Full thickness dermal wounds treated with non-contact Therapeutic Touch: a replication and extension

Abstract

The effect of non-contact Therapeutic Touch (NCTT) therapy on the healing rate of full thickness human dermal wounds was examined in a double-blind, placebo controlled study. Punch biopsies were performed on the lateral deltoid in 24 healthy subjects who were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Active and control treatments were comprised of daily sessions of 5 min of exposure to a hidden NCTT practitioner or control exposure. Placebo effects and the possible influences of suggestion and expectation of healing were eliminated by isolating the subjects from the NCTT practitioner with the use of a specially modified door equipped with a one-way mirror, and by utilizing subjects and an independent experimenter who were blinded to both group assignment and to the fact that a healing study was being conducted. Four independent physicians assessed the wounds for the rate of re-epithelialization at day 5 and day 10. The results of all four physicians showed that the treated group subjects experienced a significant acceleration in the rate of wound healing as compared to the control group subjects at both day 5 and day 10. Due to the fact that the study was well-controlled and eliminated the influence of suggestion, expectation, and the placebo effect, the results suggest that NCTT therapy has the potential to be an effective non-invasive treatment modality for full-thickness human dermal wounds.