Therapeutic touch: is there a scientific basis for the practice?

Area of Science:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Nursing Research
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Therapeutic touch is a complementary therapy used in nursing.
• Its efficacy as a treatment modality requires scientific validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the research literature on therapeutic touch.
• To assess the scientific basis for its teaching and practice.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published research on therapeutic touch.
• Critical analysis of empirical evidence from double-blind studies.

Main Results:

• Empirical support for therapeutic touch is minimal.
• Results from rigorous studies are often insignificant, transient, or require replication.
• Current practice lacks robust scientific validation.

Conclusions:

• The scientific basis for therapeutic touch is not well-established.
• Its practice is empirically comparable to placebo effects.
• Further nursing research is needed to clarify its role, if any.