Noncontact therapeutic touch (NCTT) resulted in significantly less pain among elderly post-surgical patients, according to recent research.
The study, "Using non-contact therapeutic touch to manage post-surgical pain in the elderly," involved 90 people with a mean age of about 73 years, all of whom were post-surgical patients. The surgeries performed were primarily orthopedic, such as total hip and knee replacements.

Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the experimental group, which received noncontact touch intervention; the control group, which received routine care; or the placebo group, which received the sound of a metronome set at a steady, slow pace.
According to the study's authors, in a session of NCTT the practitioner channels life energy through his or her hands to the client, resulting in a restoration of balance that helps enable the person to heal. The researchers define NCTT as an "intentionally directed process of energy modulation to promote healing."

Subjects in the study's experimental group each received one 10-minute session of NCTT, wherein the practitioner moved the palms of his or her hands slowly around the subject's body, about three or four inches above the skin.
The placebo group was exposed to the sound of a metronome set to the rate of 60 beats per minute for a period of 10

The Memorial Pain Assessment Card was used to evaluate pain and distress among subjects before and after each intervention. Pulse rate and pupil size also were measured before and after each intervention to determine levels of relaxation.

The Tellegen Absorption Scale, used to measure subjects' openness to an experience, and the Health Attribution Test, used to measure the extent to which an individual feels in control of his or her health, also were administered.

Results of the research revealed that 73 percent of the experimental group demonstrated a significant decrease in pain intensity, while 66 percent of the control group and 56 percent of the placebo group showed a slight increase in pain intensity.
"The statistically significant reduction of pain intensity supports the clinical efficacy of NCTT as an adjunctive method for reducing pain and discomfort in the elderly," state the study's authors.

"The implications for occupational therapy are very promising," they add. "NCTT can be used in conjunction with pain medications to reduce pain and to improve participation in functional daily activities."

Author: Guy L. McCormack.

Source: Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri. Originally published in Occupational Therapy International (2009) 16 (1).