Energy medicine information

Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into a patient and effect positive results. The field is defined by shared beliefs and practices relating to mysticism and esotericism in the wider alternative medicine sphere rather than any sort of unified terminology, leading to terms such as energy healing or vibrational medicine being used as synonymous or alternative names. In most cases there is no empirically measurable energy involved: the term refers instead to so-called subtle energy. Practitioners may classify the practice as hands-on,^[1] hands-off,^[1] and distant^[1] (or absent) where the patient and healer are in different locations. Many schools of energy healing exist using many names: for example, biofield energy healing,^[2]^[3] spiritual healing,^[4] contact healing, distant healing, therapeutic touch,^[5] Reiki^[6] or Qigong.^[2]

Reviews of the scientific literature on energy healing have concluded that there is no evidence supporting clinical efficacy.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12] The theoretical basis of healing has been criticised as implausible;^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16] research and reviews supportive of energy medicine have been faulted for containing methodological flaws^[17]^[18]^[19] and selection bias,^[17]^[18] and positive therapeutic results have been determined to result from known psychological mechanisms.^[17]^[18] Some claims of those purveying "energy medicine" devices are known to be fraudulent^[20] and their marketing practices have drawn law-enforcement action in the US.^[20]

^ ^a ^b ^c Jules Evans (July 14, 2008). "Spiritual healing on the NHS?". The Times. London. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Network newsletter, MD Anderson Cancer Center (2007). "Energy Medicines: Will East Meet West?". Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
^ Jain S, Mills PJ (October 2007). "Biofield Therapies: Helpful or Full of Hype?". International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 17 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1007/s12529-009-9062-4. PMC 2816237. PMID 19856109.
^ Ernst E (2001). "A primer of complementary and alternative medicine commonly used by cancer patients". Medical Journal of Australia. 174 (2): 88–92. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143161.x. PMID 11245510. S2CID 45055625. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
^ "Therapeutic Touch". Cancer.org. June 2, 2008. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
^ "Reiki Practice". Nccih.nih.gov. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
^ Hall H (January 26, 2010). "Faith Healing". sciencebasedmedicine.org. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020. ...When faith healings have been diligently investigated by qualified doctors, they have found no evidence that the patients were actually helped in any objective sense. Even at Lourdes, the Catholic Church has only recognized 4 cures since 1978, out of 5 million people who seek healing there every year. There simply is no evidence that faith healing heals. Not what science considers evidence. And the true believers don't value evidence or the scientific method: for them, belief is enough.
^ Cite error: The named reference Abbot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Ernst E. (April 30, 2003). "Distant healing—an update of a systematic review". Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 115 (7–8): 241–245. doi:10.1007/BF03040322. PMID 12778776. S2CID 28737150. Since the publication of our previous systematic review in 2000, several rigorous new studies have emerged. Collectively they shift the weight of the evidence against the notion that distant healing is more than a placebo.
^ Cite error: The named reference ernst2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Pittler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference TrickOrTreatment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference GistLubin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference AAQM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference stenger was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Kruglyakov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c McCaslin DL (June 2009). "A review of efficacy claims in energy psychology". Psychotherapy. 46 (2): 249–56. doi:10.1037/a0016025. PMID 22122622.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pignotti, M., Thyer, B. (2009). "Some comments on "Energy psychology: A review of the evidence": Premature conclusions based on incomplete evidence?". Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training. 46 (2): 257–261. doi:10.1037/a0016027. PMID 22122623. S2CID 20690978.
^ Agdal R, von b Hjelmborg J, Johannessen H (2011). "Energy healing for cancer: A critical review". Forschende Komplementärmedizin. 18 (3): 146–54. doi:10.1159/000329316. PMID 21701183. S2CID 23616760.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference SeattleTimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Times-1] Jules Evans (July 14, 2008). "Spiritual healing on the NHS?". The Times. London. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009.

[mdanderson-2] Network newsletter, MD Anderson Cancer Center (2007). "Energy Medicines: Will East Meet West?". Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.

[springerlink-3] Jain S, Mills PJ (October 2007). "Biofield Therapies: Helpful or Full of Hype?". International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 17 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1007/s12529-009-9062-4. PMC 2816237. PMID 19856109.

[Ernst_2001_88–92-4] Ernst E (2001). "A primer of complementary and alternative medicine commonly used by cancer patients". Medical Journal of Australia. 174 (2): 88–92. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143161.x. PMID 11245510. S2CID 45055625. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2010.

[Therapeutic_Touch-5] "Therapeutic Touch". Cancer.org. June 2, 2008. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2010.

[Reiki_Practice-6] "Reiki Practice". Nccih.nih.gov. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2010.

[7] Hall H (January 26, 2010). "Faith Healing". sciencebasedmedicine.org. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020. ...When faith healings have been diligently investigated by qualified doctors, they have found no evidence that the patients were actually helped in any objective sense. Even at Lourdes, the Catholic Church has only recognized 4 cures since 1978, out of 5 million people who seek healing there every year. There simply is no evidence that faith healing heals. Not what science considers evidence. And the true believers don't value evidence or the scientific method: for them, belief is enough.

[Abbot-8] Cite error: The named reference Abbot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[9] Ernst E. (April 30, 2003). "Distant healing—an update of a systematic review". Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 115 (7–8): 241–245. doi:10.1007/BF03040322. PMID 12778776. S2CID 28737150. Since the publication of our previous systematic review in 2000, several rigorous new studies have emerged. Collectively they shift the weight of the evidence against the notion that distant healing is more than a placebo.

