Energy Medicine Research References

This bibliography has been prepared by the Energy Medicine Research Network (EMRN) and is hosted by the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare (NIIH). A literature search was undertaken by Sandra Shipp, EEM-AP and Anne Rosebrook, MLP, and lists studies that have met the following criteria:

• They assess the use of hands-on healing or interventions within the body’s energy field;
• They use energetic exercises or techniques to balance the body’s energy systems;
• The explanation they use for the effects of treatment is based on changes to the body’s energy field.

The Energy Medicine Research Network describes the search criteria as follows:

In order to complete the literature search, Ovid/Medline and PubMed medical databases were searched using the following keywords: acupressure, “Barbara Brennan”, biofield, cranio-sacral therapy, “body talk,” “energy medicine,” “energy healing,” “healing touch,” johrei, “polarity therapy,” “pranic healing,” “quantum touch,” reflexology, reiki, shiatsu, “touch for health,” “touch therapy,” and the MESH controlled vocabulary term “therapeutic touch.” Search results were limited to English language and human subject research. The results were visually scanned to eliminate general overviews of a modality, letters to the Editor, interviews, or other non-research publications. A broad range of reports was still included, ranging from more case studies to sophisticated clinical trials to systematic reviews of previously published studies.

This articles selected according to the criteria outlined above are presented as an APA-formatted reference list. They have not been reviewed to assess a positive, negative, or neutral outcome of the research, research methodology, or quality of research. It is merely a list of articles meeting the stated criteria.

The literature search identified 600+ studies encompassing the following Energy Medicine modalities:

• Acupressure
• Auricular Acupressure
• Brennan Healing Science
• Biofield Healing
• Body Talk
• Craniosacral therapy
• Healing Touch
• Johrei
• Polarity Therapy
• Pranic Healing
• Quantum Touch
• Reflexology
• Reiki
• Shiatsu
• Therapeutic Touch
• Touch for Health
• Touch Therapy

Acupuncture, Distant Healing, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), Energy Psychology, Massage, Prayer and Yoga are not included in this bibliography. The rationale for this exclusion can be found in an Appendix below the list of studies. Below are links to bibliographies for these modalities where available. The explanation of the process used to conduct the literature search, and full inclusion and exclusion criteria, is available in a PDF of the original list.

The original search was undertaken in May 2014 and the list is updated by EMRN volunteers periodically. If you’re aware of a study you feel should be included in the list, please read the full article first, and if you still feel the article should be included, please email us and it will be considered for inclusion during the next update.

Additional reference lists on other subsets of Energy Medicine are available at the links below:

• Acupuncture
• Distant Healing
• EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)
• Energy Psychology
• Massage
• Prayer
• Yoga

Many of the above bibliographies are not current; we would also appreciate links to up-to-date sources if you’re aware of them. Thanks for your support of energy medicine!