by Dr Barbara LeTourneau on June 30, 2011
- Evidence based review article: Jain, S and Mills, P. Biofield Therapies: Helpful or Full of Hype? A Best Evidence Synthesis. Int J Behav Med. 2010 March; 17(1): 1–16.
- Number of treatment sessions rather than treatment duration associated with positive psychological outcomes
- Decreased pain intensity in pain populations
- Reduced pain in hospitalized (except post-operative patients)
- Reduced pain in cancer populations
- Reduced negative behaviors associated with dementia (vocalization, wandering, combativeness)
- Decreased anxiety in hospitalized patients
- Some evidence for improved quality of life in pain patients (hard to measure quality of life — not solid scientific evidence)
- Not enough data to evaluate impact of bio-field therapies on acute physiology or other populations such as chemical dependency, mood disorders or kids
- Acupuncture — good evidence for treatment of nausea and vomiting
- Migraine prophylaxis — fewer headaches than no prophylaxis or routine care, slightly better than drug therapy with fewer side effects
- Studies — Randomized control trial of acupuncture for osteoarthritis of hip or knee as well as back pain show benefit
emshorts 