What Is Healing Touch?

Jan. 13, 2010 -- Question: What is healing touch, is it the same thing as massage or energy healing, and who might be helped by this?

Answer: Healing touch is very different from massage. Healing touch is based on a principle that the body has an energy field -- what I prefer to call "the biofield." This is recognized in many traditional medical specialities.

For example, in traditional Chinese medicine, the body's biofield is called Chi.

In ayurveda, which is the form of medicine practiced in India for thousands of years, the energy field of the body is known as Prana. Many specialists consider this the vital force of the living human system.

Healing touch can be categorized as a biofield therapy, just like acupuncture and acupressure. Healing touch works on the body's electromagnetic system, on the body's energy field through light touch and through working within the body's chakras and auras.

I use healing touch on my patients to promote relaxation, particularly before and after surgery. We can use healing touch to accelerate wound healing. We can use healing touch for people that are having difficulties emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.