tangent
04-10-02, 14:43
Scientists explain the 'healing hands' effect
By Roger Dobson
31 March 2002
"They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." So said St Mark in his Gospel, Chapter 16, verse 18. Now experts believe they have discovered medical evidence to back up his words.
The idea of a healing touch producing cures has been the source of hot debate for centuries, but researchers now believe that it can be an effective remedy for a range of conditions. Its success is not necessarily down to divine intervention. What makes "therapeutic touch" or TT work is a natural chemical called immunoglobulin A, which serves as a first line of defence against invading micro-organisms and disease.
Researchers have discovered that the act of laying hands on flesh can trigger the release of these chemicals to fight disease. In the research, a team from Tennessee State University investigated the clinical effectiveness of TT by giving the therapy to patients who had never been exposed to it before. They found the level of chemicals was higher in people who benefited from the treatment. Health improvement was reported by 59 per cent of patients, and pain relief in 55 per cent.
Claims for healing through touch can be found in the religious practices of many cultures. Today, those expounding the benefits of TT range from American TV evangelists to lay faith healers such as Eileen Drewery, who worked closely with the England football team under manager Glenn Hoddle.
There are about 10,000 people outside the churches who claim to possess TT. They heal by a number of methods, from "holding the space" in which the patients heal themselves to stimulating the body's energy channels.
By Roger Dobson
31 March 2002
"They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." So said St Mark in his Gospel, Chapter 16, verse 18. Now experts believe they have discovered medical evidence to back up his words.
The idea of a healing touch producing cures has been the source of hot debate for centuries, but researchers now believe that it can be an effective remedy for a range of conditions. Its success is not necessarily down to divine intervention. What makes "therapeutic touch" or TT work is a natural chemical called immunoglobulin A, which serves as a first line of defence against invading micro-organisms and disease.
Researchers have discovered that the act of laying hands on flesh can trigger the release of these chemicals to fight disease. In the research, a team from Tennessee State University investigated the clinical effectiveness of TT by giving the therapy to patients who had never been exposed to it before. They found the level of chemicals was higher in people who benefited from the treatment. Health improvement was reported by 59 per cent of patients, and pain relief in 55 per cent.
Claims for healing through touch can be found in the religious practices of many cultures. Today, those expounding the benefits of TT range from American TV evangelists to lay faith healers such as Eileen Drewery, who worked closely with the England football team under manager Glenn Hoddle.
There are about 10,000 people outside the churches who claim to possess TT. They heal by a number of methods, from "holding the space" in which the patients heal themselves to stimulating the body's energy channels.