Haematological indicators of complementary healing intervention

Author(s): CHANG, R., EIDELMAN, W., PAXTON, J.

Abstract: The effect of Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, LeShan, and Qigong Therapy in combination on haematological measures was examined in an exploratory pilot study utilizing a randomized, double-blind, within-subject, crossover design. Fourteen subjects were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions for two one-hour evaluation sessions separated by a 24-hour period. Six blood samples were taken from each subject three during the treatment condition and three during the control condition - for a total of 84 separate analyses. Blood samples were taken prior to the commencement of each evaluation session as well as at 30- and 60-minute intervals and analyzed using an i-STAT point-of-care clinical analyzer. Treatment intervention included a distant healing element - with Reiki and LeShan healers working conjunctively - as well as an inperson healing period wherein a Qigong and Therapeutic Touch practitioner worked independently through a one-way mirror. The subjects were blinded to the treatment intervention as well as to the nature of the experimental protocol in order to control for suggestion, expectation of healing, and the placebo effect.The results demonstrated that the treatment had a significant effect versus the control condition for urea nitrogen values at time point two (P = 0.02), as well as significance for blood glucose values at time point one (P = 0.03) and time point two (P = 0.0001). The findings of the study are considered preliminary in nature, however, due to the fact that the significant effects demonstrated may have been influenced by several factors other than the treatment Intervention including: psychophysiological factors, the incorporation of meditation into the experimental protocol, dietary and measurement variability elements, the experimenter effect, and the utilization of subjects who were students/patients of the Qigong practitioner.

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