[ernst2006-10] Cite error: The named reference ernst2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Pittler-11] Cite error: The named reference Pittler was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[TrickOrTreatment-12] Cite error: The named reference TrickOrTreatment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[GistLubin-13] Cite error: The named reference GistLubin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[AAQM-14] Cite error: The named reference AAQM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[stenger-15] Cite error: The named reference stenger was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Kruglyakov-16] Cite error: The named reference Kruglyakov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[McCaslin-17] McCaslin DL (June 2009). "A review of efficacy claims in energy psychology". Psychotherapy. 46 (2): 249–56. doi:10.1037/a0016025. PMID 22122622.

[Pignotti-18] Pignotti, M., Thyer, B. (2009). "Some comments on "Energy psychology: A review of the evidence": Premature conclusions based on incomplete evidence?". Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training. 46 (2): 257–261. doi:10.1037/a0016027. PMID 22122623. S2CID 20690978.

[19] Agdal R, von b Hjelmborg J, Johannessen H (2011). "Energy healing for cancer: A critical review". Forschende Komplementärmedizin. 18 (3): 146–54. doi:10.1159/000329316. PMID 21701183. S2CID 23616760.

[SeattleTimes-20] Cite error: The named reference SeattleTimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

Energy medicine information

and 26 Related for: Energy medicine information

Energy medicine

Alternative medicine

List of forms of alternative medicine

Traditional medicine

Qi

Vitalism

Traditional Chinese medicine

Functional medicine

Unani medicine

Herbal medicine

Orgone

Naturopathy

Reiki

HeartMath Institute

Osteopathy

Emotional Freedom Techniques

Patent medicine

FasciaBlaster

Chiropractic

Ayurveda

Rolfing

Homeopathy

Traditional Korean medicine

Quantum healing

Urine therapy

Reflexology

Alternative medicine
This article is part of a series on

General information Alternative medicine History Terminology Alternative veterinary medicine Quackery (health fraud) Rise of modern medicine Pseudoscience Antiscience Skepticism Scientific Therapeutic nihilism
Fringe medicine and science Acupressure Acupuncture Alkaline diet Anthroposophic medicine Apitherapy Applied kinesiology Aromatherapy Association for Research and Enlightenment Auriculotherapy Bates method Biological terrain assessment Black salve Bodywork Bone-setting Bowen technique Breathwork Fake COVID-19 treatments Camel urine Cancer treatments Charcoal cleanse Chelation therapy Chiropractic Chiropractic treatment techniques Vertebral subluxation Christian Science Chromotherapy Colloidal silver Colon cleansing Coffee enema Colorpuncture Conversion therapy Craniosacral therapy Crystal healing Cupping therapy Dental amalgam controversy Detoxification Foot detox Dry needling Ear candling Energy medicine Correactology Esoteric energy Therapeutic touch Estrogen dominance Fabunan Antiviral Injection Facilitated communication FasciaBlaster Feldenkrais Method Functional medicine Hair analysis Herbal medicine Holistic dentistry Hologram bracelet Homeopathy Bach flower remedies Hydrotherapy Hypnotherapy Ionized jewelry Iridology Jilly Juice Lightning Process Lymphotherapy Magnet therapy Manual therapy Medical intuitive Megavitamin therapy Mesmerism Mind–body interventions MMS Myofascial release NAET Naturopathy Oil pulling Orgone Orthomolecular medicine Orthopathy Osteomyology Osteopathy Ozone therapy Parapsychology Phrenology Postural Integration Psychic surgery Psychodermatology Quantum healing Radionics Rapid prompting method Reflexology RBOP Reiki Rolfing Scientific racism ThetaHealing Thought Field Therapy Urophagia Vaginal steaming Vegetotherapy Vision therapy Vitalism Young blood transfusion Zero balancing
Conspiracy theories Big Pharma conspiracy theories HIV/AIDS denialism OPV AIDS hypothesis Anti-vaccinationism in chiropractic Vaccines and autism MMR vaccine and autism Water fluoridation controversy COVID-19 misinformation Turbo cancer
Classifications Alternative medical systems Mind–body intervention Biologically based therapy Manipulative methods Energy therapy
Traditional medicine African Muti Southern Africa Ayurveda Dosha MVAH Balneotherapy Brazilian Bush medicine Cambodian Chinese Blood stasis Chinese herbology Dit da Gua sha Gill plate trade Long gu Meridian Moxibustion Pressure point Qi San Jiao Tui na Zang-fu Chumash Curandero Faith healing Hilot Iranian Jamu Kayakalpa Kambo Japanese Korean Mien Shiang Mongolian Naftalan oil Prophetic medicine Shamanism Shiatsu Siddha Sri Lankan Thai massage Tibetan Unani Vietnamese
Diagnoses Adrenal fatigue Aerotoxic syndrome Candida hypersensitivity Chronic Lyme disease Electromagnetic hypersensitivity Heavy legs Leaky gut syndrome Multiple chemical sensitivity PANDAS Wilson's temperature syndrome
v t e

New Age beliefs
Gathering of the Rainbow Family
Concepts
2012 phenomenon Ashtar Aura Chakra Deva Earth Changes Earth mysteries Energy Eternal Now Higher self Huna Indigo children Perennial philosophy Psychometry Pyramid power Quantum mysticism Self-help books Soulmate "Spiritual but not religious" Star people Third eye
Spiritual practices
Affirmations Breathwork Creative visualization Crystal healing Kundalini yoga Neoshamanism Neotantra Psychological astrology Sun sign astrology Transcendental Meditation
Doctrines
Age of Aquarius Gaianism Mayanism Michael Teachings Ramtha Seth Material
v t e