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ABSTRACT
Objectives. To
evaluate the effectiveness and safety of healing by gentle touch
in clients attending The Centre for Complementary Care (CCC) in
Eskdale, Cumbria.
Study design. An evaluation of data collected by questionnaire
over 6 years.
Methods. All clients attending the CCC between 1995 and
2001 were invited to participate in this study, and data were collected
from 300 subjects with a wide range of ailments who received four
treatment sessions within 6 weeks. Exclusion criteria were: recent
treatment at the CCC; failure to complete four treatment sessions;
and age under 16 years. Outcome measures included comparison of
pre- and post-treatment levels of physical (pain, disability, immobility,
sleep disturbances, reliance upon medication, daily activities)
and psychological (stress, panic, fear, anger, relaxation, coping,
depression/anxiety) functioning; these were assessed using a questionnaire
with visual analogue scales for subjective rating of symptoms and
the EuroQoL (EQ-5D), a generic state-of-health measure.
Results. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests showed statistically
significant improvements in both psychological and physical functioning,
particularly in stress reduction (median stress levels fell by four
points), pain relief (median pain ratings fell by two points), increased
ability to cope (median improvement of three points) and increased
general health ratings (median improvement of 20 points) between
study entry and end of treatment (P<0.0004 for all these symptoms).
The most substantial improvements were seen in those with the most
severe symptoms at study entry. No adverse effects of treatment
were documented.
Conclusions. This audit of treatment outcomes provides
evidence consistent with the hypothesis that healing, as provided
at the CCC, was associated with improved psychological and physical
functioning in the majority of subjects, and is worthy of further
evaluation.
Evaluation of
Healing by Gentle Touch in 35 Clients with Cancer.
C Weze, H L Leathard, J Grange, P Tiplady, G Stevens.
Abstract
An uncontrolled, preliminary
evaluation of healing by gentle touch in clients with cancer was
carried out at The Centre for Complementary Care in Eskdale, Cumbria.
All clients attending The Centre between 1995 and 2001 were invited
to participate. Data were collected from 35 clients with cancer.
Outcome measures included pre- to post-treatment changes in physical
and psychological functioning. Assessments were made using a questionnaire
with visual analogue scales for subjective rating of symptoms and
the EuroQoL (EQ-5D), a generic state of health measure.
Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests showed statistically significant
improvements in psychological and physical functioning, with
positive effects on quality of life. The most pronounced
improvements were seen in ratings for stress and relaxation,
severe pain/discomfort, and depression/anxiety, particularly
in those with the most severe symptoms on entry. The study
found no adverse effects resulting from the treatment. These
findings indicate that healing is a safe and effective adjunct
to conventional medical treatment with the potential to ameliorate
some of the more stressful aspects of cancer, including those
inherent in current cancer treatment strategies. Rigorous
evaluation of this modality by prospective, randomised, controlled
trial is strongly warranted, as are investigations into its
potential for use in palliative care.
European Journal of Oncology Nursing. (2004) 8, pp 40-49.
Evaluation of Healing by Gentle Touch for the Treatment
of Musculoskeletal Disorders.
C Weze, H L Leathard,
G Stevens.
Abstract
Objectives
This project is part of a larger study designed
to evaluate retrospectively the safety and effectiveness
of healing by gentle touch for clients attending The Centre
for Complementary Care in Eskdale, Cumbria.
Methods
Data were collected from 76 subjects with musculoskeletal
disorders, who had received four treatment sessions and who
came from an area of rural and urban social deprivation and
poor health. Outcome measures included post-treatment change
in physical (pain, disability, immobility, sleep disturbances,
reliance upon medication, ability to carry out usual activities)
and psychological (stress, panic, fear, anger, relaxation,
coping ability, depression / anxiety) functioning and quality
of life. Assessments were made with a ten-item VAS questionnaire
and the EuroQoL (EQ-5D), a generic state of health measure.
Results
Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests showed statistically
significant reductions in stress, pain and disability, increased
ability to cope and to carry out usual activities, improved
relaxation levels, reduced medication use and increased general
health ratings. Subjects with the most severe symptoms on
entry showed the most substantial improvement. No adverse
effects of treatment were observed.
Conclusions
Healing provided statistically significant
improvements in physical and psychological functioning and
health-related quality of life in the majority of subjects
with musculoskeletal disorders. These findings justify further
investigation by prospective, randomised, controlled trial
in order that health care professionals may evaluate the
potential of healing for patient care.
American Journal of Public Health. January 2004, Vol 94, No. 1. pp 50-52.
Letters:
The Need for Scientific Rigor in Studies of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine.
E Ernst.
Weze et al Respond.
American Journal of Public Health. July 2004, Vol 94, No.
7 pp. 1074-1075.
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