E-Newsletter:
Energy Healing Research: April, May and June (10/08)
I've been slacking off on my E-Newsletter duties, but we are back again with pretty HTML, a new list system that makes managing your subscription easier and an update on the latest energy healing research!
Here's a month-by-month summary of the energy healing research published in April, May and June. July, August, September and October will be covered in the November E-Newsletter.
April
A psychology researcher at the University of Windsor compared 1997-1998 and 2005 surveys of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consumers. The earlier survey found the top reason for using CAM was to take an active role in healthcare, followed by the ineffectiveness of conventional medicine. In 2005, taking an active role moved to the number two spot, and treating the whole person was given as the top reason.
Published in BMC complementary and alternative medicine
In vitro research at University of Connecticut Health Center found that Therapeutic Touch, but not sham Therapeutic Touch, increases proliferation of human fibroblasts (connective tissue cells), tenocytes (tendon cells) and osteoblasts (bone cells) compared to untreated cells.
Published in Journal of alternative and complementary medicine
Anna's comments: I'm always excited about in vitro research, because it disproves skepticism that energy healing results are all psychosomatic. I love that this study compared sham healing so we know it wasn't the person's own energy field or body heat causing the difference.
May
University of Arizona researchers treated lab rats with Reiki or sham Reiki and then stressed them with loud white noise, while continuing to treat them. Reiki, but not sham Reiki, reduced initial heart rate and lowered the rise in heart rate when the noise began. There was no significant effect on blood pressure.
Published in Journal of alternative and complementary medicine
Anna's comments: Just like in vitro research, we know it's not all in the rats' heads. Especially since they didn't respond to sham Reiki. I'm actually glad to see there was no effect on blood pressure, because lately I've encountered several people whose blood pressure is already too low. I've had to tell them to check with their doctors before trying Reiki.
June
The University of Connecticut Health Center researchers found in another in vitro study that Therapeutic Touch increases DNA synthesis, differentiation and mineralization in human osteoblasts (bone cells) and decreases differentiation and mineralization in human osteosarcoma (bone cancer) cells.
Published in Journal of orthopaedic research
Anna's comments: I recently told some folks that research shows energy healing helps bone cells grow and kills bone cancer. They looked at me like I was crazy. But there it is in the Journal of orthopaedic research.
Nurses from Children's Hospital Boston (the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School) provide an introduction to using Reiki in an oncology nursing practice.
Published in Clinical journal of oncology nursing
University of Manitoba researchers found that Therapeutic Touch reduced disruptive physical non-aggressive behaviors in people with Alzheimer's, compared to sham Therapeutic Touch and usual care.
Published in Western journal of nursing research
Anna's comments: This confirms the findings of several studies done in the past decade.
Thanks for reading! I find my research at PubMed. Email me for energy healing research publication details.
Anna Schibrowsky
Marketing and Reiki Class Practice Dummy
Chicago Healing Studio
