General Research
Check back - this section will grow as new research is completed.
Completed Research Studies
- Healing Touch with Guided Imagery for PTSD in Returning Active Duty Military: A randomized controlled trial
Published by: Military Medicine, 177 (9), 1015-1021
Authors: T Jain, S., McMahon, G.F. , Hasen, P., Kozub, M.P., Porter, V., King, R. & Guarneri, E.M. (2012).
Click here for Full Article
- The Effects of Reiki therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Patients Attending a Day Oncology and Infusion Services Unit
Authors: N. Birocco, C. Guillame, S. Storto, G. Ritorto, C. Catino, N. Gir, L. Balestra...L. Ciuffreda. Click here for Article
- Biofield Therapies: Helpful or Full of Hype? A Best Evidence Synthesis
Published Date: October 24, 2009
Published by: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Click here for Full Article
- The Role of Healing Touch in the Treatment of Persons in Recovery from Alcoholism
Author: Sr. Rita Jean DuBrey, CSJ, RN, MSN, CASAC, CHTI
Published Date: December 2006
Published by: This article is published in Counselor,The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, December 2006, v.7, n.6, pp.58-64.
Click here for Full Article
- A Pilot Study of a Bio-Field Therapy for Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury.
Principal Investigator: Diane Wind Wardell, PhD, RNC, HNC, CHTP, University of Texas
Published Date: March 2001
Published by: Journal of Holistic Nursing, Vol. 19, No. 1, 71-86 (2001)
Click here for Abstract
- Efficacy of Healing Touch in Stressed Neonates
Principal Investigator: Sharon I. McDonough-Means, MD, University of Arizona, College of Medicine
Completion Date: July 2004
Study Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Click here for Abstract
Other Related Article
- Review of Studies of Healing Touch
Authors: Diane Wind Wardell and Kathryn F. Weymouth
Published: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2004; 36:2, 147-154.
Click here for Article
- Energy-Based Modalities
Authors: Joan Engebretson DrPH, AHN-BC, RNa and Diane Wind Wardell PhD, RNC
Published by: Originally published in Nursing Clinics of North America, Volume 42, Issue 2, June 2007, Pages 243-259
Click here for Abstract
Pain
Check back - this section will grow as new research is completed.
Completed Research Studies
- The Effect of Healing Touch on the Pain and Mobility of Persons with Osteoarthritis: A feasibility study
Published by: Geriatric Nursing
Published Date: July 2013
Click here for link to abstract of pilot study
- The BraveNet prospective observational study on integrative medicine treatment approaches for pain
Authors: D. Abrams, R. Dolor, R. Roberts, C. Pechura, J. Dusek, S. Amoils, S. Amoils, K. Barrows, J.S. Edman, J. Frye, E. Guarneri, B.Kligler, D. Monti, M. Spar and R.Q. Wolever
Notes: Healing Touch is one of the modalities used in the BraveNet project
Click here for link
- A Pilot Study of Healing Touch and Progressive Relaxation for Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: D. Wardell, D.H. Rintala, Z. Duan and G. Tan
Click here for Article
- A Pilot Study of a Bio-Field Therapy for Chronic Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury
Principal Investigator: Diane Wind Wardell, PhD, RNC, HNC, CHTP, University of Texas
Co-Investigators: Gabriel Tan, PhD, Diana Rintala, PhD, and Zhigang Duan MD,MS
Published Date: December 2006
Published by: Journal of Holistic Nursing, Volume 24 Number 4, December 2006 231-240
Click here for Abstract
Click here for Full Article
Current Research Studies/Clinical Trials
- Healing Touch and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women With Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy
Principal Investigator: Lisa L Schnepper, MSN, PhD (c), University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Start Date: January 2008
Study Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
Other Related Articles
- Healing Touch Augments Radiation Therapy
Authors: Joan Engebretson DrPH, AHN-BC, RNa and Diane Wind Wardell PhD, RNC
Published by: Originally published in Nursing Clinics of North America, Volume 42, Issue 2, June 2007, Pages 243-259
Click here for Abstract
Cancer
Check back - this section will grow as new research is completed.
Completed Research Studies
- Healing Touch Augments Radiation Therapy
Authors: Cynthia A. Loveland Cook, Ph.D., R.N.; Joanne F. Guerrerio, R.N.; and Victoria E. Slater, Ph.D., R.N. Originally published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2004, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 34-40.
