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Other common
name(s): energy field therapy, biofield therapy, TT
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description
Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a technique in which the hands are
used to direct human energy for healing purposes. There is usually no
actual physical contact.
Overview
Available scientific evidence does not support many of the
claims made for TT, or that energy is balanced or transferred by the
use of TT. However, it may be useful in reducing anxiety and increasing
the sense of well-being in some people.
How is it promoted for use?
The practice of Therapeutic Touch is based on the belief that
problems in the patient's energy field that cause illness and pain can
be identified and rebalanced by a healer. Harmful energy is believed to
cause blockages and other problems in the patient's normal energy flow,
and proponents of TT claim the treatment removes those blockages. TT is
promoted by some to improve conditions such as pain, fever, swelling,
infections, wounds, ulcers, thyroid problems, colic, burns, nausea,
premenstrual syndrome, diarrhea, and headaches. They also say that TT
is useful in treating diseases such as measles, Alzheimer's disease,
AIDS, asthma, autism, multiple sclerosis, stroke, comas, and cancer. In
practice, TT is generally promoted as a complementary therapy, to be
used with standard medical care.
What does it involve?
The clothed patient is normally lying down, but may also be
sitting or standing. There are four steps involved in a TT session,
which takes between 10and 30 minutes to complete. The first step is
called centering. During centering, the therapist makes an effort to
clear his or her mind in order to communicate with the patient's energy
field and locate areas of energy blockage that are believed to cause
pain or illness.
The second part of TT involves an assessment in which the
therapist's hands are held about two to six inches above the patient's
body. The therapist then passes both hands, palms facing downward, head
to toe along the patient's body. This process is used to locate
irregularities or blockages in the patient's energy field that signal a
health problem.
In the third step, the therapist conducts several passes over
the body with his or her hands. At the end of each pass, the therapist
releases the harmful energy by flicking his or her hands into the air
past the toes of the patient. Finally, in the final step, the therapist
transfers his or her own excess healthy energy to the patient.
What is the history behind it?
Therapeutic Touch is similar to the "laying on of hands"
practiced by some religious sects as a means of transferring healing
energy to the believer. The idea of an energy field can be traced back
to the eighteenth century work of Franz Anton Mesmer, a German doctor
who believed that illness was caused by imbalances in the body's
magnetic forces. He believed he could restore magnetic balance through
the use of soothing words and quieting gestures, a technique he called
Mesmerism.
Dora Kunz, theosophy promoter and one-time president of the
Theosophical Society of America, and Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N.,
nursing educator at New York University, developed Therapeutic Touch in
the 1970s In the 1970s, Delores Krieger, PhD, RN, who was then a
professor of nursing at New York University (NYU), and Dora Kunz, a
natural healer, developed Therapeutic Touch. Dr. Krieger had studied
and worked with Kunz in the early 1970s.
More than a hundred colleges and universities in 75 countries
teach TT. It is promoted by many professional nursing organizations and
practiced by nurses in at least 80 hospitals in the United States and
Canada. There are more than 50,000 health care professionals, mostly
nurses, who have learned TT worldwide. Many nonprofessionals have also
learned the technique.
What is the evidence?
A good deal of the information about TT is based on individual
reports and small studies. There have been few well-designed studies.
An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA) reported that only 1 study out of 83 confirmed positive results
for TT. The authors stated that some of the clinical studies found
positive effects, such as help with wound healing and headaches;
however, they reported that most of those studies had questionable
study designs. The authors of the JAMA article conducted their own
small study, which did not test any effect of TT, but looked at the
ability of 21 practitioners to detect the relative closeness of human
energy fields under experimental conditions. The authors found that,
when the practitioners' views were blocked, they were not able to sense
where the investigator was.
In one scientific review of available published studies, it
was concluded that TT may help reduce anxiety and some types of pain,
but more study is needed. Another review of studies showed mixed
results on whether TT helped wound healing, with some outcomes favoring
the TT groups and others the control groups.
A recent controlled clinical trial on the effects of dialogue
and TT on breast cancer surgery patients found that 10 minutes of TT
and 20 minutes of talking lowered anxiety before surgery. No effects
were found after surgery. A more recent controlled study on women with
early-stage breast cancer found that those who spent quiet time talking
with a nurse noticed feeling just as calm, comfortable, and relaxed as
those who had TT. On the other hand, another study of nursing home
residents with dementia found that TT reduced symptoms of restlessness,
pacing, and wandering when compared to a placebo group. Further study
is needed to prove the helpfulness of Therapeutic Touch in people with
dementia.
Research funded by the U.S. Department of Defense to study the
effect of TT on burn patients produced mixed results. Patients reported
a reduction in pain and anxiety, but there was no difference in the
amount of pain medicine requested.
Many researchers believe the positive results claimed for TT
are due to the placebo effect. Researchers also believe the simple
presence of a person who is interested in helping can promote
relaxation and increase one's sense of well-being. Available scientific
evidence does not support any claims that TT can cure cancer or other
diseases.
Are there any possible problems or
complications?
Therapeutic Touch is generally considered safe when given by
trained professionals. Some of the reported side effects include
nausea, dizziness, restlessness, and irritability. Relying on this
treatment alone and delaying or avoiding conventional medical care for
cancer may have serious health consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Cassileth B. The
Alternative Medicine Handbook: The Complete Reference Guide to
Alternative and Complementary Therapies. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton; 1998.
Energy therapies: therapeutic touch detailed scientific
review. Complementary/ Integrative Medicine Education Resources, The
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Web site. Accessed at
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/cimer/display.cfm?id=6ef12958-d712-4533-8ccef3307e8137dc&method=displayfull
on June 2, 2008.
Hutchison, C P, D'Alessio, B, Forward, J. B, Newshan, G.
Body-Mind-Spirit: Healing Touch: an energetic approach. AJN,
99(4):43-48, April 1999.
Kelly AE, Sullivan P, Fawcett J, Samarel N. Therapeutic touch,
quiet time, and dialogue: perceptions of women with breast cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum.
2004;31:625-631.
O'Mathuna DP. TT: what could be the harm? Sci Rev Altern Med.
Spring, 1998.
O'Mathuna DP, Ashford RL. Therapeutic touch for healing acute
wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(4):CD002766.
Rosa L, Rosa E, Sarner L, Barrett S. A close look at
therapeutic touch. JAMA.
1998;279:1005-1010.
Samarel N, Fawcett J, Davis MM, Ryan FM. Effects of dialogue
and therapeutic touch on preoperative and postoperative experiences of
breast cancer surgery: an exploratory study. Oncol Nurs Forum.
1998;25:1369-1376.
Woods DL, Craven RF, Whitney J. The effect of therapeutic
touch on behavioral symptoms of persons with dementia. Altern Ther Health Med.
2005;11:66-74.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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