Healers Hands Really Do Get Hot

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2010

Patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer are at risk for distress, chemoradiation-related sideeffects, and immunosuppression. This prospective randomized clinical trial examined effects of a complementary therapy, Healing Touch (HT), versus relaxation training (RT) and usual care (UC) for (1) supporting cellular immunity, (2) improving mood and quality of life (QOL), and (3) reducing treatment-associated toxicities and treatment delay in cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. Sixty women with stages IB1 to IVA cervical cancer were randomly assigned to receive UC or 4Â/weekly individual sessions of either HT or RT immediately following radiation during their 6-week chemoradiation treatment. Patients completed psychosocial assessments and blood sampling before chemoradiation at baseline, weeks 4 and 6. Multilevel regression analyses using orthogonal contrasts tested for differences between treatment conditions over time. HT patients had a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) over the course of treatment whereas NKCC of RT and UC patients declined sharply during chemoradiation (group by time interaction: p = 0.018). HT patients showed greater decreases in two different indicators of depressed mood (CES-D depressed mood subscale and POMS depression scale) compared to RT and UC (group by time interactions: p < 0.05). No between group differences were observed in QOL, treatment delay, or clinically-rated toxicities. HT may benefit cervical cancer patients by moderating effects of chemoradiation on depressed mood and cellular immunity. Effects of HT on toxicities, treatment delay, QOL, and fatigue were not observed. Long-term clinical implications of findings are not known.

International Journal for Innovation Education and Research

This systematic review evaluated whether reiki had an impact on patients undergoing chemo-therapy, with possible improvement of the following outcomes: fatigue, pain, anxiety and quality of life. Method: Systematic review study with meta-analysis conducted at a tertiary care center. The following databases were searched until July 2020: MEDLINE, LILACS and CENTRAL. Two re-viewers independently examined eligible articles, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane tool. Results: The analyzes included eight studies and showed that there was a sta-tistically significant for anxiety control (MD = -2-09; 95% CI: -3.00 to -1.19; I2 = 51%) and Quality of life (MD = -5.97; 95% CI: -10.70 to -1.25; I2 = 97%) but no statistically significant difference was found for the other outcomes analyzed. An analysis of the risk of bias has uncertain methodological limitations in the studies. Conclusions: Although there is anxiety control and improved quality of life, there is a nee...

Journal of Client-Centered Nursing Care, 2020

Background: Fatigue is one of the most prevalent and debilitating complications of cancer and its treatments. Patients undergoing radiotherapy experience some degrees of fatigue. Complementary medicine methods have reduced the complications of treatments in many disorders. Accordingly, the present study was conducted to compare the effect of aromatherapy by inhalation and massage on radiotherapy-induced fatigue in patients with cancer. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 105 patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy in the oncology ward of Firouzgar Hospital in Tehran, Iran were selected conveniently based on the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned into three groups of inhalation aromatherapy, massage aromatherapy, and control groups. In the first group, viola and almond oil were inhaled, in the second group, the Swedish massage was performed using aromatic oil, and the control group received routine care. Fatigue was measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) before, and at the end of the intervention. The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA, Paired T-tests, Fischer’s exact, and Chi-square tests) using SPSS software V. 16. The significance level was considered as P≤0.05. Results: The findings showed that the three studied groups had no significant statistical difference in terms of demographic characteristics before the intervention. Fatigue score was significantly different in all three groups after both interventions (P<0/001), which indicated a decrease in fatigue in the two test groups. However, according to Scheffe post hoc test, massage aromatherapy was more effective in reducing fatigue resulting from radiotherapy. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that massage aromatherapy was more effective in reducing radiotherapy-induced fatigue in patients with cancer. It is recommended that future studies recruit another group that receives the only massage.

Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2011

The use of complementary therapies by cancer patients has become so prevalent that nurses working in oncology are finding it necessary to understand these therapies and the evidence-based support for their use. The integrative use of the biofield therapy Healing Touch (HT) in conjunction with the chemoradiation received by patients with cervical cancer (stages 1B1 to IVA) during a recent research study is described. Findings indicated effects of HT on the immune response and on depression, in contrast to patients receiving relaxation or standard care. Specifically, HT patients demonstrated a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) over the course of treatment whereas NKCC of patients receiving relaxation therapy (RT) and standard care (SC) declined sharply during radiation (p = 0.018). HT patients also showed significant decreases in depressed mood compared to RT and SC (p < 0.05). These findings, as well as the energetic effects of chemoradiation that were observed, and the proposed mechanisms and potential contributions of biofield therapy are addressed. It is suggested that the appropriate integration of complementary modalities into oncology care has the potential to enhance the impact of conventional care by putting the patient in the best condition to use their innate healing resources.

Revista Dor, 2014

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Complementary techniques have positive impact on decreasing patients' stress and suffering, since their effects on the body decrease autonomic nervous system activity, responsible for the control of visceral and homeostatic functions essential to life. This study aimed at identifying evidences in the scientific literature with regard to the use of complementary techniques to control cancer patients' signs and symptoms. CONTENTS: Literature was reviewed as from LILACS, CI-NAHL, Cochrane and Medline databases using the descriptors terapia de relaxamento and dor and cancer, Relaxation Therapy and Pain and Cancer, in the period from 2002 to 2013. Eight randomized controlled clinical trials investigating the effects of complementary techniques to control anxiety, pain, fatigue and sleep in oncology were identified. Complementary techniques were beneficial to decrease pain intensity, to improve pain control perception and pain-related fatigue, to decrease anxiety and to improve sleep quality, thus leading to physical improvement. CONCLUSION: Studies have shown the effectiveness of the technique which, when adequately used, decreases perception of pain, fatigue, sleep, dyspnea and anxiety, thus helping to improve quality of life.

Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2014

Patients with cancer can experience several treatment-related symptoms, and conventional care focuses primarily on cure and survival without a holistic approach to disease. Subsequently, an increasing number of patients are accustomed to complementary modalities to improve wellbeing. Biofield therapies (BTs) are complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities based on the philosophy that humans have an energetic dimension. Physical and psychological symptoms may cause imbalance, and BTs are believed to balance disturbance in the energy field. This article provides a study review of the main BTs (i.e., therapeutic touch, healing touch, and Reiki) in the treatment of cancer-related symptoms. Although BTs are among the most ancient healing practices, data on their effectiveness are poor and additional multicenter research with larger samples are necessary. BTs may eventually become an autonomous field of nursing activity and allow professionals to build a relationship with the patient, thereby improving motivation. The idea that this method can be self-managed and may effectively reduce pain for patients with cancer can improve satisfaction challenges experienced by the current healthcare system.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2009

Autonomic Neuroscience, 2008

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of repeated effleurage massage treatments compared with a visit control group on circulating lymphocytes by studying the number and activity of peripheral blood NK cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in women with breast cancer. Furthermore, the effect of repeated effleurage massage treatments on the levels of cortisol in saliva and oxytocin in plasma as well as degree anxiety, depression and quality of life was studied. Design: A single centre, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Settings/location: The study was conducted in a radiation department, in a hospital in south-western Sweden. Subjects: Twenty-two women (mean age = 62) with breast cancer undergoing radiation were included in this study. Interventions: The patients were randomly assigned to effleurage massage therapy (20 min of effleurage on ten occasions) or to control visits (ten 20-minute visits). Outcome measures: Blood samples were collected before the first and last massage/control visit for analysis of peripheral blood NK, T cells and oxytocin. Saliva was analysed for cortisol. In addition, the patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and Spielbergers State Trait Anxiety Inventory prior to the first and last massage/control visit. Results: Effleurage massage treatment had no significant effect on the number, frequencies or activation state of NK cells or CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, no significant changes between groups were detected on cortisol and oxytocin concentrations, anxiety, depression or quality of life. Conclusions: Significant effect of effleurage massage on cellular immunity, cortisol, oxytocin, anxiety, depression or quality of life could not be demonstrated in this study. Several possible explanations to the results of this study are discussed.