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aimed to examine the short-term effect of the no-touch technique on the patency rate of a great saphenous vein (GSV) bridge used during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG). Methods: Between June 2018 and September 2020, 140 patients undergoing OPCABG, with grafts obtained from the GSV using the "no-touch" technique or the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), were enrolled in this study. The early clinical results and short-term patency rate of the OPCABG were evaluated at a three-month follow-up by comparing the patency rate of the LIMA bridge and the GSV bridge obtained by the no-touch technique. This study also analyzed the impacts of the postoperative complications of the lower limbs and the distribution area of diseased vessels on the patency rate of a GSV bridge obtained by the no-touch technique at an early stage. Results: No perioperative death or adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events occurred in the 140 patients undergoing OPCABG. The difference in the early patency rate between the GSV bridge obtained by the no-touch technique and the LIMA bridge was not statistically significant (95.9% vs 97.1%, p = 0.501). There was no significant difference in the patency rate between an end-to-side anastomosed venous bridge and a LIMA bridge (95.0% [248/261] vs 97.1% [136/140], p = 0.314). The overall patency rate of a no-touch vein bridge in the right coronary artery region was lower than it was in the left coronary artery region (93.8% [165/176] vs 97.9% [183/187], p = 0.049). Conclusion: The no-touch technique may improve the early patency rate of a GSV bridge, and its effect is similar to that of a LIMA bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenges presented in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as neonatal sleep is regularly disrupted by the chaos within the NICU, such as loud alarms, opening and closing of isolettes, workplace chatter, bright lights. Topics include the decreased maturation of sleep-wake cycling is linked to worse neurodevelopmental outcomes; guidelines to optimize sleep protection in the unit, and chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to learning problems.

The article comments on a study on the treatment of recurrent or moderate risk vasovagal syncope without drugs through personalized instruction, tilt training, moderate-intensity physical exercise and personalized training in an expert environment. It questions the efficacy of tilt training, monitored stand training and physical exercise in randomized, controlled studies. It suggests that the interventions reflect placebo effect given the absence of physiological theory of their effectiveness.

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the scientific evidences of the use of Reiki as a care strategy to people in mental suffering. Methods: Integrative review in the databases PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, and BVS. The study included articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, with no time restriction, which answer to the guiding question that was created in accordance to the PICo strategy: “What are the scientific evidences on the use of Reiki as a care strategy to people in mental suffering?” Gray literature was not considered. Results: Ten articles made up the final sample. The use of the Reiki therapy had benefits as a strategy to care for stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, pain relief, and quality of life improvements, whether the therapy was used isolated or to complement other treatments. Conclusion: The development of the competence of nurses and other health professionals in the use of Reiki can contribute to improve the quality standards of care.

This paper describes a series of studies resulting from the finding that when free floating in weightless conditions with eyes closed, all sense of one's spatial orientation with respect to the aircraft can be lost. But, a touch of the hand to the enclosure restores the sense of spatial anchoring within the environment. This observation led to the exploration of how light touch of the hand can stabilize postural control on Earth even in individuals lacking vestibular function, and can override the effect of otherwise destabilizing tonic vibration reflexes in leg muscles. Such haptic stabilization appears to represent a long loop cortical reflex with contact cues at the hand phase leading EMG activity in leg muscles, which change the center of pressure at the feet to counteract body sway. Experiments on dynamic control of balance in a device programmed to exhibit inverted pendulum behavior about different axes and planes of rotation revealed that the direction of gravity not the direction of balance influences the perceived upright. Active control does not improve the accuracy of indicating the upright vs. passive exposure. In the absence of position dependent gravity shear forces on the otolith organs and body surface, drifting and loss of control soon result and subjects are unaware of their ongoing spatial position. There is a failure of dynamic path integration of the semicircular canal signals, such as occurs in weightless conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch and silence are neglected across most disciplines, including within child-specific academic literature, and their interconnections have not been studied before. This article focuses on touch/silence convergences in residential childcare in England, drawing from two qualitative studies. We reveal the fluidity, multidimensionality and intersectionality of touch and silence, illuminating the labyrinthine ways they frequently coalesce in children's homes, often assuming ambiguous forms and meanings. We therefore offer new understandings of these concepts, as multifaceted, entwined, temporal and malleable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saphenous veins used for coronary artery bypass surgery are subjected to considerable vascular trauma when harvested by conventional methods. This vascular damage is responsible, at least in part, for the inferior patency of the saphenous vein when compared with the internal thoracic artery. The performance of saphenous vein grafts is improved when