Note: This research is considered one of the best medthodlogically completed to date.
Study Sponsor :Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and the School of Social Service, St. Louis University, in St. Louis, Missouri
Study Completion Date: 2004
Click here for Article
- Healing Touch and Immunity in Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients
Principal Investigator: Susan Lutgendorf, PhD, University of Iowa
Study Completion Date: April 2007
Information Provided by: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Click here for Abstract
- The Effect of Therapeutic Massage and Healing Touch on Cancer Patients.
Principal Investigator: Janice Post-White, RN, PhD,FAAN
Co-Investigators: Mary Ellen Kinney, RN, BA, CHTP, Carol Wilcox, RN, MS, I.J. Lerner, MD, and J. Bernsten, RN, MS
Date: December 2003
Click here for Abstract
- The Lived Experience of Healing Touch with Cancer Patients
Principal Investigator: Charlene Ann Christiano, Florida International University
Date: 1997
Click here for Abstract
- Effects of biofield vs. mock healing for fatigue, cytokines, and cortisol variability in breast cancer survivors: a randomized, controlled trial (dissertation)
Author: S. Jain
Date: 2009
Click here for Dissertation
- Complementary Medicine for Fatigue and Cortisol Variability in Breast Cancer Survivors
Author: S. Jain
Notes: A randomized controlled trial
Date: August 2011
Click here for full Article
Links to Other Full, Non-research Articles
- The Impact of Healing Touch on Pediatric Oncology Patients
Click for Article
- Energy Therapies in Oncology Nursing
Click for Article
In Process Research Studies/Clinical Trials
- Healing Touch and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women With Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy
Principal Investigator: Lisa L Schnepper, MSN, PhD (c), University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Start Date: January 2008
Study Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Healing Touch During Chemotherapy Infusions for Women With Breast Cancer
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ellie Guardino MD/PhD and Kathy Turner RN, NP, Stanford University
Start Date: April 2007
Study Sponsor: Stanford University
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Healing Touch in Treating Fatigue in Women Undergoing Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer
Principal Investigator: Nancy Wells, DNSc, RN and Fern Fitzhenry, PhD, RN Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Start Date: February 2007
Study Sponsor: Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Healing Touch as a Supportive Intervention for Adult Acute Leukemia Patients: A Pilot Study
Principal Investigator: Suzanne C. Danhauer, PhD, Wake Forest University
Start Date: February 2006
Study Sponsor: Wake Forest University
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Hypnosis, Massage Therapy, and Healing Touch in Treating Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Ovarian Epithelial Cancer or Peritoneal Cavity Cancer
Principal Investigator: Patricia L. Judson, MD Masonic Cancer Center at University of Minnesota
Start Date: May 2005
Study Sponsor: Masonic Cancer Center at University of Minnesota
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Effect of Healing Touch on the Experience of Women Undergoing Treatment for Breast Cancer
Principal Investigator: Lynn M Westphal, Stanford University
Start Date: January 2005
Study Sponsor: Stanford University
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Healing Touch Breast Cancer Study
Principal Investigator: Susan K Lutgendorf, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Iowa
Start Date: June 2003
Study Sponsor: University of Iowa
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
- Healing Touch and Relaxation Therapies in Cervical Cancer Patients
Principal Investigator: Susan K Lutgendorf, MD, University of Iowa
Start Date: September 2002
Study Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Click here for Clinical Trial Overview
Studies
New Articles
Access to these articles is free and the link will take you directly to the article.
The following article captures some of the methodological issues in biofield therapy research.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4654788/
Integrative Care Therapies and Physiological and Pain-related Outcomes in Hospitalized Infants
http://www.gahmj.com/doi/abs/10.7453/gahmj.2015.029
Using Healing Touch to Help Junior Nursing Students with Their Anxiety https://stti.confex.com/stti/congrs14/webprogram/Paper66977.html
A Critical Analysis of Healing Touch for Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Dissertation by Christina R. Harlow http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/293465/1/azu_etd_12703_sip1_m.pdf
Effect of Biofield Therapy in the Human Brain http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acm.2011.0428
Can We Help Just by Good Intentions? A Meta-Analysis of Experiments on Distant Intention Effects http://deanradin.com/evidence/Schmidt2012Intentions.pdf
Earthing (Grounding) the Human Body Reduces Blood Viscosity - a Major Factor in Cardiovascular Diseasehttp://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acm.2011.0820
An Ongoing Critical Evaluation of Reiki in the Scientific Literature http://www.researchgate.net/publication/45640560_The_Touchstone_Process
This article is about the Touchstone process, which is a method used to evaluate Reiki. Interesting article as many of the issues are similar to Healing Touch research.
