The Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Postoperative Patients

Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a complementary modality that has been demonstrated to reduce psychological distress and help patients to relax. It is unclear if there is an impact of TT on biobehavioral markers such as cortisol and natural killer cells (NKCs). There is some preliminary evidence that suggests relaxation may have positive effects on the immune system. Purpose: To test the efficacy of TT on pain and biobehavioral markers in patients recovering from vascular surgery. Framework: The study was grounded in a psychoneuroimmunology framework to address how complementary therapies affect pain and biobehavioral markers associated with recovery in surgical patients. Design: This was a between-subjects intervention study. Sample: Twenty-one postoperative surgical patients. Measures: Measures of level of pain and levels of cortisol and NKCs were obtained before and after a TT treatment. Results: Compared with those who received usual care, participants who received TT had significantly lower level of pain, lower cortisol level, and higher NKC level. Conclusions and Implications: Evidence supports TT as a beneficial intervention with patients. Future research on TT is still needed to learn more about how it functions. However, there is evidence to support incorporating TT into nursing practice.