Energy healing is a complementary medicine that includes therapies in which energy is emitted from the human body (biofield) or is emitted from an external source, such as therapeutic touch, Reiki, Qigong, polarity therapy, etc. Dora Kunz’s model of human energy fields, electromagnetism and quantum physics, interpersonal psychology, Martha Roger’s theory of human unity, and other particular theories underpin TT (relying on quantum and whole system theory, and Eastern science and philosophy).
Dora Kunz first described Therapeutic Touch in 1973, and Dolores Krieger, the co-founder of TT, researched it. The theory behind TT is The physical body is surrounded by an aura (invisible energy) and is penetrated and kept alive by universal energy known as prana (a Sanskrit word meaning vital force) that flows through the body and is transformed by chakras or non-physical vortices. The application of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques is growing in popularity. Therapeutic TouchTouch is one of them. Practical Therapeutic Touch (TT) is classified as biofield energy by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The use of hands-on or near the body to aid in treatment is known as therapeutic Touch (TT). The practitioner consciously focuses on clients with sincere intentions to help while also activating mental, physical relaxation and building a state of consciousness. During the treatment of imbalances, the flow of energy is directed and harmonised with quiet hand movements and rhythmic, which supports energy balance. TT is a modern interpretation of an ancient healing experience. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Some complementary therapies, such as massage, can help relieve some of the symptoms of cancer and the side effects of treatment, for example, fatigue, anxiety, and pain, or increase a person’s well-being. Complementary and Alternative Medicine, because of their widespread care, prevalent among chronic diseases. Complementary therapies are widely used as alternative pharmacological and psychological treatments for anxiety disorders.
Cancer is a significant public health issue around the world. Cancer is not the single cause of disease but rather a collection of reasons with varying symptoms, treatments, and prognoses. Pain in cancer patients is a stressful event that can affect their lifestyle as well as their sense of satisfaction and comfort, as well as cause pain and discomfort, loss of control, fatigue, impaired quality of life and loss of interpersonal relationships and the concept of life, reduced performance, sleep, and daily activities. Furthermore, patients with cancer may experience anxiety due to their illness, treatment methods, and others, which hurts their treatment and recovery process; therefore, it must be controlled and mitigated1(Tabatabaee et al., 2016). Furthermore, patients with cancer may experience anxiety due to their illness, treatment methods, and so on, which hurts their treatment and recovery process; therefore, it must be controlled and mitigated. This approach aims for health and quality of life and increase and through the use o natural processes and alternative medicine methods based on clinical and research findings. Humans, according to touch therapists, exist in energy fields and have open systems. Because therapists’ energy is not stopped in recipients, power can be exchanged without any physical contact or with only a very slight one.
Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and Reiki are standard biofield therapies offered by healthcare providers. Oncology practitioners have described evidence for a positive impact of biofield therapies on people experiencing symptoms of a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. The following assumption has been made.
ASSUMPTIONS
1.The human body contains a subtle energy system that permeates and extends beyond the physical anatomy.
2.The subtle energy can be thought of as universal energy or vital energy that flows through and is available to all beings.
3.The free and balanced flow of energy through the human body’s subtle energy system supports the body’s average self-healing capacity.
4.The hands of the practitioners may or may not come into contact with the body. Practitioners can also perform healing work from a distance by using their minds.
5.Disease or disorder can be detected in the energy system (possibly before it manifests in the physical body) and treated therapeutically by energy practitioners supporting the body’s self-healing ability2(Potter, 2013).
6.The efficacy of biofield therapies is thought to be dependent on conscious healing intent and compassion.
Despite significant advances in pain management, cancer pain is poorly managed in 80 per cent of cancer patients. Because of the adverse side effects of pharmacology therapy in these people, clinical trials of non-pharmacological interventions are urgently needed. Non-pharmacological interventions such as TT effectively decrease pain and fatigue in cancer chemotherapy while avoiding the adverse-pharmacological side effects of psychotropic medications.
