Therapeutic Touch: To What Extent Does It Work?

The technical name is Therapeutic Touch, but it is commonly known as “laying on of hands” or “therapy with laying on of hands”. Until recently it was considered a magical belief, with no value other than that of legend. Yet science has found that its nature has nothing supernatural and that in many cases it is effective.

It has been talked about for thousands of years. The Bible , for example, reports several incidents in which a person is healed without any physical contact. Generally, it was thought that this effect was due to a special gift from healers of some people.

Dr. Janet Quinn, an expert at the University of North Carolina, delved into the matter. According to her, Therapeutic Touch does not work miracles, but it does have a bearing on the improvement of some diseases. This has nothing to do with the placebo effect, nor with any special qualities or “gifts” possessed by some individuals.

Science and Therapeutic Touch

One of the most comprehensive studies involving Therapeutic Touch is that carried out by Dr. Dolores Krieger, of the University of New York, in collaboration with the healer Dora Kunz. From this collaboration was born the book The therapeutic Touch (in Italian, The therapeutic touch), in 1979.

In this text, there is evidence that Therapeutic Touch cannot cure, but can accelerate the healing process and stimulate the patient’s own resilience. This is why its application is effective in different clinical settings.

For their part, some scientists have published a critique of the work in question, and have done so in the Journal Nursing Research. According to them, as interesting as the findings are, there is not yet enough evidence to suggest that Therapeutic Touch can give rise to important effects.

The Therapeutic Touch Technique

Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz have created a protocol to follow in the application of Therapeutic Touch . This protocol involves four steps: centralization, intervention, evaluation and closure and is based on a problematic concept for science: life energy. That is to say that it is based on that touch that serves to activate this “energy”, something not quite intelligible by conventional science.

The main evidence in this regard is given by the clinical cases to which this technique has been applied with satisfactory results. Yet, there is still not enough overwhelming scientific evidence that there is actually a “passage of energy from the healer to the patient”, an effect desired by those who practice this technique.

Nonetheless, Dr. Bernard Grad, a biochemist at McGill University in Montreal (Canada), has conducted some studies that show an improvement recorded in sick mice following the application of the so-called laying on of hands technique. Furthermore, he recorded a positive influence of this technique on plant growth.

Scientific applications and evidence

There are many doctors and nurses who have used Therapeutic Touch in their treatments. Based on all the data they have gathered, science has come to accept valid evidence regarding this technique in the case of some diseases, and little evidence in the case of others.

The diseases in which valid data or class B evidence was collected are the following:

• Alzheimer’s dementia. It would basically reduce the characteristic disjointed language and anxiety. Furthermore, it appears to have positive effects on depression.

• Anxiety and stress. There is evidence that Therapeutic Touch reduces anxiety and stress.
• Ache. Cases have been documented where the laying on of hands would help reduce pain caused by arthritis, burns and post-operative pain.
• Oncological therapies. Several cases show that the laying on of hands could mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy and cancer treatments.

Limited number of evidences

According to science, there is limited evidence for Therapeutic Touch and its effectiveness in treating other medical conditions and diseases. Yet, there is no evidence of his concrete successes either.

According to the opinion of the supporters of the therapy with laying on of hands, this technique would seem to help – but never cure – even those with diabetes, patients with fibromyalgia, hypertension, recurrent headache ; as well as helping HIV-positive patients, those suffering from arthrosis or carpal tunnel. It could also be useful for those suffering from psychiatric disorders, addiction and unhealed wounds.

On the other hand, there have been cases of side effects in this type of treatment. In fact, some patients have reported increased blood pressure, drowsiness and depressive symptoms. However, there is insufficient evidence on the subject. Therefore, it is necessary to continue with further studies to deepen this fascinating area.