While medical practitioners in Western nations are still somewhat skeptical of the validity of biofield therapies, a review of 66 studies suggests energy healing may offer advantages over some standard treatments, particularly to reduce pain and anxiety, and to decrease agitation behaviors in dementia patients.
Biofield Therapies Work on Body and Mind
Biofield therapies are rooted in the belief that human beings are infused with subtle forms of energy and that these energy fields reflect the condition of the person's body and spirit.
In a 2010 extensive review of 66 studies of biofield therapies, researchers Jain and Mills wrote, ”Concepts of biofield therapies, administered largely by a 'laying on of hands' for manipulating an unseen 'life force energy' to invoke stress reduction and relaxation that promotes natural healing, are unfamiliar to most Western healthcare providers; some may believe these approaches are frankly outlandish from scientific perspectives."
Yet, the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCAM) website lists biofield therapies on their website, defining energy therapies that can be measured (veritable) as those involving electromagnetic fields (e.g. magnet therapy and light therapy), and energy therapies that have yet to be measured (putative) as biofield therapies.
This alternative approach to healing includes various forms of applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in or through energy fields to rebalance or repair the body and mind. Reiki, therapeutic touch, polarity balancing, Shen therapy, and certain forms of color therapy are forms of biofield healing.
While largely controversial, considered mysterious and somewhat scrutinized, energy therapies have been used over the millennia in various cultural communities to treat physical and mental disorders.
Reiki and Other Energy Healing Therapies Offer Pain Relief and More
A diverse range of energy biofield therapies are available, particularly in the East, yet Reiki, Qigong and therapeutic touch are the most common modalities used by alternative and complementary medicine practitioners in this country.
Reiki
A Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation, Reiki also promotes healing as practitioners lay on hands to affect the energy flowing through a person’s body. Like other energy therapies, Reiki is based on the concept that if a person’s energy is low or blocked they are more likely to be get sick or feel stress, and if their energy is high and flowing, they are more able to feel happy and healthy.
The word "Reiki" is comprised of two Japanese words, "Rei," which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power," and "Ki," which is "life force energy;" together, the word Reiki means "spiritually guided life force energy."
Reiki works to bring about deep relaxation, destroy energy blockages, detoxify the system, provide vitality in the form of healing universal life energy, and increase the vibrational frequency of the body.
Qigong
The word Qigong (Chi Kung) is made up of two Chinese words, Qi (pronounced "chee"), which is usually translated to mean the life force or vital-energy that flows through all things in the universe. The second word, Gong (pronounced "gung"), means accomplishment, or skill that is cultivated through steady practice. Together, Qigong (Chi Kung) means cultivating energy and is a system practiced for health maintenance, healing and increasing vitality.
Qigong integrates physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intentions and is used in martial, medical, or spiritual practices. Medical Qigong is one of the four main branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine and works by addressing disruptions in the electromagnetic energy of the body that occur throughout a person’s lifetime as a result of poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, injuries, surgery, suppression of emotions, and aging.
Qigong practitioners correct the bio-energetic imbalances and blockages enabling the body to strengthen and regulate the internal organs, the nervous system and the immune system, to relieve pain, regulate hormones, and strengthen and release deep-seated emotions and stress.
Medical qigong therapy consists of treatment by a practitioner to regulate the client's qi. After the treatment the client receives qigong prescriptions to assist in their ongoing healing. Customized to the client, medical qigong exercises use physical movement, breathing methods and mental intention to correct and restore functioning in the body.
Therapeutic touch
Therapeutic touch (often abbreviated to TT) is also referred to as Non-Contact Therapeutic Touch (NCTT), Healing Touch, or Distance Healing. Practitioners say that by placing their hands on or near a patient, they are able to detect and manipulate the patient's energy field.
One highly cited study, however, designed by Emily Rosa, who was nine years old at the time, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that practitioners of therapeutic touch could not detect the presence or absence of a hand placed a few inches above theirs when their vision was obstructed. Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst concluded in their 2008 book Trick or Treatment that "the energy field was probably nothing more than a figment in the imaginations of the healers.
Yet, several published studies cite the benefits of therapeutic touch in reducing anxiety and in lowering agitation and pain in patients undergoing various treatments. In 1999, researchers published two meta-analyses of therapeutic touch; both concluded that TT has a positive medium effect on physiological and psychological variables. Reviewers did, however, cite methodological problems in some studies, urging future researchers to design studies that rectify the issues.
Research Modestly Supports Alternative Treatment Biofield Therapies, Better Methodology Needed
In a 2010 extensive review of 66 studies of biofield therapies, researchers Jain and Mills found that despite an average overall quality of the methodologies, there was strong evidence that biofield therapies reduces pain intensity for the general population, and moderate evidence that it is effective in lowering pain in hospitalized and cancer patients.
In addition, there was moderate evidence that these therapies reduced agitated behaviors in people with dementia and lowered anxiety in hospitalized patients. There wasn’t enough evidence to conclude if biofield therapies effectively alleviated fatigue or improved the quality of life in cancer patients, reduced overall pain, and alleviated anxiety in cardiovascular patients.
Write researchers Jain and Mills, "In order to better inform patients of the potential benefits or non-benefits of these biofield-based interventions, clinicians and scientists within behavioral medicine should familiarize themselves with current theory, practice and research of such techniques."
Biofield therapies remain outside the mainstream for most medical practitioners, the long term effects remain unclear, and more extensive, high quality research is needed, yet, research suggests energy therapies have a valid place in reducing anxiety, pain, and in lowering agitation for dementia patients.
Additional Reading:
Chronic Pain and Integrative Massage
Green Tea and L-Theanine: Natural Anxiety Relief
Vitamin D, Fibromyalgia, Anxiety and Depression
Magnesium: The Missing, But Critical Mineral
Sources:
Jain S, Mills PJ. “Biofield therapies: helpful or full of hype? A best evidence synthesis.”International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 2010 Mar;17(1):1-16
Peters, R.M. “The Effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch: A Meta-Analytic Review.” Nursing Science Quarterly 12:1 (1999) 52-61.
The National Qigong Association
The International Center for Reiki Training
Winstead Fry P, Kijek J. “An integrative review and meta-analysis of therapeutic touch research.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 5:6 (1999): 58-67.
Rosa, L BSN, RN; Rosa, E, Sarner, L; Barrett, S MD. "A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch." Journal of The American Medical Association. 1998;279:1005-1010.
Laura Owens - Laura Owens has a B.S. in Psychology from Rollins College & U of FL. She is a freelance writer with expertise in motivation & wellness.
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