Therapeutic Touch: Foundations and Current Knowledge

Abstract

Therapeutic touch (TT) is a universal human act that can be learned by anyone. Practiced within a holistic framework, TT is a healing modality involving an energy field interaction between the practitioner and the participant. TT is important to health care professionals because it (a) is noninvasive, (b) may influence how health care professionals view human potential and illness, (c) is low on resource implications, (d) may contribute to holistic theory development, and (e) is congruent with the current trend in holistic health care. However, TT is controversial because it relies on energy field theory to explain its effects, its practice is shrouded in mystery, it is difficult to substantiate its therapeutic value, and the quality of early research was poor. The purpose of this article is to describe the quality and scope of existing knowledge about TT. The philosophical foundations, theoretical framework, practice, and treatment effects of TT are critiqued. TT literature is critically reviewed and the state of the art is presented.