Effects of Spiritual Healing for Women Undergoing Long-Term Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Investigation Fiona Barlow, PhD, MBACP(Accred),1 Jan Walker, PhD,2 and George Lewith, MD, FRCP3
1Health Experiences Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom 2School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom. 3School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Abstract Background: Spiritual Healing is widely available and used, but is a neglected area for research and its biologic and psychologic mechanisms are not understood. The side-effects of long-term hormonal therapy for breast cancer are onerous and have been reported to lead to “drug holidays” that could diminish the long-term treatment benefits. It was investigated whether Spiritual Healing could support patients with breast cancer undergoing this treatment.
Methods: The qualitative observation study took place in a specialist research facility in a general hospital. Spiritual Healing was provided by 4 healers registered with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers. Twelve (12) patients with breast cancer undergoing long-term hormone treatment and who found the effects onerous, self-referred themselves and were given ten weekly sessions of approximately 40 minutes each. Data collected included participant's daily records, direct observations noted by healers, the researcher's field diary and a one-to-one semi-structured interview.
Findings:The positive effects of Spiritual Healing included alleviation of the physical side-effects of their treatment, increased energy levels, enhanced well-being, emotional relaxation, and re-engagement with precancer activities. Although 1 participant admitted considering a drug holiday prior to joining the study, none of the participants felt tempted to stop their hormonal treatments while receiving Spiritual Healing.
Conclusions: These qualitative findings indicate that Spiritual Healing has the potential to support patients with breast cancer in the maintenance of their long-term orthodox treatments. Further research is needed to test Spiritual Healing as a cost-effective complementary therapy, for those undergoing long-term cancer treatments
Source : The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Link to Full Article
Effect of a Japanese Energy Healing Method Known as Johrei on Viability and Proliferation of Cultured Cancer Cells In Vitro Kazuko Abe, BA,* Rie Ichinomiya, BA,* Tatsue Kanai, BA,* and Kenji Yamamoto, PhD
Abstract Objectives: The objective was to explore the effect of a Japanese energy healing method known as Johrei on the viability and proliferation of cultured human cancer cells in vitro.
Design: A randomly selected 96-well plate or a culture dish of various types of human cancer cell lines in culture were exposed to Johrei treatment. For comparison purpose, an equal number of untreated or volunteer-treated cultures were chosen as the control group. Johrei treatment was repeatedly performed at appropriate time intervals over the course of the experiments. Cell viability was examined by a colorimetric assay with a Cell Counting kit. Morphological changes were analyzed by phase-contrast and time-lapse microscopy. Cell proliferation and early and late stages of cell death were also determined with the use of a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) cell proliferation assay kit and an Annexin V-FLUOS Staining kit, respectively.
Outcome measures: Quantitative data were presented as means – standard deviation. The outcome measures were the differences in viable cell numbers that remained under healing practice versus control conditions, and the statistical significance of differences in their mean values was assessed.
Results: The viability loss of cultured human cancer cells in the Johrei group was significantly higher than that of either of the control groups, despite the fact that the responsiveness to Johrei varied with different cancer cell types. The proliferation rate of gastric cancer cells exposed to Johrei treatments for 72 hours was more significantly decreased compared with that of the untreated cells, whereas the extent of dying and/or dead cells in the Johrei group was more profound than that of the untreated cells.
Conclusions: These results provide evidence that Johrei treatment induces the viability loss of various cancer cells in vitro, mainly due to the increased cell death and the decreased proliferation.
Source : THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Volume 18, Number 3, 2012, pp. 221–228 Link to Full Article