Can meditation heal physical diseases? I recently read the Discourse to Girimananda Thera. In it, the Venerable Girimananda was "afflicted with a disease, was suffering there from, and was gravely ill". The Blessed One was petitioned by another monk who stated: "It were well, bhante, if the Blessed One would visit the Venerable Girimananda out of compassion for him". 

To this the Blessed one replied: "Should you, Ánanda, visit the monk Girimananda and recite to him the ten contemplations, then that monk Girimananda having heard them, will be immediately cured of his disease".

Is this possible? Has anyone experienced immediate healing of some disease first hand? If the answer is yes, then I would be curious to know what the limitations (if any) there are for physical healing and if the effects were permanent.

Disclaimer: I am completely new to Buddhism (less than 6 months of practice).
In case it matters, another translation says,


  "If you were to recite to the mendicant Girimānanda these ten perceptions, it’s possible that after hearing them his illness will die down on the spot."


I think everyone translates the Pali, "Ṭhānaṃ kho panetaṃ", as "It is possible that".

Also, though this doesn't answer your question, Piya Tan has an introduction to this sutta if you want to read it -- Giri-m-ananda Sutta (A 10.60) -- which includes a page connecting ancient Indian medicine with early Buddhism (and explaining the ten perceptions in more detail).