this conduit is harvested atraumatically using the no-touch technique. There is growing evidence that the success of the no-touch technique is due to the preservation of a number of vascular structures including the endothelium, vasa vasorum and perivascular fat. There is conflicting evidence regarding the degree of endothelial damage to the endothelium of conventional versus no-touch saphenous vein grafts. In general, it has been shown that this single layer of cells lining the lumen exhibits considerable damage associated with a combination of vascular trauma and high pressure intraluminal distension. Increased platelet aggregation and thrombus formation at the exposed subendothelial membrane is due to a local reduction of endothelium-derived factors including nitric oxide. In addition, damage to the vasa vasorum of conventionally-harvested veins will reduce transmural blood flow, a condition shown to promote neointimal hyperplasia and atheroma formation. By stripping off the perivascular fat during conventional harvesting, mechanical support of the graft is reduced and the source of adipocyte-derived factors potentially beneficial for graft patency removed. While most agree that endothelial damage to the saphenous vein affects graft patency, the contribution of other tissue-derived factors affected by vascular damage at harvesting need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesize the scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of Reiki on stress and anxiety in university students. This is an integrative literature review carried out in the following information sources: PubMed, CINHAL, LILACS/BDENF, SCOPUS and Web of Science in November 2019. The selected articles were read in full according to their relevance in responding to the guiding question. There was few publications that seek to present scientific evidence. The findings suggest that the practice of Reiki meets the integrality of care and the plurality of knowledge, presenting a reduction in the levels of stress and anxiety in university students, with effects of relaxation; feeling of well-being; more ability to study and think; perceptions of positive changes in sleep quality; open mind and less sense of hurry. Other benefits appreciated were the reduction of physical pain and an increase in appreciation for his clinical work and the world around him. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Growing research on the impact of physical touch on health has revealed links to lower blood pressure, higher oxytocin levels, and better sleep, but links to inflammation have not been fully explored. Physical touch may also buffer stress, underscoring its importance during the stressful time of living in the COVID-19 global pandemic—a time that has substantially limited social interactions and during which physical touch has been specifically advised against. Method We analyze nationally representative longitudinal data on older adults (N = 1,124) from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project using cross-lagged path models. Results More frequent physical touch is significantly related to a lower likelihood of subsequent elevated inflammation. Discussion These findings highlight the importance of finding safe ways to incorporate physical touch, even in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objectives: to verify nurses’ perceptions about comprehensive care to human beings from the ecosystem perspective, with Therapeutic Touch use. Methods: an exploratory-descriptive, qualitative study, conducted with 11 nurses who use/used Therapeutic Touch in daily work. Data were collected through online semi-structured interviews and submitted to discursive textual analysis. The ecosystem framework was used. Results: participants talked about the theme in a polysemic way, but understand that comprehensive care is associated with nursing professionals and intrinsic in their being and doing, considering the philosophical theoretical bases of nursing, which aim at the comprehensiveness of being. Final Considerations: Therapeutic Touch was considered as a way to achieve comprehensive care caring to human being ins. The objective of the study was achieved; however, it is understood the need for other research to advance this knowledge and enable innovations in professional practice of nurses.

ObjectivesThe study objectives were to determine whether massage therapy reduces symptoms of depression in subjects with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease.DesignSubjects were randomized non-blinded into one of three parallel groups to receive Swedish massage or to one of two control groups, touch or no intervention for eight weeks.Settings/locationThe study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, which provided primary clinical care in an institutional setting.SubjectsStudy inclusion required being at least 16 years of age, HIV-seropositive, with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Subjects had to be on a stable neuropsychiatric, analgesic, and antiretroviral regimen for >30 days with no plans to modify therapy for the duration of the study. Approximately 40% of the subjects were currently taking antidepressants. All subjects were medically stable. Fifty-four (54) subjects were randomized, 50 completed at least 1 week (intent-to-treat; ITT), and 37 completed the study (completers).InterventionsSwedish massage and touch subjects visited the massage therapist for 1 hour twice per week. The touch group had a massage therapist place both hands on the subject with slight pressure, but no massage, in a uniform distribution in the same pattern used for the massage subjects.Outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score, with the secondary outcome measure being the Beck Depression Inventory.ResultsFor both the ITT and completers analyses, massage significantly reduced the severity of depression beginning at week 4 (p ≤ 0.04) and continuing at weeks 6 (p ≤ 0.03) and 8 (p ≤ 0.005) compared to no intervention and/or touch.ConclusionsThe results indicate that massage therapy can reduce symptoms of depression in subjects with HIV disease. The durability of the response, optimal "dose" of massage, and mechanisms by which massage exerts its antidepressant effects remain to be determined.

