WITHDRAWN: Therapeutic touch for healing acute wounds

A rapid evidence assessment of recent therapeutic touch research

AIM

To synthesize the most recent evidence investigating the effectiveness and safety of therapeutic touch as a complementary therapy in clinical health applications.

DESIGN

A rapid evidence assessment (REA) approach was used to review recent TT research adopting PRISMA 2009 guidelines.

METHODS

CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane databases, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Google Scholar were screened between January 2009-March 2020 for studies exploring TT therapies as an intervention. The main outcome measures were for pain, anxiety, sleep, nausea and functional improvement.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies covering a range of clinical issues were identified, including 15 randomized-controlled trials, four quasi-experimental studies, one chart review study and one mixed methods study including 1,302 patients. Eighteen of the studies reported positive outcomes. Only four exhibited a low risk of bias. All others had serious methodological flaws, bias issues, were statistically underpowered and scored as low-quality studies. No high-quality evidence was found for any of the benefits claimed.

Effects of Maharishi Light Technology with Gems: A random-assignment, placebo-controlled, blinded pilot study

OBJECTIVES

This blinded random-assignment, placebo-controlled pilot study investigated the effects of Maharishi Light Technology with Gems on three self-report measures: a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert-type scale, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and an open-ended question. This pilot is the beginning of a research program to test the effects of this therapy.

METHODS

In total, 18 meditating subjects received two treatments on consecutive days, randomly either Maharishi Light Technology or placebo, then 2 weeks rest, and then the other treatment on consecutive days.

RESULTS

In comparison to placebo treatments, Maharishi Light Technology treatments were (1) rated as being significantly more settled, (2) higher on the Positive Self-Esteem subscale of the POMS and (3) described by the terms: healing, wholeness, and bliss.

CONCLUSION

These treatments lead to significant improvements on self-report measures. Future research could assess their effects across both meditating and nonmeditating populations, using physiological measures to probe possible mechanisms of the effects.