The frequently reported symptom of cancer patients is fatigue. Furthermore, it is commonly said that this symptom is the most distressing parameter that causes the most interference with the patient’s daily life. This symptom is also common in patients with advanced diseases who are receiving palliative care. Some signs and other measures, such as nausea and vomiting, well-being, mood, and appetite, may be improved indirectly by pain control. Pain intensity is related to fatigue and loss of appetite. Energy imbalance is said to cause illness, which can be assessed intuitively in the form of a psychic diagnosis and then treated hands-on. Nursing interventions such as TT aim to promote the rhythmic flow of energy waves that order and re-order the human field. Symptoms are defined as energy blockages, congestion, dysrhythmias, or areas of field imbalance. As TT corrects dysrhythmias, the entire field becomes balanced. Several study’s positive findings add to a growing body of evidence that non-invasive, non-pharmacological interventions effectively get relief from pain, anxiety and stress.
Therapeutic Treatments
Procedure
1 Centring: The process of using meditation to centre on the present to begin a tension-free focus on healing the client.
2. Assessment: The process evaluates energy flow irregularities by beginning and moving the hands along and around the patient’s head.
3. Unruffling: This long sweeping motion with the hands evens out areas of the body that have uneven or dense energy flow.
4.Modulating: Energy is directed from the outside to the inside—patient’s uneven or dense energy areas.
5.Evaluation:The client’s energy is evaluated to be even with no difference.
There were experimental and control groups in all of the studies. Twenty participants were randomly assigned to either rest or 15–20 minutes of therapeutic TouchTouch several times per week in Giasson and Bouchard’s (1998) study. According to Lafreniere et al. areas1999) .’s research,41 people were assigned to an experimental group at random3(Jackson et al., 2005).And it was found that there is a significant decrease in anxiety and other psychological disorders.
A randomised clinical trial with three groups (intervention, control, and placebo) and a non-probability convenience sampling method was carried out. Male patients referred to Omid Oncology Specialized Hospital in Mashhad in 2016 were included in the study, and 90 patients were conveniently selected based on the criteria for the task not completed. For participation, the groups are randomly divided into three groups of 30 people each. Inclusion criteria included participants’ informed consent; male patients aged 20 to 65 years; being conscious; having cancer-related pain confirmed by a physician; being diagnosed and treated for at least one year; being in remission stage; no plan for surgery as treatment during the intervention; and no history of TT usage. Because of the nature of cancer and a review of related articles and consultation with TT experts, seven sessions were chosen for the patients, with a three-day interval between each two. The TT programme was carried out: Patients in the experiment group were led to a quiet room, where those accompanying them could also joined them. The patients were instructed to close their eyes and begin breathing slowly and deeply, without thinking about anything. The therapist then focused his attention and kept his hands 5 to 10 cm away from the patient’s body. He began to explore the energy field and aura around the patient’s body to search for energy deficits or increases in the patient’s energy field. The therapist would then move his hand from the head to the feet and cleanse to compensate for the energy deficit, burn off the accumulated negative energy, and develop alternative positive energy. In the third stage, the therapist directs his hands to specific body areas and uses his hands to transfer positive energy to the patient. The placebo group was also used to assess and compare the researcher’s presence on relaxation. The practitioner did not perform any interventions in the control group except routine interventions in the ward. The same standard medical care was provided to all groups (TT, placebo, and control). In the intervention group, TT was performed by a skilled and qualified TT researcher who had completed a specific 7-month TT course and had 15 years of experience in this field4(Jhaveri et al., 2008).
According to the findings of a highly controlled single-blind in vitro randomised controlled trial of TT on human osteoblasts (HOB) and an osteosarcoma-derived cell line (SaOs2), TT “appears to increase human osteoblast DNA synthesis, differentiation, and mineralisation, and decrease differentiation and mineralisation in a human osteosarcoma-derived cell line”(Aghabati et al., 2008).In other words, TT increased bone formation in normal cells while decreasing formation in bone-cancer cells.
