Healing Touch
Key Points
- Healing Touch is an energy therapy using gentle, intentional touch that assists in balancing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
- Few studies are available of the impacts of Healing Touch. Preliminary evidence shows modest benefit for healing, biomarkers and some symptoms.
- Healing Touch is considered safe.
- Healing Touch should not be used in place of proven treatments in diagnosed conditions.
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Authors
 Laura Pole, RN, MSN, OCNS, BCCT Senior Researcher
Read more Ms. Pole is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation and education services for more than 30 years. View profile.  Nancy Hepp, MS, BCCT Project Manager
Read more Ms. Hepp is a science researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. View profile. Last updated August 23, 2021.
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According to Healing Touch International (doing business as Healing Beyond Borders, Educating and Certifying the Healing Touch®):
Healing touch is a relaxing, nurturing, heart-centered energy therapy using gentle, intentional touch that assists in balancing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Classified by the National Institutes of Health as a biofield therapy and nursing intervention, Healing Touch may be used to address the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association diagnosis (NANDA-1) of “imbalanced energy field.”
The Healing Touch is a collection of standardized, noninvasive techniques that clear, energize and balance the human and environmental energy fields. Healing Touch assists in creating a coherent and balanced energy field, supporting one’s inherent ability to heal. It is safe for all ages and works in harmony with, is complementary to, and may be integrated with standard medical care.
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The practice and techniques of this energy therapy were developed in the 1980s by Janet Mentgen, who then founded Healing Touch International in 1989 as “a continuing education program for nurses, massage therapists, other healthcare professionals, and lay persons.”
Healing touch is now practiced in a variety of settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, private clinics, hospices and spas. Universities, medical and nursing schools and other facilities all over the world offer training in this energy-therapy technique. The Healing Touch Professional Association has practitioner and instructor certification.
What to Expect during a Healing Touch Session
From the Healing Beyond Borders description:
- First session, an initial consultation in addition to a healing touch session: the Healing Touch provider asks about your physical, mental and emotional situation, as well as answers questions about Healing Touch.
- Subsequent sessions: you lay fully clothed on a massage table while the HT provider gently places his or her hands slightly above or on the body. The session lasts about 40-60 minutes.
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Healing Touch International (HTI) lists the following potential benefits of Healing Touch:
Proponents of healing touch say it may convey the following benefits to people with cancer:
- Provide a supportive environment for those undergoing cancer treatment
- Decrease some of the side effects of treatment
- Improve quality of life
- Provides a sense of comfort and connection during the challenges of cancer treatment
See the HTI website for links to more information about each of these benefits.
Recipients often report that they feel deeply relaxed and peaceful during and after the session. Regular healing touch (HT) sessions are recommended by practitioners to gain a cumulative effect over time.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
Therapies based on a philosophy of bioenergy fields are safe and may provide some benefit for reducing stress and enhancing quality of life.
2009 evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology conclude that therapies based on a philosophy of bioenergy fields are safe and may provide some benefit for reducing stress and enhancing quality of life. Only limited evidence is available regarding their efficacy for symptom management, including reducing pain and fatigue. The Society for Integrative Oncology gives a strong recommendation for these therapies:
- For reducing anxiety: grade 1B (strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence)
- For pain, fatigue, and other symptom management: grade 1C (strong recommendation, low or very low quality evidence)
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The Society for Integrative Oncology 2017 clinical practice guidelines for patients with breast cancer recommend using healing touch. Based on evidence, healing touch is rated Grade C (at least moderate certainty that the net benefit is small; see Clinical Practice Guidelines and Standards of Care for a full description of grades).
These guidelines also state that as of spring 2017, there was insufficient evidence to form a clinical recommendation for using healing touch for anxiety/stress reduction or improving quality of life.
Managing Side Effects and Promoting Wellness
Managing or relieving side effects or symptoms, reducing treatment toxicity, supporting quality of life or promoting general well-being
Clinical Evidence
Few studies have investigated healing touch specifically with people with cancer. However, reviews of HT and other energy therapies have found positive benefit for symptoms such as stress, anxiety, depression and pain that are common in cancer survivors. Based on a lack of research we can’t be certain that those benefits also apply to people with cancer; however, information suggests that HT therapy is likely helpful in improving comfort and quality of life.
