Imagine - an unproven medical therapy being taught in more than 80 colleges and universities in the United States and in hospital and medical facilities in 65 foreign countries. Believe it - it is really happening! What is Therapeutic Touch? How did this quasi-religious mystical belief get by the gatekeepers of medicine and science?
This book answers these questions and more. It is the first and only critical evaluation of Therapeutic Touch - the history, ethics, personalities, battles and central experiments are all examined in this engrossing and comprehensive volume. A must read for anyone in the healthcare profession and for consumers confronted with healthcare decisions. Finally, a serious scientific inquiry into this mysterious yet commonplace practice.
In the mid-70s, a new type of treatment called Therapeutic Touch (TT) was introduced into the practice of nursing. Developed from laying-on of hands by Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz, proponents of TT claim that an energy field surrounds the human body. Trained practitioners can allegedly manipulate this energy field to relieve discomfort and facilitate healing by waving their hands a few inches over the patient's body. Since its development, proponents and recipients alike have testified to the efficacy of Therapeutic Touch in treating a wide range of illnesses and conditions, including wounds; osteoarthritis; and the relief of pain, anxiety and depression. These claims have led to an ever-widening use of this technique - there are now an estimated 40,000 practitioners worldwide.
In the light of the popularity of this new therapy, a rational, critical evaluation of its effectiveness is long overdue. This collection of research articles illuminates every aspect of the subject, including the physics of the claimed "human energy field", detailed discussions of the most recent research into the alleged benefits ot TT, an account of its origins and history, a consideration of the ethical implications of the practice, and more. Contributors include Paul Bernhardt, Bonnie Bullough, Vern L. Bullough, William Evans, Rebecca Long, Therese C. Meehan, Dónal P. O'Mathúna, Victor Stenger and Joan G. Turner.
Scholarly yet accessible to the lay person, this authoritative review of what has come to be known as a controversial new therapy offers valuable information for healthcare providers and consumers alike.
Béla Scheiber is a systems engineer in the telecommunications industry and the president of Rocky Mountain Skeptics.
Carl Selby is the CEO of a nonprofit corporation that develops innovative, high-tech tools for teaching science and critical thinking and the vice president of Rocky Mountain Skeptics.
Both Scheiber and Selby are members of the Council for Scientific Medicine.