Disability Resource Directory

An Interesting Spiritual Healing Fact

Nurses and Healing Touch

Healing touch starts with the theory that all people are naturally healthy. Healing touch practitioners believe this is a complementary medicine used to change the way a person thinks. They believe that negative thinking can disturb their energy field and make them sick. The purpose of healing touch is to help restore the patient's natural healthy energy field.

Healing touch can influence a person's physical, emotional, and spiritual health. This is done without touching the patient's body. Healing touch is sometimes called spiritual or energy healing, therapeutic touch, or long distance healing.

Nurses started using a specific form of healing touch in the 1970s. They view the body and mind as a whole and used it as a compassionate aid to medical treatment. Nursing schools offer classes in healing touch and it is often used with conventional medical treatment. It is effective both before and after surgery to help comfort and calm surgical patients.

The idea of healing touch is similar to therapeutic touch in their belief there is energy life force flowing around all living organisms. If the person is healthy, the energy flows in and out of the body in a balanced way. Nurses who use "healing touch" believe the balances can be restored and aid in the healing process. They use their hands to attempt to rebalance the patient's life energy force. Healing touch does not require the nurse to touch the patient. The nurse simply moves their hands inches above the patient's body.

Nurses claim healing touch is especially effective for patients who have wounds, general infections, or are suffering from pain and anxiety. Studies have verified that meditation used in the practice of yoga will reduce anxiety and stress. Stress is a leading cause of many physical ailments.

There are no known risks for the patient if a nurse uses healing touch along with conventional medical intervention. Most agree it is not appropriate for patients who have life-threatening or serious diseases. It is not recommended to replace conventional medical intervention, only in combination with medical care.

If you are already using an alternative therapy or considering adding it to your medical care routine, you should talk to your primary care doctor. It should be noted that it is not considered safe to replace your regular medical treatment with healing touch therapy. Although there has been little research done on the effects of healing touch therapy, the studies that have been done show great promise in using touch and distance healing.

Many patients have related stories of pain relief, less stress and anxiety, and faster healing because of a nurse who practiced healing touch therapy. Families have also been helped while staying with a critically ill family member. Physical touch is not necessary for healing touch therapy, but many experience emotional and spiritual healing by a gentle, understanding, and appropriate touch by a caring medical caregiver. Some may consider healing touch a placebo, but others will gladly verify the usefulness of healing touch therapy.