Pain
HEALING TOUCH FOR DECREASING PAIN
The experience of pain is dependent on a number of factors, including such things as previous experience with pain and individual body chemistry and structure. Use of biofield therapies such as Healing Touch can influence a person’s response to pain in the many ways, including the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of being. For example, pain can be a reminder that you have extended your limits or a reminder that you need to take care of some aspect of your life that is creating a “pain.”
Healing Touch studies have been conducted measure effects on both acute and chronic pain (1) In a small study of chronic and severe pain resulting from spinal cord injury, Healing Touch decreased pain more compared with those who received progressive muscle relaxation (2). There are no contraindications for using energy work to relieve pain and it can be valuable in supplementing traditional approaches or using when other approaches are not successful (3).
References
- Wardell, D.W. & Weymouth, K. (2004). Review of studies of Healing Touch. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 36(2), 147-154.
- Wardell, D. Rintala, D. Tan, G., & Duan, Z. (2006). Pilot study of Healing Touch and progressive relaxation for chronic neuropathic pain in persons with spinal cord injury. Journal or Holistic Nursing, 24(4), 231-240.
- Wardell, D.W. (2000). The trauma release technique: How it is taught and experienced in Healing Touch. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 6 (1), 20-27.