Therapeutic touch what is it

Studies on therapeutic touch have suggested that it may help reduce stress and anxiety, heal wounds and decrease pain.

However, despite extensive research suggesting the benefits of therapeutic touch, there is no scientific explanation of the energy field. Stefan Ursu, MD, PhD,director of the Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Clinic at the University of Texas Medical School, cautions about using therapeutic touch as the only means of recovery from anxiety issues, "mainly because it remains unclear whether it offers much more than a positive placebo effect," and there is no evidence yet that this therapy leads to sustained decreases in anxiety.

Ursu points out that current data suggest a combination of psychotherapy and medication works best to teach the brain how to cope with anxiety and break out of the vicious cycle. Therapeutic touch sessions can take place with a patient either sitting or standing and last between 10 to 30 minutes. The technique of therapeutic touch has been described in the following manner.

The practitioner goes back and forth over the body to replace any harmful energy with some of their own good vibes. During this process, patients usually close their eyes and try to relax.

But patients in these studies knew they were receiving therapeutic touch. Therapeutic touch seems to reduce pain when compared with no touch in people with long term or short term pain.

There is some evidence that therapeutic touch can help college students feel less stressed. Therapeutic touch also seems to reduce stress in children who have experienced a stressful event and in people that have faced a natural disaster.

But patients in these studies knew that they were receiving therapeutic touch. Most evidence shows that therapeutic touch does not speed up wound healing. Insufficient Evidence to Make a Determination for … Burns. Early research shows that therapeutic touch seems to reduce anxiety, but not pain, in burn patients in the hospital. Pain in people with cancer. There is some evidence that therapeutic touch might produce short-term pain relief in some patients with cancer.

However, therapeutic touch does not seem to reduce the need for pain-killing medications. Carpal tunnel syndrome. Developing research shows that therapeutic touch does not reduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Nausea and vomiting caused by cancer drug treatment. Early research shows that therapeutic touch might reduce nausea in women receiving drug treatment for breast cancer. Early research shows that therapeutic touch can improve behavior problems in some people with dementia.

Early research shows that therapeutic touch might decrease pain and improve function in people with fibromyalgia. Early research shows that therapeutic touch does not increase the flow of breastmilk in mothers feeding preterm infants.

Nerve pain. There is some evidence that therapeutic touch might decrease pain and improve feelings of well-being in people with pain related to spinal cord injury. Jump to content. Therapeutic touch is based on ancient healing practices. The goal of the technique is to help people relax, relieve their pain, and help them heal faster. Therapeutic touch is thought to promote healing through restoring harmony to a person's energy fields.

Therapeutic touch is used in many settings, including hospice care. When beginning a session, the practitioner first takes time to get centered, calming his or her own mind, then accessing a sense of compassion to become fully present with the patient.

During the treatment, the practitioner may place his or her hands lightly on the patient's body or slightly above it. As the practitioner seeks to bring the patient's energy fields into balance, he or she often makes sweeping hand motions above the patient's body.

Some people use therapeutic touch to reduce pain, ease tense muscles, speed healing, and improve sleep. It is sometimes used to help people who have pain or discomfort from cancer or other diseases. The technique does not treat cancer or any other disease. But there is some evidence that it may reduce stress or improve well-being in people who have cancer.

Research on therapeutic touch is ongoing.