What Are Biofield Therapies?

Biofield therapies are noninvasive techniques in which a practitioner interacts with another’s biofield (also called an energy field or aura) with the goal of rebalancing vital energy to facilitate healing, improve well-being and address specific health concerns. Also referred to as “energy healing,” biofield therapies have been practiced across the globe for thousands of years, but only in the past few decades have they become accepted in the Western world. Although many variations on the techniques exist, those most commonly practiced in the U.S. are Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, and Healing Touch. Below we give a brief overview of each one. 

Reiki

The term “Reiki” is derived from two Japanese words: “rei,” which means universal, and “ki,” which means energy (also referred to as “qi”) and translates roughly to “mysterious energy” in English. The practice began in Japan thousands of years ago, but the form of Reiki used most often today was introduced by Usui Sensei in 1922. The practice came to the U.S. in the 1940s and Europe in the 1980s. According to a 2014 report from the Washington Post, the technique is offered in at least 60 hospitals in the U.S., and demand among patients is growing every year. 

In a typical Reiki session, a practitioner, known as a Reiki master, uses their hands to interact with the client’s energy field. During some Reiki sessions, the practitioner will touch the client, while in others they just hold their hands a few inches above the client’s body. The hands are held in position until they feel warm to the touch, indicating that movement of “stuck” energy has occurred. Some Reiki sessions are done from a distance of many miles away. 

The benefits of Reiki, like all biofield therapies, have not been established scientifically. But patients and practitioners say it works. The main benefit, they claim, is a profound sense of relaxation and greater well-being. Reiki has not been shown to have an effect on any disease processes, although some anecdotal reports say it helps alleviate pain. 

Therapeutic Touch

Developed in the 1970s by Dolores Krieger, Ph.D, R.N, of New York University, and Dora Kunz, a natural healer, Therapeutic Touch is very similar to Reiki in that it involves the balancing of a client’s energy field using the hands. Therapeutic touch practitioners place their hands a few inches above the client’s body and move them from head to toe, sensing where energy is stuck or blocked. Once they have made this assessment, they use a practice called “clearing” or “unruffling,” in which they move their hands up, down and across the client’s body in a rhythmic way to balance the energy field. 

There have been numerous studies conducted on the benefits of Therapeutic Touch, either alone or in combination with other Integrative therapies. Most of these have shown that Therapeutic Touch promotes deep relaxation, decreases anxiety and helps to relieve physical pain in postoperative patients and people with osteoarthritis or burns. It has also been shown to stimulate cell growth, which may aid in wound healing and improve function in patients with connective tissue disorders such as arthritis. The deep relaxation achieved by people who receive therapeutic touch has also been shown to improve sleep quality and overall well-being in elderly patients receiving palliative care. 

Healing Touch

Very similar in most aspects to both Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch is a technique in which a practitioner uses their hands to sense energy imbalances in a person’s body and moves them in specific ways to re-establish energy flow so that the client can heal. Research has shown that the practice can achieve the following:

• Reduce anxiety
• Alleviate stress
• Reduce symptoms of depression, particularly in patients with cancer
• Reduce the perception of physical pain
• Enhance feelings of hope and well-being

Originally taught as a continuing education course for nurses and massage therapists, Healing Touch is now part of the curriculum at many universities, nursing schools and medical schools. 

Sources

“What is the History of Reiki?”. The International Center for Reiki Training. https://www.reiki.org/faqs/what-history-reiki 

“Research – Creating and supporting the development and evolution of Therapeutic Touch”. Therapeutic Touch International Association. https://therapeutictouch.org/about-us/research/ 

“Therapeutic Touch(®) in a geriatric Palliative Care Unit – A retrospective review”. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27502814/ 

“What is Healing Touch?” Healing Beyond Borders.  https://www.healingbeyondborders.org/index.php/what-is-healing-touch