Research

Research Chair:
Marie Preissl
604 526-6836
mariepreissl@telus.net

Our History

 

Therapeutic Touch and Relaxation

Large Clinical Study Shows Value of Therapeutic Touch Program

Gayle Newshan, Ph.D., N.P., Donna Schuller-Civitella, M.P.H., R.N. Holistic Nursing Practice Jul/Aug 2003 17(4), 189-192

This report represents the largest published sample size of TT outcomes to date. “Data from.....this clinical study suggests that TT, when provided in a clinical setting, promotes comfort, calmness, and well-being among hospitalized patients. In addition, patients are highly satisfied with TT.”

 

Therapeutic Touch and Chronic Pain Management

Effects of Integrating Therapeutic Touch in a Cognitive Behavioral Pain Treatment Program

D. W. Smith, P. Arnstein, K. Cowen Rosa, & C. Wells-Federman (Dec. 2002) Journal of Holistic Nursing, 20(4), 367-387

This study explores the addition of Therapeutic Touch treatments to a CBT chronic pain management program which included daily practice, readings and exercise. Various measurement tools were used to assess pain intensity, the level of interference with daily living, and the subjects' ability to use specific skills to cope and function (self-efficacy).

“Patients in this study who were randomized to receive TT fared better in terms of enhanced self-efficacy and unitary power, as well as having lower attrition rates. Trends associated TT with less distress and disability.”

 

Therapeutic Touch and Changes in the Body

Therapeutic Touch: The Imprimatur of Nursing

Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N.
American Journal of Nursing, 1975, 75(5):784-787

“The hypothesis that patients receiving TT would experience significant changes in hemoglobin was supported.”

This was an important early study by one of the co-founders of Therapeutic Touch showing that there was an increase in the hemoglobin count after TT treatments.

Later research by others has supported these findings
 

Therapeutic Touch and the Practitioner

A Pilot Study of the Experience of Participating in a Therapeutic Touch Practice Group

Theresa Moore, Brigid Ting, and Maria Rossiter-Thornton
Journal of Holistic Nursing (2008) 26:161-168

http://jhn.sagepub.com/content/vol26/issue3/

The four themes of the research findings were: Connecting, Learning through Sharing, Comfort-Discomfort, and Meaningful Changes.