SynthesisInternational journal of behavioral medicine2010
Biofield therapies: helpful or full of hype? A best evidence synthesis.
Synthesis in International journal of behavioral medicine, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Reiki for depression and anxiety.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Massage therapy decreases cancer-related fatigue: Results from a randomized early phase trial.Cancer · 2018Trial
- Trial
- The Effects of Oscillatory Biofield Therapy on Pain and Functional Limitations Associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2016Trial
- Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2010Trial
- "Is the Pain a Sign of Healing?": Cancer Patients' Experiences of Energy Healing in a Pragmatic Trial.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- Exploring the intersection of brain-computer interfaces and traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine.Integrative medicine research · 2025Article
- Effect of Reiki therapy on quality of life among adolescents.Bioinformation · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of Distant/Remote Blessing Treatment on Cognitive-motor Function: A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial.Health psychology research · 2025Article
- Biofield Therapies: Guidelines for Reporting Clinical Trials.Journal of integrative and complementary medicine · 2024Article
- Perspectives, Measurability and Effects of Non-Contact Biofield-Based Practices: A Narrative Review of Quantitative Research.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Review
- Quantifying Biofield Therapy through Biophoton Emission in a Cellular Model.Journal of scientific exploration : a publication of the Society for Scientific Exploration · 2020Article
- The Influence of a Multimodal Health Program with Diet, Art, and Biofield Therapy on the Quality of Life of People in Japan.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2019Article
- Gaps in the evidence on improving social care outcomes: findings from a meta-review of systematic reviews.Health & social care in the community · 2017Review
- Bioenergy and Breast Cancer: A Report on Tumor Growth and Metastasis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2016Article
- Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Biofield Practitioners in Global Health and Medicine: A White Paper.Global advances in health and medicine · 2015Article
- Biofield Science and Healing: History, Terminology, and Concepts.Global advances in health and medicine · 2015Article
- Clinical Studies of Biofield Therapies: Summary, Methodological Challenges, and Recommendations.Global advances in health and medicine · 2015Article
- Barriers to the Entry of Biofield Healing Into "Mainstream" Healthcare.Global advances in health and medicine · 2015Article
- Peer consultants: Missing link in the treatment of chronic pain.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBiofield therapies (such as Reiki, therapeutic touch, and healing touch) are complementary medicine modalities that remain controversial and are utilized by a significant number of patients, with little information regarding their efficacy. PURPOSE: This systematic review examines 66 clinical studies with a variety of biofield therapies in different patient populations.
methodWe conducted a quality assessment as well as a best evidence synthesis approach to examine evidence for biofield therapies in relevant outcomes for different clinical populations.
resultsStudies overall are of medium quality, and generally meet minimum standards for validity of inferences. Biofield therapies show strong evidence for reducing pain intensity in pain populations, and moderate evidence for reducing pain intensity hospitalized and cancer populations. There is moderate evidence for decreasing negative behavioral symptoms in dementia and moderate evidence for decreasing anxiety for hospitalized populations. There is equivocal evidence for biofield therapies' effects on fatigue and quality of life for cancer patients, as well as for comprehensive pain outcomes and affect in pain patients, and for decreasing anxiety in cardiovascular patients.
conclusionThere is a need for further high-quality studies in this area. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.