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Overall Effectiveness
- Moderate treatment effects in a 1999 meta-analysis of studies, but with limitations in research design
- "Limited and inconclusive scientific support for its proposed effect" in a 1998 review of studies
Anxiety, Stress, or Depression
- Less anxiety in a review of poorly designed studies
- Fewer indicators of depressed mood in women receiving chemotherapy and radiation for cervical cancer with healing touch compared to relaxation training and usual care in a small RCT
- Less anxiety after healing touch than before among outpatient adults recovering from surgery, while those receiving traditional nursing care had no reduction in anxiety in a small RCT
- Less anxiety among women undergoing a breast biopsy with use of healing touch, but no comparison to a control group was reported in a small trial
- Lower stress among people who had never received healing touch, but only with more experienced practitioners, in a small controlled trial of poor quality
- Better anxiety/depression and stress/relaxation scores among people with cancer with "healing by gentle touch" in a small uncontrolled trial
- Less mood disturbance among people with cancer compared to presence alone or standard care in a mid-sized RCT
Fatigue
- Worse fatigue among women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy compared to placebo in a small RCT
- Lower pain, stress and fatigue among children with cancer, their parents and caregivers compared to reading/play activity in a small RCT
- Less fatigue among people with cancer compared to presence alone or standard care in a mid-sized RCT
Quality of Life
- Improved health-related quality of life in a review of randomized controlled trials
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- No difference in quality of life among women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy compared to placebo in a small RCT
- A quasi-experimental study with random assignment into a healing touch or standard hospice care group investigated the effects of HT on quality of life of cancer patients in hospice. The results of the healing touch Assessment Form did not find any difference between treatments in quality of life or in symptoms in patients with end-stage cancer. However, in qualitative interviews participants receiving HT actually described many improvements compared to the control group, particularly with symptom control. The authors noted “it seems that there is some conflict in terms of what patients say about healing touch treatment and what benefits they actually seem to gain from it.” The authors think that study limitations, such as design, sample size and patients' deteriorating physical, mental and emotional status, may have contributed to these conflicting findings.
Pain
- Moderately less pain in a review of RCTs and controlled trials
- Less pain in a review of studies of unknown quality
- Less pain and fatigue among people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy compared to those receiving usual care, with a weak trend toward less pain and fatigue also among those receiving placebo treatment in a small controlled trial
- "Better quality of life with significant differences in levels of vitality, pain and physical functioning” among women receiving radiation treatment for gynecological and breast cancer compared to no treatment in a small RCT
- A randomized, prospective, two-period, crossover study in 2003 tested the effects of massage therapy (TM) and HT, compared to presence alone or standard care during cancer chemotherapy. Massage and Healing Touch reduced pain and mood disturbance, and HT reduced fatigue.
- Less pain among outpatient adults recovering from surgery after receiving either healing touch or traditional nursing care in a small RCT
- Less severe pain and discomfort scores among people with cancer with "healing by gentle touch" in a small uncontrolled trial
Other symptoms and side effects
- Lowered blood pressure, respiratory rate), and heart rate among people with cancer compared to presence alone or standard care in a mid-sized RCT
- Better psychosocial measures and a shorter hospital length of stay among people undergoing stem cell transplant with either healing touch or relaxation therapy compared to historical controls in a small randomized trial
Optimizing Your Terrain
Creating an environment within your body that does not support cancer development, growth or spread; see Body Terrain and the Tumor Microenvironment
- Minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity and immune system depression among women receiving chemotherapy and radiation for cervical cancer compared to sharp declines with relaxation training and usual care in a small RCT
- Reviews of HT research in 2005 and 2013 noted improved biomarkers and accelerated healing.
Access
Typically, practitioners charge individuals between $40 and $90 for a one-hour private session. Costs are typically not covered by insurance.
Cautions
TRC Natural Medicines advises that even though the safety of Healing Touch has not been directly studied, no evidence indicates safety issues. They also caution that Healing Touch should not be used in place of proven treatments in diagnosed conditions.
Note: BCCT has not conducted a review of evidence on Healing Touch. Information on this page comes from the Healing Touch International and other sources at noted.
- Healing Beyond Borders. What Is Healing Touch? Viewed June 28, 2018.
- Healing Beyond Borders. What Is Healing Touch? Viewed June 28, 2018.
- Healing Beyond Borders. What Is Healing Touch? Viewed June 28, 2018.
- Healing Beyond Borders. What Is Healing Touch? Viewed June 28, 2018.
- Deng GE, Frenkel M et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology: complementary therapies and botanicals. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology. 2009 Summer;7(3):85-120.
- Greenlee H, DuPont-Reyes MJ et al. Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2017 May 6;67(3):194-232.