Healing Touch Research Studies
Presented below is a list of current research studies, completed research studies and clinical trials. There have been nearly 100 research studies conducted and documented. As this website grows we will add more studies and research categories. Check back often, as this section will grow.
Below you will find resources to locate published research studies.
Latest Healing Touch Research
Integrative Care Therapies and Physiological and Pain-related Outcomes in Hospitalized Infants
Hathway, Luberto, Bogenschutz, Geiss, Wasson & Cotton (2015), Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 4 (4), 32-37 doi:abs10.7453gahmj.2015.029
http://www.gahmj.com/doi/abs/10.7453/gahmj.2015.029
Management of pain in newborns is very challenging for the healthcare teams that work with these infants. A University of Cincinnati team recently published a study exploring the impact of massage (M) and Healing Touch (HT) on neonatal pain using four pre/post outcome measures associated with pain including therapist-rated pain, presentation of the infant (sleep to agitated), infant's heart rate and oxygen saturation.
The study was done retrospectively and used paired sample t-tests to examine the association between pain ratings for infants who received M and HT. 186 infants were included in the study which means that there was a large database to pull form. Of those 186- 62% received both M & HT. From pre and post therapy significant changes were seen in these infants' heart rates p
These observed improvements suggest that massage and HT used in combination may be useful therapies to improve comfort and reduce pain in neonates. No untoward effects were reported.
Important points about this type of study (as compared to a randomized clinical trial) include: there was no control group (infants acted as own control), and there was no control of variables (time of day, pain medication etc) or method of delivery of Massage or HT. In some ways this makes the study more pragmatic as the practitioners would have delivered the therapies based on their actual energy based assessment of need vs. a "prescribed" dose or method of massage or HT.
For those working in Neonatal environments, this study is worth sharing with decision makers about the inclusion of integrative therapies in neonatal environments. As always, more research is needed to support these conclusions.
Healing Touch with guided imagery for PTSD in returning active duty military: A randomized controlled trial. Military Medicine, 177 (9), 1015-1021, T Jain, S., McMahon, G.F. , Hasen, P., Kozub, M.P., Porter, V., King, R. & Guarneri, E.M. (2012).
A recent study published in Military Medicine compared the impact of Healing Touch and Guided Imagery plus treatment as usual in the study group (HT+GI + TAU) to treatment as usual only (TAU) in the control group on PTSD symptoms, depression, quality of life and hostility in active duty military personnel. The group of 123 participants were randomly assigned to receive either 6 sessions of HT+GI+ TAU over 3 weeks vs. TAU over 3 weeks. Statistical analyses (repeated measures analysis of covariance with intent-to-treat) revealed statistically and clinically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms (p < 0.0005, Cohen’s d = 0.85) as well as depression (p < 0.0005, Cohen’s d = 0.70) for the group receiving HT+GI vs. TAU. This same group also showed significant improvements in mental quality of life (p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.58) and reduced cynicism (p = 0.001, Cohen’s d =0.49) vs. TAU group.
This well conducted study supports the use of HT in the care of military personnel with PTSD. Further study is warranted.
Biofield Therapies: Helpful or Full of Hype? A Best Evidence Synthesis, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, October 24, 2009. Click here for Full Article.
Research Resources
PubMed - PubMed is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that includes over 17 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s. PubMed includes links to full text articles and other related resources.
PubMed Tutorial - to learn how to use PubMed.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) - The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). They are 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Google Scholar - Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature.
Features of Google Scholar:
- Search diverse sources from one convenient place
- Find papers, abstracts and citations
- Locate the complete paper through your library or on the web
- Learn about key papers in any area of research
How to use Google Scholar Search.
Healing Touch International Research - A summary of studies on Healing Touch. More complete information about these studies is available in the Healing Touch International Research Survey.