WITHDRAWN: Therapeutic touch for healing acute wounds

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Wound Healing Research
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Therapeutic Touch (TT) is an alternative therapy that involves practitioners using their hands to manipulate a patient's 'life energy' or chi.
• TT has gained popularity for wound healing, despite scientific instruments being unable to detect the proposed energy.
• The efficacy of TT for wound healing is primarily supported by anecdotal evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize data on the effects of Therapeutic Touch on the healing of acute wounds.
• To determine the scientific evidence supporting or refuting TT's role in wound healing.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases (Cochrane Wounds Group Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL) was conducted in January 2014.
• Included were randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing TT (as a standalone or adjunct therapy) with placebo, other treatments, or no treatment.
• Data extraction and validity assessment were performed independently by two authors, with trials evaluated against predetermined criteria.

Main Results:

• Four trials involving experimental wounds were included in this updated review; no new trials were identified.
• Results were variable: two trials showed increased healing with TT, one showed worse healing, and another found no significant difference.
• All included trials were assessed as having a high risk of bias.

Conclusions:

• There is a lack of robust scientific evidence to support the use of Therapeutic Touch for promoting the healing of acute wounds.
• The existing evidence is inconclusive and derived from studies with a high risk of bias.
• Further high-quality research is needed to definitively assess the impact of TT on wound healing.