Therapeutic touch is a type of energy medicine. The philosophy behind this modality is to use the therapist’s energy (biofield) to influence the patient’s biofield. Usually, practitioners do not physically touch the patient; instead, they move their hands at a distance over the patient. Therapeutic touch has been used to lessen anxiety and improve the sense of well-being in patients with cancer. In the United States, nurses have introduced therapeutic touch into many clinical settings.
Because therapeutic touch operates in the realm of subtle energies and the biofield, current conventional medicine tools are ill-equipped to measure or study the modality directly. High-quality clinical studies are needed, but a systematic review of existing studies did not find sufficient evidence to support therapeutic touch's effectiveness for treating any disorder (1). A more recent systematic review found no evidence of efficacy in promoting healing in patients with acute wounds (2).
(See also Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine.)
References
1. Fazzino DL, Griffin MT, McNulty RS, et al: Energy healing and pain: a review of the literature. Holist Nurs Pract 24(2):79-88, 2010. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0b013e3181d39718
2. O'Mathúna DP: Therapeutic touch for healing acute wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (8):CD002766, 2016. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002766.pub5
