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Biofield Therapy - How Does It Work And When Might It Be Used?

Biofield therapies encompass a variety of complementary and alternative healing modalities. Practitioners assert that they restore balance and health through the use of energy fields. Reiki and therapeutic touch are the most frequently used biofield therapies.

Author:Suleman Shah
Reviewer:Han Ju
Nov 28, 2022
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Biofield therapies encompass a variety of complementary and alternative healing modalities. Practitioners assert that they restore balance and healththrough the use of energy fields. Reiki and therapeutic touch are the most frequently used biofield therapies.
Although there is scant scientific evidence for the efficacy of biofield therapies, they are a popular form of complementary and alternative medicine. Numerous people appear to find these therapies beneficial for managing pain, stress, and symptoms associated with a variety of health conditions.
According to 2012 data from the National Health Interview Survey, more than 3.7 million people in the United States had tried energy healing therapy. Additionally, over 1.6 million adults saw a practitioner at least once in the previous year.
This article discusses the various types of biofield therapy, how they work, and when they might be used.

What Is Biofield Therapy And How Does It Work?

Reiki practitioner giving Reiki on a man in robe
Reiki practitioner giving Reiki on a man in robe
Biofield therapies, practitioners assert, stimulate a healing response by influencing the subtle energy fields that surround the human body. No scientific evidence has been found to support the existence of these energy fields.

What Do Biofield Therapies Include?

Biofield therapies include the following:
  • Reikipractitioners work with hand positions on the body that frequently correspond to the chakras. They believe that this has a beneficial effect on what they refer to as "universal lifeforce energy." The International Association of Reiki Professionals offers practitioners training and education.
  • Therapeutic Touchis a forerunner to Healing Touch and Chronic Healing. It was created in the 1970s by a nurse named Dolores Krieger, and it was the first program to integrate biofield healing and healthcare.
  • Healing Touch:Created in 1989 by a nurse named Janet Mentgen, this technique is similar to Reiki but has a more structured structure. Practitioners believe that healing occurs as a result of energy shifts rather than physical contact. According to them, the benefits stem from lymphatic drainage, chakra alignment, and other healing practices.
  • Practitioners of pranic healingwork with the biofield through the use of colors and crystals.
  • Qigongis a system of movements, breathing, self-massage, sound, and concentration. Qigong, which translates as "vital energy," is practiced in a variety of styles. Individuals can use this technique independently or in conjunction with a practitioner.

How Does Biofield Therapies Work?

Biofield therapies are intended to alter a person's energy field in order to promote healing. This may include the following:
  • Chakrasare energy centers in the body that correspond to organs and nerves.
  • Meridians are energy channels that run throughout the body.
  • The aurais the energy field that surrounds the body.
Although the therapies vary in approach, a practitioner typically uses their hands to alter and redirect an individual's energy flow, or "biofield."
The concept is that the body is capable of self-healing, though it may take time. Biofield practitioners believe that biofield therapies facilitate the natural healing process and enhance the body's capacity to heal itself.
According to proponents, a person is in good health when his or her energy flows freely throughout the body. When energy becomes blocked or unbalanced, illnesses and mental healthconditions can result. These therapies are intended to unblock energy fields and reintroduce a healthy flow.
During a biofield therapy session, the client lies fully clothed on a massage table, and the practitioner assesses the client's energy field with their hands. They then use their hands to channel energy to the client. They may either place their hands on the client's body or transmit energy without coming into contact with them.

Beneficial For Certain Health Conditions

There is scant scientific evidence that biofield therapy is effective. However, it may be used to assist with the following:
  • anxiety
  • immunosuppression
  • cancer
  • depression
  • pain
  • recuperation following surgery or other procedures
  • stress
  • trauma
Biofield therapy proponents assert that it can benefit physical, mental, and emotional health. It can be used to promote wellness and prevent or treat existing health problems. Certain individuals receive it in addition to conventional treatments.

Efficient And Advantageous

Although there is some evidence to support their benefits, experts are unsure how effective these therapies are.

Therapeutic Therapy

A 2016 review discovered that Therapeutic Touch may benefit cancer patients. Beneficiaries described increased mood, well-being, and vitality, as well as decreased pain, nausea, anxiety, and fatigue. Many of these findings, the researchers acknowledged, were statistically insignificant.
Additionally, therapeutic touch may help alleviate pain and improve function in individuals who have knee osteoarthritis. It has been shown in research on older adults that it may help to alleviate pain, worry, and restlessness, as well as improve appetite and sleep quality.

Reiki

Typically, this entails a practitioner delivering healing energy via touch. Typically, the client lies fully clothed on the massage table. Additionally, some practitioners offer distance Reiki, which is performed virtually.
A small 2015 study enrolled 18 cancer patients. The researchers randomly assigned participants to either a control or a test group, which received five days of 30-minute distance Reiki sessions in addition to their standard medical care. Significantly less pain, anxiety, and fatigue were reported by the test group compared to the control group. However, one limitation was the study's small sample size.
In a 2018 study, 60 individuals with herniated disks were included. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Reiki or conventional physiotherapy was more effective at relieving lower back pain. Both treatments appeared to be equally effective, but Reiki was less expensive and sometimes produced results more quickly.

Pranic Healing

In Sanskrit, prana translates as "life force." Pranic healing aims to restore the body's balance and harmony in order to heal it.
Researchers examined the effects of Pranic healing on 52 participants with mild-to-moderate depression in a 2018 study. For four weeks, the participants received either Pranic or Mock healing for twenty minutes once a week, in addition to their antidepressant medication.
The researchers discovered that those who received Pranic healing experienced a 100 percent improvement in depression, compared to 69.2 percent in the mock group.
A 2015 meta-analysis examined the effects of a variety of biofield therapies. It was discovered that the most compelling evidence of efficacy concerned cancer symptoms and pain. While the evidence was scant, it was also promising for rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. The researchers recommended that additional clinical trials of these therapies be conducted to gain a better understanding of their potential benefits.

Biofield Therapy Risks

Due to the non-invasive nature of biofield therapies, there are few potential risks.
As research into biofield therapies continues to expand, hospitals and other facilities are increasingly incorporating them and other complementary therapies to supplement conventional treatments.
Anyone considering biofield therapies who is undergoing medical treatment should consult a healthcare professional regarding any potential risks.

Locating A Practitioner Of The Biofield

Anyone seeking this type of therapy can conduct an online search for practitioners through the online directories of local or regional associations.
For instance, someone interested in Reiki could conduct a search in the International Association of Reiki Practitioners' database.
Additionally, the Healing Touch Professional Association may be beneficial.

Summary

According to proponents of biofield therapies, each person is surrounded by an energy field, and disruptions in the flow of energy can result in illness. Biofield therapy practitioners manipulate this energy in order to restore or promote health.
No scientific evidence suggests the existence of energy fields, and there is scant evidence to suggest that these therapies are effective.
According to some studies, biofield therapies may help to alleviate pain and anxiety while also improving sleep quality, appetite, and overall well-being. Additional large-scale studies are required to corroborate these findings.
A person may be interested in biofield therapies due to their low risk and the fact that some individuals find them to be beneficial additions to a treatment plan.
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Suleman Shah

Suleman Shah

Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences. Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA). Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju

Han Ju

Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality. Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence. Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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