- Winstead-Fry P, Kijek J. An integrative review and meta-analysis of therapeutic touch research. Alternative Therapies in Health and Med. 1999 Nov;5(6):58-67.
- Meehan TC. Therapeutic touch as a nursing intervention. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 1998 Jul;28(1):117-25.
- Peters RM. The effectiveness of therapeutic touch: a meta-analytic review. Nursing Science Quarterly. 1999 Jan;12(1):52-61.
- Lutgendorf SK, Mullen-Houser E et al. Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2010 Nov;24(8):1231-40.
- Foley MK, Anderson J, Mallea L, Morrison K, Downey M. Effects of healing touch on postsurgical adult outpatients. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2016 Sep;34(3):271-9.
- Goldberg DR, Wardell DW et al. An initial study using healing touch for women undergoing a breast biopsy. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2016 Jun;34(2):123-34.
- Wilkinson DS, Knox PL et al. The clinical effectiveness of healing touch. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2002 Feb;8(1):33-47.
- Weze C, Leathard HL, Grange J, Tiplady P, Stevens G. Evaluation of healing by gentle touch in 35 clients with cancer. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2004 Mar;8(1):40-9.
- Post-White J, Kinney ME et al. Therapeutic massage and healing touch improve symptoms in cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2003 Dec;2(4):332-44.
- FitzHenry F, Wells N et al. A randomized placebo-controlled pilot study of the impact of healing touch on fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2014 Mar;13(2):105-13.
- Wong J, Ghiasuddin A, Kimata C, Patelesio B, Siu A. The impact of healing touch on pediatric oncology patients. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2013 Jan;12(1):25-30.
- Post-White J, Kinney ME et al. Therapeutic massage and healing touch improve symptoms in cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2003 Dec;2(4):332-44.
- Anderson JG, Taylor AG. Effects of Healing Touch in clinical practice: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2011;29:221–228.
- Potter PJ. Energy therapies in advanced practice oncology: an evidence-informed practice approach. Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology, 2013 May-Jun; 4(3), 139–151
- FitzHenry F, Wells N et al. A randomized placebo-controlled pilot study of the impact of healing touch on fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2014 Mar;13(2):105-13.
- Ziembroski J, Gilbert N, Bossarte R, Guldberg G. Healing touch and hospice care: examining outcomes at the end of life. Alternative & Complementary Therapies 2003;9(3):146-151.
- So PS, Jiang Y, Qin Y. Touch therapies for pain relief in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008 Oct 8;(4):CD006535.
- Monroe CM. The effects of therapeutic touch on pain. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2009 Jun;27(2):85-92.
- Aghabati N, Mohammadi E, Pour Esmaiel Z. The effect of therapeutic touch on pain and fatigue of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2010 Sep;7(3):375-81.
- Cook CA, Guerrerio JF, Slater VE. Healing touch and quality of life in women receiving radiation treatment for cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2004 May-Jun;10(3):34-41, as reported in Healing Beyond Borders. What Is Healing Touch? Viewed June 28, 2018.
- Post-White J, Kinney ME et al. Therapeutic massage and healing touch improve symptoms in cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2003 Dec;2(4):332-44.
- oley MK, Anderson J, Mallea L, Morrison K, Downey M. Effects of healing touch on postsurgical adult outpatients. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2016 Sep;34(3):271-9.
- Weze C, Leathard HL, Grange J, Tiplady P, Stevens G. Evaluation of healing by gentle touch in 35 clients with cancer. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2004 Mar;8(1):40-9.
- Post-White J, Kinney ME et al. Therapeutic massage and healing touch improve symptoms in cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2003 Dec;2(4):332-44.
- Lu DF, Hart LK, Lutgendorf SK, Oh H, Silverman M. Effects of healing touch and relaxation therapy on adult patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant: a feasibility pilot study. Cancer Nursing. 2016 May-Jun;39(3):E1-E11.
- Lutgendorf SK, Mullen-Houser E et al. Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2010 Nov;24(8):1231-40.
- Potter PJ. Energy therapies in advanced practice oncology: an evidence-informed practice approach. Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology, 2013 May-Jun; 4(3), 139–151; Wardell DW, Weymouth KF. Review of studies of Healing Touch. Journal of nursing scholarship. 2004;36:147–154.
- Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing.How Can I Find a Healing Touch Practitioner?University of Minnesota. Viewed August 23, 2021.
- TRC Natural Medicines. Healing Touch (subscription required). Viewed June 27, 2018.
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