Relevancia del concepto embodiment en el ámbito sanitario

Abstract

Introduction: The connection between mind and body has a name: Embodiment. This is an aspect inherent to the human being empirically associated with health and well-being. Health professionals should become familiar with the relevance of this concept in order to promote the health of the population. Objective: To know the importance of the embodiment concept in the healthcare context. Methodology: Literature review made in April 2018. The biomedical databases were consulted: CINAHL, PubMed and Proquest. The inclusion criteria defined for the search were: (1) scientific articles (2) in English and Spanish, (3) published in scientific journals, (4) between 2013 and 2018. Results: The embodiment concept consists of living with and through the body the set of emotions and sensations that we experience throughout life. This concept takes special relevance in those professions whose practice revolves around the body as is the case of those linked to health services. Currently, research has been conducted on the relationship between embodiment and other care processes such as chronic pain, breast cancer, obesity and pregnancy. These indicate the importance of this concept in nursing professional practice and physiotherapists given the positive relationship that it entails with health outcomes. Conclusion: Health professionals are responsible for providing comprehensive care centered on the patient, which requires introducing the concept embodiment in their professional practice to promote a mind-body balance that is positive for the health of the population.