Hi Jean-Marc- I'm not familiar with Healing Touch, but I am quite familiar with Therapeutic Touch (TT). They sound quite alike. Reading through their blurb it is clear that it is designed to impress people who have little or no knowledge of physics and physiology. Their most accurate statement is, "The effect of the modality is similar to acupuncture." Exactly! no sound data for either.
I would like to suggest that you use this as an opportunity to generate some critical thinking on the part of your students. Encourage the free HT sesssions, but insist that there should be a real investigation of its worth by including a number of pseudo-HT sessions. Students would be randomly assigned to either the "real" HT or the pseudo HT. If HT is truly effective then this would be an excellent demonstration of its effectiveness. On the other hand, if no effects are found it will show students how we separate real treatments from the phoney ones. Of course the people offering the HT will probably baulk at thr proposal of a randomized placebo conrolled trial, but then you can point that out to the students as well. Best of luck, -Don. Don Allen Langara College Jean-Marc Perreault said: > Hi Everyone, > I'm trying to make up my mind on a small situation at the College where > I teach. This upcoming term, the Counselling Centre (which is under > "Student Services") is offering free Healing Touch (HT) sessions for > everyone. Volunteers from the community, who practice Healing touch, > will be coming in once a week to do the sessions. > > During Orientation week, there will be HT reps to give out info. Here's > what has been distributed to staff in terms of information so far (it's > a bit long, sorry...). I imagine similar info will be handed out to > students during orientation week: > > *What is Healing Touch?* > > *Adapted from Donald Stouffer, Phd, CHTP, Professor of Aerospace > Engineering, U of Cincinnati, and* > > *Barbara Brennan, PhD, D.Th, M. Sc, Atmospheric Physics* > > * * > > Your body has the ability to heal itself. Illness and disease are often > caused by restrictions of energy flow in the body./ /When you are ill, > fatigued or under stress, your body produces symptoms, which is how we > know that it has recognized a problem and is actively working to heal > itself. This natural regulator works to keep your body in balance. > Healing Touch is a therapeutic method that works with the energy of the > client to promote the bodys natural healing process. > > *How does it work?* > > A model for a scientific basis of the physiological changes developed by > a Healing Touch treatment can be extracted from acupuncture research. > In acupuncture, healing is stimulated by the insertion of fine needles > at special points on meridians that are usually activated with a tiny > current. This current stimulates the flow of Qi or pulses of electrical > energy that travel along the meridians and neurological pathways to the > cells. Pomeranz (1) showed that this current stimulates the release of > endorphins, and the secretion of hormones, serotonin and other chemicals > at the cellular level. This chemical change produces effects like > relaxation and reduction of pain. It is reasonable to expect the same > results from Healing Touch (2). > > Modern science tells us that humans are not just a physical structure > made of molecules, but that, like everything else, we are also composed > of energy fields. Scientists are learning to measure these energy fields > related to our bodies and to measure their frequencies. They measure > electrical currents from the heart with the electrocardiogram (ECG). > They measure electrical currents from the brain with the > electroencephalogram (EEG). The lie detector measures the > electropotential of the skin. They can now even measure electromagnetic > fields around the body with a sensitive device called the SQUID (the > superconducting quantum interference device). This device does not even > touch the body when measuring the magnetic fields around it (3). A > magnetic field detector would show that your energy field is pulsating > at 7.8 to 8 Hz. This is a natural energy state for everyone (4). As > medicine relies more and more upon these sophisticated instruments that > measure impulses from the body, health and disease are slowly being > redefined in terms of energy impulses and patterns. > > Maxwells Law (5), a well documented effect in physics, states that the > flow of electrical charges creates both an electrical field and a > magnetic field, and Maxwells equations show how these effects are > related. Thus the human energy system is a bioelectromagnetic field (6). > The flow felt between a persons two hands is a biomagnetic field flow. > The aura is a subtle biomagnetic field. > > During a Healing Touch treatment the practitioners biomagnetic field > interacts with the clients biomagnetic field and changes occur in the > clients electrical field. This produces a change in the clients > chemical balance at the cellular level, chemicals are released and > physiological changes result. The cells structure and function are > changed. This process can be summarized in the following diagram: > > Practitioners Clients Electrical Chemical Cell Structure > Magnetic Field <=> Magnetic Field <=> Field <=> Balance <=> & Function > > Healing Touch is not magic. It is based on biology, chemistry, and > physics. The effect of the modality is similar to acupuncture. It can be > thought of as a bioelectromagnetic massage to stimulate > bioelectromagnetic and physiological changes in the client at the > cellular level to promote healing. > > * * > > (1) Pomeranz, B. (1986). Scientific Basis of Acupuncture. Stux & > Pomeranz eds., _Acupuncture: Textbook and Atlas_, Springer Verlag, > Berlin. > > (2)/ /Donald Stouffer, /Why does Healing Touch Work?/ Colorado Center > for Healing Touch, Healing Touch Newsletter, March 1999. > > (3) Brennan, B.A. (1987). _Hands of light: A guide to healing through > the human energy field._ New York: Bantam Books. Pp 19-20. > > (4) Brennan, B.A. (1993). _Light emerging: The journey of personal > healing._/ /New York: Bantam Books. P. 5. > > (5) Paul, R.C., K.W. Whites and S.A Nasar. (1998). _Introduction to > Electromagnet Fields_, WCB/McGraw-Hill, 3^rd Ed., Cambridge > Massachusetts. > > (6) Tiller, W.A. (1997). _Science and Human Transformation, Subtle > Energies, Intentionality and Consciousness_, Pavior Pub., Walnut Creek > California,. > > *What do practitioners say to skeptics of healing touch?* It's good to > have a healthy amount of skepticism; we need to question whether a > procedure or therapy is legitimate. Many clients see the benefits of > healing touch by participating in a session and feeling changes within > themselves. > > * * > > *Research* > > Although progress has been substantial, we are still in the very early > stages of understanding what happens with HT work. Healing Touch > originated from Therapeutic Touch, therefore most research has been done > on the latter. Research completed on HT has been in the following > areas: Patient Satisfaction, Pain, Orthopedic Pain, Cancer, > Endocrine/Immune/HIV, Cardiovascular, the Elderly, Psychiatrics, > Pediatrics, Post-Operative, Spiritual Development in Practitioners. > > Information is available at > http://www.healingtouch.net/research/index.shtml. It is possible to > download the 60 page document or to contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> to receive the current Research > Survey. For a summary of HTI research updated to February 2005, contact > Jo Lukawitski at 667-7804. > > *Research literature* > > Gagne, D., & Toye, R.C. (1994). The effects of therapeutic touch and > relaxation therapy in reducing anxiety. /Archives of Psychiatric > Nursing/, VIII(3), 184-189. > > Heidt, P.R. (1981). Effect of therapeutic touch on the anxiety level of > hospitalized patients. /Nursing Research/, 30 (1), 32-37. > > Heidt, P.R. (1991). Helping patients to rest: Clinical studies in > therapeutic touch. /Holistic Nursing Practice/, 5 (4), 57-66. > > Keller,E., & Bzdek, V.M. (1986). Effects of therapeutic touch on tension > headache pain. /Nursing Research/, 35 (2), 101-106. > > Meehan, T.C. (1993). Therapeutic touch and postoperative pain: A > Rogerian research study. /Nursing Science Quarterly/ 6 (2), 69-78. > > Peck, S.D.E. (1997). The effectiveness of therapeutic touch for > decreasing pain in elders with degenerative arthritis. /Journal of > Holistic Nursing/, 