The results reported by different studies on telemonitoring in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been contradictory, without showing clear benefits to date. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether an early discharge and home hospitalization telehealth program for patients with COPD exacerbation is as effective as and more efficient than a traditional early discharge and home hospitalization program. A prospective experimental non-inferiority study, randomized into two groups (telemedicine/control) was conducted. The telemedicine group underwent monitoring and was required to transmit data on vital constants and ECGs twice per day, with a subsequent telephone call and 2 home visits by healthcare staff (intermediate and at discharge). The control group received daily visits. The main variable was time until first exacerbation. The secondary variables were: number of exacerbations; use of healthcare resources; satisfaction; quality of life; anxiety-depression; and therapeutic adherence, measured at one and 6 months of hospital discharge. A total of 116 patients were randomized (58 to each group) without significant differences in baseline characteristics or time until first exacerbation, i.e. median 48 days (pp. 25–75:23–120) in the control group, and 47 days (pp. 25–75:19–102) in the intervention group; p = 0.52). A significant decrease in the number of visits was observed in the intervention versus the control group, 3.8 ± 1 vs 5.1 ± 2(p = 0.001), without significant differences in the number of exacerbations. In conclusion follow-up via a telemedicine program in early discharge after hospitalization is as effective as conventional home follow up, being the cost of either strategy not significantly different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the authors discuss the issues and challenges on the use of physical touch by mental health nurses to support their patients in engaging with medical treatment. Topics include how nurses can protect their professionalism when using physical touch to support the delivery of healthcare, as well as the types of physical touch, namely, procedural touch and expressive touch.

The article discusses the course of 2020, the landscape of general practice has changed beyond recognition due to the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include phenomenology has a worldview and philosophy has used as a research methodology; and dressed in clinical scrubs started on the unfamiliar task of donning.

Complementary therapies are increasingly integrated into hospice care, emphasizing the need to examine the evidence regarding implementation and effects on end-of-life outcomes. This review synthesizes the evidence regarding the implementation of complementary therapies and effects on end-of-life outcomes in hospice care. Whittemore and Knafl's five-step integrative review process was applied. Using predefined search terms, research-based articles between 2006 and 2020 were reviewed. Twenty-three quantitative/mixed method studies conducted across eight countries met the final review criteria. Most commonly used complementary therapies were music, biofield therapies (reiki, therapeutic touch), and massage therapy. Most studies reported significant findings on physical symptoms (pain, dyspnea, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, agitation) and/or psychosocial/spiritual symptoms (anxiety, depression, spirituality, well-being, quality of life); 40% of studies had both significant and nonsignificant findings. Methodological limitations included study design (few randomized controlled trials), small sample size, high attrition rate, lack of racial/ethnic diversity, unstandardized intervention implementation, and multiple outcome measurement instruments. Complementary therapies are promising components of hospice care; however, rigorous studies are needed to validate the effect on end-of-life outcomes and determine the most efficacious implementation. Complementary therapy studies face challenges consistent with end-of-life research; however, efforts to design rigorous trials and address methodological issues are required to enhance the state of the science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the effects of laying on of hands (LooH) as a complementary therapy to kinesiotherapy, on pain, joint stiffness, and functional capacity of older women with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) compared to a control group. Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, participants were assigned into 3 groups: LooH with a spiritual component ("Spiritist passe" Group ‐ SPG), LooH without a spiritual component (LooH Group ‐ LHG), and a control group receiving no complementary intervention (Control Group ‐ CG). Patients were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. Primary outcomes were joint stiffness and functional capacity (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), and pain (WOMAC and visual analog scale). Secondary outcomes were anxiety, depression, mobility, and quality of life. Differences between groups were evaluated using an intention‐to‐treat approach. Results: A total of 120 women (mean age = 69.2 ± 5.2 years) with KOA were randomized (40 participants per group). At 8 weeks, SPG differed significantly from the LHG for WOMAC Functional Status (between‐group difference in the change = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.35 to 1.59, P =.001); Anxiety levels (between‐group difference in the change = 1.38; 95% CI: 0.11 to 2.65, P =.027); and also from the CG for all outcomes with exception of WOMAC Stiffness. After 16 weeks, SPG differed significantly from the LHG only for WOMAC Functional Status (between‐group difference in the change = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.32 to 1.52, P =.001]) and also from the CG for all outcomes with exception of WOMAC Stiffness and timed up‐and‐go. Conclusion: Our results suggest that LooH with a "spiritual component" may promote better long‐term functional outcomes than both LooH without a "spiritual component" and a control group without LooH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the best curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma in selected patients, and this procedure can be applied either percutaneously or laparoscopically. Laparoscopic RFA has the benefit of direct visual control of the RFA procedure. Cluster electrodes (Octopus RF electrodes) can create a common ablation zone. Aim: Using these two methods (laparoscopic approach and no touch technique), this present study evaluated the technical and clinical outcomes of early experience with laparoscopic RFA and a no-touch technique. Material and methods: Between November 2015 and November 2018, 21 patients underwent laparoscopic RFA for hepatocellular carcinoma with a no-touch technique using cluster electrodes. Laparoscopic RFA is recommended for patients with a contraindication for surgical resection, patients wants and a relative contraindication for conventional percutaneous RFA, such as lesions adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, bile duct, or heart. Results: In the 21 tumors, 2 were treated with a single electrode, 12 with 2 electrodes, and 7 tumors with 3 electrodes. The mean time of ablation per lesion was 20.43 ±8.77 min. There was no mortality, local tumor progression, delayed destructive biliary damage, or liver abscess at the follow-up computed tomography. No technical failures occurred. Conclusions: Laparoscopic RFA can access lesions for which percutaneous RFA is contraindicated or risky. Cluster electrodes can create sufficient ablation zones without contact and can achieve a sufficient margin with a low complication rate and no tumor dissemination. Therefore, laparoscopic RFA with a no-touch technique might be a safe and feasible treatment for HCC tumor in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 400 liver transplants were performed at Asan Medical Center (AMC) in 2011, and over 500 liver transplants including 420 living-donor liver transplants (LDLTs) were performed in 2019. Herein, we report the methodology of these procedures. Since the first adult LDLTs at AMC using the left and right lobes were successfully performed, various innovative techniques and approaches have been developed: modified right lobe, dual graft, donor exchange for ABO incompatibility, expansion of indications and no-touch techniques for hepatocellular carcinoma, intraoperative cine-portogram and additional intervention for large collaterals, management of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and stenosis, salvage LDLT after major hepatectomy, and timely LDLT for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure. Four hundred twenty LDLTs in 403 adult and 17 pediatric patients and 85 deceased-donor liver transplants in 74 adult and 11 pediatric patients were performed. The number of deceased-donor liver transplants remained constant since 2011, but the number of LDLTs increased steadily. One hundred thirty patients (25.7%) required urgent liver transplantations and 24 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure underwent LDLT. PVT including grade 1,2,3, and 4 was reported in 91 patients (18.0%), and Yerdel's grade 2, 3, and 4 PVT was reported in 47 patients (51.6%); all patients with PVT were successfully treated. Adult LDLTs for hepatocellular carcinoma and ABO incompatibility accounted for 52.6% and 24.3% of the cases, respectively. In-hospital mortality in 2019 was 2.97%. Continual efforts to overcome challenging problems in LDLT with various innovations and dedication of the team members during the perioperative period to improve patient outcomes were crucial in increasing the number of liver transplantations at Asan Medical Center. • Asan Medical Center performed over 500 liver transplantations in 2019. • More than 400 living-donor liver transplantations were performed in 2019. • The increasing number of living-donor liver