Therapeutic Touch in Breast cancer
The purpose/objectives of this study were to compare women with breast cancer’s perceptions of an experimental therapeutic touch (TT) plus dialogue nursing intervention to those of a control quiet time plus dialogue nursing intervention6.Design: A qualitative study based on Unitary Human Being Science. Data were collected as part of a more extensive experimental study of the effects of after operative anxiety and mood and postoperative pain in breast cancer patients.18 women with early-stage breast cancer were included in the study. The methodology follows Telephone interviews after an experimental or controls mineralisation body retention administered in the women’s homes before and after breast cancer surgery. Women’s perceptions of participation in studying the effects of dialogue and TT or quiet time are the main research variables. A content analysis of transcribed telephone interviews revealed that participants’ perceptions of experimental and control interventions were very similar. Only those who received the practical intervention reported experiencing bodily sensations, and only those in the control group inquired about the study and its purpose. Women reported calm, relaxation, security, comfort, and a sense of awareness, regardless of whether they participated in the experimental or control intervention. The few women who commented on the nurse who administered the practical or management intervention described her as sympathetic, concerned, supportive, or helpful. The current qualitative study aimed to broaden knowledge by contrasting women with breast cancer’s perceptions of their participation in an experimental TT.
Plus dialogue nursing intervention with women receiving control quiet time plus dialogue nursing intervention.
Therapeutic TouchTouch to reduce Anxiety in Cancer patients
Several studies have found that Therapeutic Touch can help the elderly and burn patients reduce anxiety. Therapeutic Touch was more effective than standard treatments in reducing pain, mood disorders, and fatigue in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Therapeutic Touch nursing interventions can increase feelings of calm and relaxation in breast cancer patients and decrease dread. Patient anxiety can cause a variety of issues, and the goal of professional nursing is to improve the patient’s condition, comfort them, and alleviate their stress. Therapeutic TouchTouch is simple, inexpensive, and practicable in all health care settings, including patients’ homes.
Touch is a risk-free intervention for reducing patient anxiety. Significant reductions in pain, nausea, and anxiety were observed immediately after intervention on postoperative days one and two. However, in pain and stress on the third postoperative day, compared to the pre-intervention level. These findings suggest that Therapeutic Touch interventions are feasible and acceptable for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Bariatric surgery, as well as significantly increasing their pain and anxiety. Believes that energy therapy can help cancer patients with a variety of symptoms. Therapeutic TouchTouch seeks to restore balance, harmony, and a sense of well-being. Therapeutic Touch is based on loving intention expressed through light TouchTouch or the placement of objects. Hands outside the body, as nurses frequently do.TT appears to affect the autonomic nervous system by altering the high-frequency ratio to low-frequency heart rate, resulting in increased parasympathetic tone and decreased sympathetic activation. Therapeutic Touch has been shown to improve the well-being of patients with cervical cancer and breast cancer during radiation and reduce pressure and fatigue during chemotherapy.
Conclusion
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques are widely used in hospitals and private medical facilities, Touch aids in the advancement of
Nursing practice, recognised as a distinctly human approach to healing, stimulates research and education and contributes to the future healthcare transformation.However, the underlying mechanisms of action and effectiveness of many of these practises are unknown. Although some trials indicate that Therapeutic Touch (TT) may reduce pain, fatigue and improve overall well-being, the evidence is inconsistent, and all individual studies have methodological limitations.” Early clinical research in TT indicates a moderate effect on anxiety, stress-related conditions, pain, and wound healing in this context. Therapeutic TouchTouch is an effective way to reduce pain, anxiety, and stress in cancer patients. It is an excellent field of research, and it shows promising aspects in treating and finding cancer in the initial stage so that the future consequences can be prevented efficiently. Early clinical research in TT indicates that it has a moderate effect on anxiety, stress-related conditions, pain, and wound healing. However, it is not possible to conclude the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch for cancer patients based on the small number of trials. So large clinical trial must be implemented to get a broader idea. By modulating the aura of the patient, the psychological disorders can be managed efficiently. It can also reduce the chances of developing cancer by manipulating the energy field of the patients. Therapeutic TouchTouch works on this ideology. Nevertheless, using the techniques on a broader level, the practitioner should introduce the TT concepts more broadly.
