Medical expert of the article
New publications
Energy therapy
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
The method of energy therapy usually involves concentration on energy fields, supposedly existing inside and around the body (biofield). All such methods are based on the belief that some kind of universal life force or subtle energy is inside and around the human body.
Energy therapy can rely on magnetic (alternating or direct flow) fields. Magnets, in particular, are a popular treatment for various musculoskeletal disorders, although numerous studies have not proven any effectiveness of the method, especially for pain relief, which is one of the most common applications of method advocates.
Therapeutic contact, often called the superposition of the hands, uses the healing energy of the doctor to identify and repair the imbalance in the patient's biofield. A similar technique is the Reiki, which came from Japan; in the reiki, doctors direct energy through their hands to the patient's body to accelerate healing. It is believed that the practitioners of the method have a special healing gift that is required in such treatment.
[