transplantations has been the main contributor to the increase in liver transplantations performed since 2011. • The number of deceased-donor liver transplantation numbers has remained constant since 2011. • Challenging liver transplantation could be transformed into ordinary liver transplantation at Asan Medical Center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Eletrônica de Enfermagem is the property of Revista Eletronica de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This is a systematic review performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards. Diverse approaches based on tactile stimulation are used in hand rehabilitation settings to treat touch-evoked dysesthesias. However, there is a lack of literature synthesis on the description and the effectiveness of the various approaches based on tactile stimulation that can be used for treating hand dysesthesia after nerve injury. The purpose of the study was to summarize the current evidence on tactile stimulation programs for managing touch-evoked hand dysesthesia due to nerve injury. The search was carried out on Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases. The selected studies had to present patients with touch-evoked dysesthesia after nerve injury who were treated with tactile stimulation approaches to reduce pain. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the methodological index for nonrandomized studies scale, as well as the risk of bias. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies present tactile stimulation interventions that are heterogeneous relative to the target populations and the intervention itself (desensitization versus somatosensory rehabilitation method). Painful symptoms appear to diminish in patients with touch-evoked hand dysesthesia, regardless of the tactile stimulation program used. However, the included studies present significant risks of bias that limit the confidence in these results. The evidence does not unequivocally support the beneficial effects of tactile stimulation to treat touch-evoked hand dysesthesia. Future studies with more rigorous methodological designs, such as randomized controlled trials, are required to verify the potential benefits of these approaches. • A systematic review was performed on tactile stimulation programs for hand dysesthesia. • Two main tactile stimulation programs exist and seem to reduce dysesthesia. • The seven studies in this review are heterogenous and present risks of bias. • Future studies with more rigorous methodological designs are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciencia, Cuidado e Saude is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Unlike Western countries with a majority of Protestant citizens, initiatives in the field of spiritual care provision in Israel have involved mostly lay leadership and secular individuals from their very inception, rather than clergy and religious adherents. This religiously neutral position made it easier for spiritual care to be accepted across the varied sub-populations that compose the unique mosaic of Israeli culture. Adhering to a religiously neutral approach led to the use of a broader set of tools in order to reach people in their time of distress. Currently, there are about 130 certified spiritual caregivers in Israel who graduated from four accredited training programs. This article describes three short case studies, in which we can see the benefits of three such neutral approaches -- connecting with nature, gentle touch, and non-theistic personal prayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch is a fundamental resource mobilized by clinicians in physical examinations in outpatient clinical consultations. However, few studies have been conducted to explore the sequential organization of touch in the interactional process of physical examinations where clinicians' touch is launched and responded to in Chinese medical settings. Based on a collection of video recordings of naturally occurring clinician-patient interaction in an orthopedic outpatient clinic in China, we observed four types of clinicians' touch in the physical examination framework: the guiding touch, the diagnostic touch, the demonstrative touch, and the therapeutic touch. Together with clinical expertise, the sensorial knowledge obtained through touch enables clinicians to professionally evaluate patients' physical conditions and diagnose their illnesses. We also demonstrated that patients do not merely put themselves into clinicians' hands as clinical objects for inspection and defer to clinicians' medical authority. Instead, they actively and agentively participate in physical examinations to jointly accomplish social actions and activities through the temporal and sequential mobilization of their multimodal resources. This study not only adds to an emerging body of research on touch in medical settings but also sheds some light on the understanding of the clinician-patient interaction in Chinese outpatient clinics.

