• MD, Hamburg University, Germany
• Dr. med., Berlin Free University (dissertation)
• Family Medicine, Lower Saxony, Germany
• Family Medicine, Santa Rosa, CA
• Research Fellowship, Family and Community Medicine and Integrative Medicine, UCSF

• Low Back Pain
  Low back pain is one of the most common reasons to see a physician; it is a major economic burden to society, but it is still poorly understood.  Purpose of my research is to gain more insight into the psychosomatic processes involved in low back pain.  In clinical work and student education I try to integrate biomedical, psychological, and manual approaches.

• Mind-Body and Manual Therapies
  Inside and outside of the international medical field exists a great variety of mind-body and hands-on approaches to musculoskeletal pain, such as massage, Yoga, Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Body Awareness Therapy and Breath Therapy, chiropractic and osteopathic techniques.  These methods are widely used in the community but little known in the academic world and deserve rigorous research.

• Psychosocial Factors in the Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain
  Clinicians could provide targeted early interventions for patients who present with acute low back pain and are at high risk for chronic pain if they could identify high-risk patients early on.  Psychosocial risk factors seem to be the strongest predictors of chronic pain.  It is my goal to develop a prediction tool for early identification of high-risk patients and to determine whether hands-on mind-body approaches can aid in the secondary prevention of chronic low back pain.

• Somatic Awareness
  Management of chronic diseases, such as chronic low back pain, obesity, PTSD and others, might be enhanced by training in somatic awareness. Enhancing somatic awareness is one mechanism of action of mind-body and manual therapies. Research in this field requires clarification of this construct and improved measurements.

• Mehling WE. The experience of breath as a therapeutic intervention - psychosomatic forms of breath therapy. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd, Dec/2001;8(6):359-67.
• Jacobs BP, Mehling W, Avins AL, Goldberg HA, Acree M, Lasater JH, Cole RJ, Riley DS, Maurer S. Feasibility of conducting a clinical trial on Hatha yoga for chronic low back pain: methodological lessons. Altern Ther Health Med, 2004;10(2):80-3.
• Mehling WE, Krause N. Are Difficulties Perceiving and Expressing Emotions Associated with Low Back Pain? The relationship between lack of emotional awareness (alexithymia) and 12-month prevalence of low back pain in 1,180 urban public transit operators. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Issue: 1. 58: 73-81, 2005.
• Mehling WE, DiBlasi Z, Hecht F. Bias control in trials of bodywork. A review of methodological issues. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Issue: 2. 11: 333-42, 2005.
• Mehling WE, Hamel K, Acree M, Byl N, Hecht R. Randomized controlled trial of breath therapy in patients with chronic low back pain. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. Issue: 4. 11: 44-52, 2005.
• Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, Mehling W. Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med, Dec/2006;119(12):1005-12.
• Mehling, WE. Breath therapy for chronic low back pain J Bodywork Movement Therapies, 02/2007;10(2):96-98.
• Mehling WE, Jacobs B, Acree M, Wilson L, Bostrom A, West J, Acquah J, Burns B, Chapman J, Hecht FM. Symptom management with massage and acupuncture in postoperative cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial. J Pain Symptom Manage, Mar/2007;33(3):258-66.
• Mehling WE, Krause N. Alexithymia and 7.5-year incidence of compensated low back pain in 1207 urban public transit operators. J Psychosom Res, Jun/2007;62(6):667-74.
• Mehling WE, Ugalde V, Goldberg H. Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Musculoskeletal Disorders, 1 Ed. Editor(s): Gundlin K and Jacobs B. Complementary and Alternative Medicine: American College of Physician (ACP), 11/2008.

Department of Family and Community Medicine
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine
Box 1726
1701 Divisadero Street, Suite 150
San Francisco, CA 94143-1726

ph 415-353-9506

mehlingw@ocim.ucsf.edu