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Therapeutic Touch

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Therapeutic Touch
By
Chelsie Boyce

Let me begin by saying that after watching several videos (including those provided by you) and reading even more articles, I am more mixed about my acceptance of therapeutic touch. Before this assignment I would have said I was strongly against this practice, but now I am more open to the idea. However, I still believe that therapeutic touch is not a true form of medical healing.
To begin with, the Merriam-Webster's Medical Desk Dictionary states that this alternative medicine is a practice where the nurse or practitioner treats a patient by passing his or her hands over a person’s body to promote relaxation, pain reduction and or healing. I must say that the thought of someone’s hands hovering over my body kind of makes me giggle. I keep replaying a scene from Karate Kid over and over again in my head and thinking “yea right” if only it were that easy.
After reviewing my resources, I am still very skeptical. Yes, some stated that patients believed they were doing better. But to me that was just it… a belief. Those who had a strong faith in this technique did show signs of relaxation and possible improvement, but I am not sure if the technique caused the reaction or the patient themselves invited the result.
Just like Emily Rosa’s experiment supported, as nurses or practitioners we want to believe we can feel the energy being given off and that we are interacting with our patient. Yet, more times than not we are wrong. Along those lines everyone wants to believe something will help or heal. This is where the placebo effect comes into play. I believe the placebo effect is more beneficial than the actual technique. If we believe in something we will actually convince ourselves that it is working.
I believe the effects of therapeutic touch come more from the human interaction rather than the actual medical

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