Background: Pain felt in an amputated limb is quite common. Phantom pain affects the lives of individuals in many ways and can negatively affect the holistic well-being of individuals. Distant Reiki can be used in the management of these problems., Aim: This study was conducted to examine the effect of distant Reiki applied to individuals with extremity amputation on pain level and holistic well-being., Method: This a quasi-experimental single group pre-test. Post-test design research was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023 and included 25 individuals with extremity amputation. Then, according to Classical Usui Reiki, distant Reiki application has been performed for 20 minutes every day for 10 days. Data were collected at the beginning of the study and at the end of the 10th day. The data were obtained using an Introductory Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale for Pain, and Holistic Well-Being Scale., Results: The mean age of the participants was 51.32 ± 16.65 years. There was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test pain levels of the participants (p < .05) and HWBS subscale scores (p < .05). Accordingly, it was determined that after 20-minute distant Reiki sessions for 10 consecutive days, the pain levels of the individuals were significantly reduced and their holistic well-being improved., Conclusion: Distant Reiki has been found to be easy to administer, inexpensive, non-pharmacological, and appropriate for independent nursing practice to be effective in reducing phantom pain levels and increasing holistic well-being in people with limb amputation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that this article has received no financial support and has no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The management of well-known and common complaints such as insomnia and fatigue experienced in the menopausal period has the potential to affect many aspects of life in women during this period positively. This research was carried out to determine the effect of therapeutic touch on sleep quality and fatigue in menopausal women., Methods: This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with 48 (24 in the intervention group and 24 in the control group) women who sought treatment in the gynecological outpatient clinic of a public hospital. According to the study procedure, while the intervention group received therapeutic touch, the control group received SHAM therapeutic touch for 10 min a day for five consecutive days. Data were collected through the Personal Information Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Piper Fatigue Scale., Results: The median post-test total sleep quality score was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p=0.010). However, the mean total fatigue scores did not differ significantly between the groups (p=0.917)., Conclusions: The results of this study showed that therapeutic touch was effective in improving sleep quality, but it did not affect fatigue in menopausal women., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Biofield 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.This systematic review examines 66 clinical studies with a variety of biofield therapies in different patient populations.We 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.Studies 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.There is a need for further high-quality studies in this area. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Freudian psychoanalytic accounts, Greek myths, biblical stories, neuroscience, and culture are all touched on and traced by Kearney in his relatively small book (it comprises 140 pages with an additional 55 pages devoted to notes to oblige and appease the increasingly obsessive academic apparatus). Richard Kearney (2021) I Touch: Recovering Our Most Vital Sense i . [Extracted from the article]

Research suggests that touch in therapy is a relatively frequent occurrence. Touch, however, entails important ethical and legal implications. It is therefore important that we begin to look more closely at how touch is taught so that we can begin to establish a knowledge base that will help guide practice and ultimately ensure the safe and effective use of touch. This study explored the experiences of clinical supervisors regarding their supervision of touch. Themes that emerged are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited evidence supports the use of touch or massage for people with dementia. Interventions incorporating a person-centered approach to touch delivered by staff may benefit residents with dementia and staff in long-term care settings. The Compassionate Touch® (CT) program provides protocol-based, skilled human touch and compassionate presence. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore experiences and perspectives of staff who provided the CT intervention to residents with dementia three times per week for three weeks. Five staff and five residents with dementia in memory care settings participated in the study. Staff were individually interviewed after the three-week intervention, and NVivo 11 software was used for thematic analysis. Although the findings of the present study are preliminary, staff who delivered the CT program perceived positive impacts on themselves and residents with dementia. Programs such as CT may benefit staff and residents with dementia by promoting positive social interactions and giving joy within staff-resident dyads, increasing staff self-efficacy in caring for residents with dementia and residents' responsiveness and calmness, and meeting residents' needs for human touch and affection. Further rigorous studies are needed to measure effectiveness of the CT program on psychosocial outcomes of residents and care-related outcomes of staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manual palpation is a core skill in physical examination. Assessing elastic properties such as tissue stiffness has the potential for being an important diagnostics tool in the detection of cancer and other diseases. The study describes the newly developed Stiffness Comparison Test (SCT). The aim of our study was to test the SCT as a tool to detect interindividual differences in palpation skill related to gender, age and occupational experience. We used eight pairs of polyuterhane gel pads with the stiffness difference decreasing from the first to the last pair. Test subjects were asked to palpate each pair and determine stiffness differences. We recruited 25 osteopaths, 48 other manual therapists and 50 participants from other non-manual professions. As