Friday afternoon when I returned to the nurses’ office, a young man was sitting with an ice pack on the ankle he had just sprained. After talking with him for a few minutes, I asked him if he would like me to work with him using Healing Touch Therapy. I told him it was an energy-based form of healing useful in decreasing pain, promoting healing and for relaxation. The RN, who had given him the ice pack, told him her chronic back pain had improved significantly after I had given Healing Touch Treatments. She encouraged him to give it a try. He looked rather skeptical, but agreed to try it.
I took a few moments to become centered within myself and to focus on facilitating his ability to heal. Then I began slowly moving my hands a few inches from his lower leg and foot to assess the energy flow in the area around his injured ankle. Next I moved my hands in a sweeping motion a few inches from his ankle for several minutes. That is thought to clear the blockage in the flow of energy that had developed when he had sprained his ankle. Without ever touching him, I placed my hands near his ankle and directed energy through my hands into this ankle. A look of amazement came over his face. He exclaimed, ” I can feel that! My ankle feels better!”
Monday morning, he returned to the nurses’ office with a big smile on his face. He asked, “Would you do that again? I sprain my ankles all the time. That was a really bad sprain.” He was impressed with how much his ankle had improved after having Healing Touch and how much faster it was healing.
HT uses gentle touch to assist in balancing your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. It works with your natural ability to heal. It is safe for all ages and works in harmony with standard medical care. It is done with the client clothed. The goal is to restore harmony and balance in the person’s energy system. This is done to maximize the person’s own natural healing potential and provide a sense of well-being.
Helping the body to heal an acute injury is just one of the uses for Healing Touch. It is effective for chronic as well as acute illnesses. It has been shown to reduce pain, promote relaxation and facilitate the person’s innate ability to heal. Headaches and backaches often respond well to HT. People with chronic pain, who have not been able to control the pain in other ways, have experienced improvement. Treatments before surgery can prepare the person physically and mentally. After surgery, HT has been shown to accelerate wound healing. Patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy use it to decrease the side effects of those therapies. These are only a few of the uses of HT. There are anecdotal reports and research studies that support its use. There is a research section on the HTI Healing Touch International’s website, www.HealingTouchInternational.org.
With the rising cost of medical care, we are learning the value of prevention of health problems. Dr Herbert Benson, from Harvard has stated that 60-90% of illness is related to stress. Stress management is often overlooked in the prevention and treatment of illness. HT is effective in reducing anxiety and tension by providing a profound sense of relaxation. Clients often describe a feeling of peacefulness and tranquility that continues after the treatment. Often clients state that they feel as if they can deal better with the stress in their lives. Your body gives you signals that you are too stressed. It is vital for you to learn healthy ways to relax. It is important for you to take the time to use what you learn to stay healthy.
Healing Touch (HT) is a modern adaptation of what other cultures have done for centuries. Every culture, besides traditional western medicine, has used energy to heal for centuries. The Chinese have written record 5000 years old of using energy to heal. HT is a relaxing, nurturing therapy. Janet Mentgen, RN, BSN, developed the Healing Touch in the 1980’s. The American Holistic Nurses’ Association endorses the HTI Healing Touch Certificate Program. It encompasses the work of a number of different healers including Mentgen’s. Healing Touch classes are open to the public. It is thought that everyone has the ability to use energy to heal. The classes are approved for CNE’s for nurses and contact hours for massage therapists.
More and more hospitals are incorporating Healing Touch in patient care. Health care of the future will be a blend of sophisticated technology and simple touch therapy.
Janet Tait, RN, BSN, CHTP/I is a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner and Instructor. Her practice, Wellness Enhancement L.L.C. is located in Clarkston. She teaches Healing Touch at a number of locations. Visit her website, www.jtaitwellness.com for more information. She can be reached at 248-627-2125 or jtait@jtaitwellness.com.
