heal the body, strengthen the mind
and reinvigorate the spirit,” said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski
(D-Md.), who spoke at the Green Road’s dedication ceremony this
morning. “By connecting with nature, injured service members can
reconnect to themselves, their families and the country they fought
for.”
PTSD and traumatic brain injury contribute to the despair that
can lead to suicide. Anecdotal evidence suggests that spending time
in nature has a positive impact on these conditions; however, very
few scientific studies have examined these effects. Supported by a
grant from the TKF Foundation, the Institute for Integrative Health
and scientists from four institutions will work to fill that
gap.
“We’re hopeful that findings of the Green Road research will
lead to more effective, holistic treatments for service members and
veterans suffering with traumatic injuries,” said retired U.S. Navy
neurologist Frederick Foote, M.D., a scholar at the Institute for
Integrative Health, who conceived the concept for the Green Road
and managed its development.
The Green Road’s research team aims to shed light on the array
of positive changes that occur throughout the body when a sick or
injured person encounters nature. An initial study will measure
four biomarkers of the stress response and mathematically combine
them to produce the first single, whole-body stress metric in
clinical use. Researchers will also assess the expression of genes
related to PTSD and analyze stories and journals through
qualitative language analysis and natural language processing.
The project’s researchers are from Arizona Center for
Integrative Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona at
Tucson; Benson-Henry Institute of the Massachusetts General
Hospital; Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences; and National Institutes
of Health Clinical Center, Pain and Palliative Care Service.
“Our hope is that objective evidence for the therapeutic power
of nature will inspire health care and policy leaders and spark the
development of more green spaces,” said Brian Berman, M.D.,
president of the Institute for Integrative Health. “As a complement
to the world-class medical care service members receive on the Navy
base, the Green Road is a model for the future of whole-body
wellness.”
Located between two main patient residence areas on the naval
base, the Green Road features a natural stream, mature trees, a
commemorative pavilion for honoring fallen warriors, a communal
pavilion, and a streamside wheelchair/walking path. Seating areas
include a circle of large stones, called a council ring.
The Green Road was created by a team of military service
members, architects, engineers, landscape architects, and
healthcare professionals. Design-build firm CDM Smith performed the
engineering and construction. Collaborators on the Green Road’s
design were CDM Smith, Alt Architecture, and the University of
Maryland Landscape Architecture program under the direction of Jack
Sullivan, FASLA.
About the Institute for Integrative Health
The Institute for Integrative Health, a non-profit organization
based in Baltimore, was founded by Brian Berman, M.D., in 2007 to
catalyze new ideas in health, understand the complex network of
factors that influence health, and promote the well-being of
individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.tiih.org.
About TKF Foundation
TKF Foundation, a private nonprofit, believes everyone should
have access to the benefits of nature and has funded the creation
of more than 130 publicly accessible, urban green spaces for more
than 20 years. These spaces, called Open Spaces Sacred Places, are
meant to reawaken and reaffirm the powerful connection between
nature, spirit and well-being. They were created in partnership
with local organizations to increase a sense of community and
contribute to a deepening of human connections. Most recently, the
TKF Foundation issued its final six grants under its National
Nature Sacred Awards program, which includes site creation and
groundbreaking research studies across the country that examine the
impact of nature on individuals and communities. To learn more,
visit www.naturesacred.org.
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Institute for Integrative HealthMedia Contacts:Hillarie
Turner, 301-836-1516 x7hillarie@vaneperen.comorRobin Yasinow,
410-299-5437ryasinow@tiih.org