hypothesized there was no significant difference in SCT performance between the sexes (t (121) = 0.288, p =.774). To investigate if an age-related decline would have an effect on palpation skill, we carried out a linear regression. As hypothesized, the model did not predict any significant associations (F (1, 121) = 2.733, b = −0.149, p =.101, R2 = 0.022). To compare the effect of occupational groups on SCT performance a one-way ANOVA was conducted. There were no statistically significant differences between group means (F (2, 120) = 0.598, p =.552). The SCT can be used as simple and affordable tool for assessment, teaching and training in all disciplines of manual medicine. Further refinements of the tool are suggested to advance its discrimination power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of touch in psychotherapy is a topic often undiscussed in graduate training programs. Stenzel and Rupert's 2004 study showed that nearly 90% of clinicians never or rarely offered touch to clients during a session. This study examined the use of touch in a psychotherapeutic setting with culturally Deaf clients, since touch is a culturally accepted, even expected, practice. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference among culturally Deaf therapists compared with the Stenzel and Rupert's (2004) findings, but there is a statistically significant difference in those who identify as hearing and work with culturally Deaf clients. The implications of the study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. For terminally ill cancer patients, it is essential to feel welcome, comfortable, and receive spiritual support during hospitalization. Objective. Describe the kindness, comfort measures and support provided spiritual care to the terminally ill cancer patients as perceived by nurses and family caregivers in a hospital in Chiclayo, Peru. Methods: Qualitative descriptive research, the convenience sample and the sample so formed 06 nurses and 06 family caregivers of cancer patients at terminal stage, obtained by the technique of saturation and redundancy. To collect data was used to guide semistructured interview validated by expert judgment and pilot, which was recorded prior informed consent. Data were processed manually by thematic content analysis. Results. a) The friendliness of the nurse-patient, b) Measures of comfort for satisfying basic needs, c) Spiritual support for the relief of suffering. Conclusions. Humanization in caring for cancer patients starts with the kindness that refers to the greeting, respect and therapeutic touch, even at a time when nurses perform comfort measures to relieve pain and satisfaction of basic needs the collaboration of the accompanying family; certainly the spiritual support, expressed in promoting faith rescues hope, prayer, respecting the religious beliefs and practices. Cancer is likely to generate higher sensitivity and compassion in health personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we compare three state-of-the-art Python packages for Bayesian inference: JAGS [14], Stan [5], and PyMC3 [18]. These packages are in focus because they are the most mature, and Python is among the most utilized programming languages for teaching mathematics and statistics in colleges [13]. The experiment is based on real-world data collected for investigating the therapeutic touch nursing technique [17]. It is analyzed through a hierarchical model with prior beta distribution and binomial likelihood function. The tools are compared by execution time and sample quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical sensations of tingling, warmth, dull pain, and heaviness are a common phenomenon in mind-body interventions, such as acupuncture, hypnotherapy, osteopathy, qigong, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Even though there are striking parallels between sensations produced by many different interventions, no attempt has yet been made to understand them from a unifying perspective that combines information from different therapies and practices. Therefore, this narrative systematic review introduces the concept of therapeutic sensations and summarizes studies of their sensory quality, bodily topography, and the meaning that patients attach to them. Furthermore, it highlights the essential role of therapeutic sensations in the development of vital energy concepts, such as qi, prana, pneuma, and orgone, in various traditional medicine systems, body-oriented psychotherapy, and so-called energy medicine. Finally, the assessment of therapeutic sensations may help to gain a deeper understanding of such concepts, finding a common language between scientists, patients and practitioners, and bridging the wide gap between materialistic and vitalistic views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spiritual practices enable homeless people to experience social recognition. • Spiritual practices allow an active engagement with homeless agency. • Spirituality influences homeless people's production of public space. • Contribute to less stigmatizing and more person-centered policies. This paper examines spiritual and healing practices of homeless people on the Venice boardwalk in Los Angeles. Combining scholarship on geographies of homelessness, spirituality, and therapeutic landscapes, this paper makes three contributions. First, drawing on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, it examines the ways in which spiritual healing (such as crystal therapy, psychic reading, Tarot card reading and therapeutic touch) can generate temporary and more enduring landscapes of healing and wellbeing. Second, the paper considers the performative work of such practices in negotiating existing, and affirming new, homeless subject-positions. In doing so, it highlights the potential of spirituality in bringing homeless people's inner worlds to the surface, challenging their agency, performativity and self-perceptions. Lastly, the paper concludes by calling for geographers to study the intersection of homelessness, therapeutic landscapes, and geographies of spirituality in order to better understand the body/mind/place/spirit imbrications for homeless people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the impact of Healing Touch on vital signs, adult intensive care unit patients were recruited from multiple hospital sites. Both pain and agitation improved and there was a significant change in hemodynamics that reflected a calming effect. Healing Touch may be considered a respected addition to symptom management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]