15 (2), 176-198. > > Peters, R.M. (1999). The effectiveness of therapeutic touch: A > meta-analytic review. /Nursing Science Quarterly/, 2 (2), 79-87. > > Quinn J.F. (1984). Therapeutic touch as energy exchange: Testing the > theory/. Advances in Nursing Science/, 6 (2), 42-49. > > Quinn, J.F., & Strelkauskas, A.J. (1993). Psychoimmunologic effects of > therapeutic touch on practitioners and recently bereaved recipients: A > pilot study. /Advances in Nursing Science/, 15 (4), 13-26. > > Turner, J.G., Clark, A.J., Gauthier, D.K., & Williams, M. (1998). The > effect of therapeutic touch on pain and anxiety in burn patients. > /Journal of Advanced Nursing/, 28 (1), 10-20. > > Wirth, D.T. (1990). The effect of non-contact therapeutic touch on the > healing rate of full thickness dermal wounds. /Subtle Energies/, 1 (1), > 1-20. > > ***Further Reading* > > * * > > Hover-Kramer, Dorothea. (2002). /Healing Touch A Guidebook for > Practitioners/. 2^nd Edition. Delmar Thompson Learning. > > Brennan, B.A. (1987). /Hands of light: A guide to healing through the > human energy field/. New York: Bantam Books. > > Brennan, B.A. (1993). /Light emerging: The journey of personal healing/. > New York: Bantam Books. > > Bruyere, R.L. (1994). /Wheels of Light/. Fireside Simon & Schuster. > > Dossey, L. (1999). /Reinventing Medicine/. Harper SanFransisco. > > Joy, W.B. (1979). /Joys Way: A map for the transformational journey/. > Tarcher Putnam. > > Judith, A. (1996). /Eastern Body Western Mind/. Berkley California, > Celestial Arts > > Sheldrake, R. (2003). /The sense of being stared at/. Three Rivers > Press. > > *Recent Articles* > > *The Integration of Healing Touch with Conventional Care at the Scripps > Center for Integrative Medicine.* /Explore Magazine, The Journal of > Science and Healing./ March 2005. By Rauni Prittinen King. > > *"The Touch That Heals"* /Experience Life magazine./ December, 2004. By > Jenifer Pedalty. This article includes a brief description of Healing > Touch for the layperson and also some nice personal stories. > > *"Healing Touch and Quality of Life in Women Receiving Radiation > Treatment for Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial."* /Alternative > Therapies in Health and Medicine./ May/June 2004. By Cynthia Loveland > Cook PhD, RN ACSW, Joanne F. Guerrerio, RN, MSN, CHTP, HNC, Victoria E. > Slater PhD, RN, CHTI, HNC. This research was performed at Barnes-Jewish > Hospital in ST. Louis, MO. Reprints available by email- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > *"High-Tech & Healing Touch"* /Spirituality & Health./ March/April 2004. > By Stephen Kiesling. This article features the Scripps Center for > Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, CA., Mimi Guarneri, MD, CHTP and > Raunie King, RN CHTP/I use Healing Touch in the cardiac intensive care > unit. > > **"A Review of Healing Touch Studies"* /Journal of Nursing Scholarship./ > June 2004. By Diane Wind Wardell. This article organizes and reviews > over thirty Healing Touch studies in a professional nursing journal. > > *Weblinks **(all sites as of August 11, 2005)* > > * * > > www.therapeutictouch.org <http://www.therapeutictouch.org> > > www.healingtouch.net/research/index.shtml > <http://www.healingtouch.net/research/index.shtml> > > www.healtheast.org/HealthInfo/3_Health_and_Wellness/FullArticle_healingtouch.cfm > > <http://www.healtheast.org/HealthInfo/3_Health_and_Wellness/FullArticle_healingtouch.cfm> > > > > > > > I'm debating what to think about the fact that the College is sponsering > this. On the one hand, I think it's great to provide exposure to > students. The College should not be so different from the real world > that they are sheltered to the point of not having to be critical about > what is offered to them. On the other hand, I have a hunch that for many > students, a College-sponsored activity (ok, no money is being paid, but > the college is supporting it) must be legitimate, thus taking away the > need for critical thinking. > > What are some of your thoughts about such a situation? > > Looking forward to reading your reactions. > > Cheers! > > Jean-Marc > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- -- --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
