Energy Medicine Research
Many research studies and clinical trials have been conducted on benefits of energy medicine healing as an integrative medicine. Below is a brief summary reporting on a range of subjects with effective results. Energy healing can feel mysterious. Energy medicine research provides scientific evidence that helps the analytical side of the brain process the mystery.
Research about stress, anxiety and depression management
Weze, Leathard, Grange, Tiplady and Stevens (2007) evaluated the effectiveness of gentle touch associated with psychological well-being. “Changes in anxiety/depression, pain and ability to carry out usual activities all proved highly statistically significant.” (Source: NCBI)
Latreniere (1999) reported on healing touch effect on hormonal and neurotransmitter indicators, mood, and anxiety. Results indicated “a significant reduction in mood disturbance, reduced tension, reduced anxiety and increased vigor.” (Source: NCBI)
Research about general wellness
Meissner and Koch (2015) studied heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin conductance (electrodermal response, where skin becomes a better conductor of electricity) during a healing touch session. Results indicated “that sympathetic arousal during a touch-based healing ritual predicted improvement in well-being thereafter.” (Source:NCBI)
Research about cancer and quality of life management
Hart, Freel, Haylock, and Lutgendorf (2011) reported on Healing Touch used in conjunction with chemo received by patients with cervical cancer. Findings indicated HT patients “demonstrated a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity over the course of treatment” whereas patients not receiving HT declined sharply. HT patients also showed “significant decrease in depressed mood” compared to those not receiving the complementary care. The study suggests that HT puts the “patient in the best condition to use their innate healing resources.” (Source: NCBI)
Weze (2004) reported on Healing Touch used in conjunction with cancer patients. “Pronounced improvements were seen in stress and relaxation, severe pain and discomfort, and depression and anxiety. Stress, rated the most severe symptom, fell by 3 points following treatment. Pain and fear were reduced by 2 points, and levels of relaxation and coping ability increased by 3 points and 1 point. Severe depression or anxiety levels fell from 5 to 3 points.” (Source: NCBI)
Cook, Guerrerio, Slater (2004) reported on Healing Touch used in conjunction with decreased pain, improved vitality and increased physical functioning in women undergoing radiation for gynecological or breast cancer. HT patients “who received Healing Touch demonstrated better [health-related quality of life] following radiation treatment than their counterparts who received mock treatment.” (Source: NCBI)
White (2003) reported on Healing Touch used in conjunction with reduce side effects of cancer treatment. Results determined that Healing Touch is effective for “reducing pain, mood disturbance, and fatigue in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.“ (Source: NCBI)
Jain (2009) reported on the use of biofield healing (energy healing), compared to mock healing, for the alleviation of fatigue, depression and inflammation after therapy for breast cancer. “Results suggest a differential outcome profile for breast cancer survivors who received healing sessions vs. those who received mock healing.” (Source:
Escolarship.org)
Research about pain relief and pain management
Lu, Hart, Lutgendorf, Perkhounkova (2013) studied the effect of Healing Touch on pain and mobility of persons with osteoarthritis. “HT group demonstrated significant improvements in 9 of the 12 outcome variables.” (Source: Sciencedirect.com/Geriatric Nursing 2013)
Anderson, Suchicital, Lang, Kukic, Mangione, Svengros, Fabian, Friben (2015) reported on the effects of Healing Touch on pain, nausea, and anxiety following Bariatric surgery. “Significant decreases in pain, nausea, and anxiety were observed immediately following the intervention on post-operative days one and two, and in pain and anxiety on post-operative day three compared with pre-intervention levels.” (Source: Sciencedirect.com/Explore 2015)
Mueller, Palli, Schumacher (2018) reported on the pain-relieving effect of therapeutic touch in adult neurologic patients with back pain. The results indicated “the long-term effect of Therapeutic Touch was significant and indicated a major effect.”(Source: Sciencedirect.com/Pain Management Nursing)
Lee, Kingstone, Roberts, Edwards, Soundy, Shah, Haque, Singh (2016) reported on the benefits of healing therapy as an adjunct to conventional management in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Results indicated “healing therapy to conventional treatment was associated with improvement in symptoms.” (Source: Sciencedirect.com)
Gottschlich, Kagan, Saylors, and Cone reported on the effects of Healing Touch on the sleep patterns of pediatric burn patients at Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. “Data analysis showed that HT had a significant effect on the quality and quantity of sleep.” (Source: Researchgate.net)
Slater (1995) studied the effects of Healing Touch on pain from abdominal surgery. Patients treated by a Healing Touch practitioner felt more relief than those treated by a nurse alone. (Source: Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Research about dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and agitated behavior
Wang and Herman (2006) reported on the effectiveness of HT on dementia patients who demonstrated high levels of agitation. “Results indicated that agitation levels were significantly lowered.” (Source: NCBI)
Hawranik and Deatrich (2008) reported on the effectiveness of therapeutic touch and agitation in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. “Physical nonaggressive behaviors decreased significantly in those residents who received therapeutic touch” compared to those who received usual care. (Source: NCBI)
Woods, Craven and Whitney (2005) reported on the effect of therapeutic touch on behavioral symptoms and basal cortisol levels among nursing home residents with dementia.“Findings suggest therapeutic touch may be effective for management of symptoms like restlessness coupled with stress reduction.” (Source: NCBI)
Ziembroski, Gilbert, Bossarte, Guldberg (2003) examined the effects of Healing Touch treatments on quality of life of patients in hospice. “The results of this study included a statistically significant reduction in stress.” (Source: Alternative and Complementary Therapies.)
Cai and Zhang (2015) examined the effect of therapeutic touch on agitated behavior of nursing home residents. “The study found that restlessness was significantly reduced in the experimental group compared to the control group.” (Source: Researchgate.net)