Sherry Moore is waiting for a heart transplant. And while she waits each day for the call that will tell her a donor heart has been found, she prays. I don't focus on my problems.
Prayer is common among people seeking to ease intense pain.
But now some experts are asking how much it helps. Researchers from Columbia say prayer does little to help the physical healing process. What they shouldn't expect is that religious activity is going to promote their health. The problem, researchers say, is that most of the studies connecting prayer and healing are scientifically invalid. Though the general belief is that prayer can't hurt, Sloan's study discourages doctors from encouraging prayer as a treatment.