Touch therapy eases pain and nausea in cancer patients

Researchers found that patients had significant improvement in side effects of cancer treatment following just one Jin Shin Jyutsu session, which is an ancient form of touch therapy similar to acupuncture in philosophy. The study, conducted by researchers from University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, included 159 current cancer patients. Before and after each Jin Shin Jyutsu session, Jennifer Bradley asked patients to assess their symptoms of pain, stress and nausea on a scale of 0-10, with 0 representing no symptoms. The study found that in each session, patients experienced significant improvement in the areas of pain, stress, and nausea with the first visit and in subsequent visits as well. The mean decreases experienced were three points for stress and two points for both pain and nausea. “I was pleased to see quantitatively the improvements that patients noted in these primary areas of discomfort,” Bradley said. “It was interesting to note that regardless of age, sex or diagnosis, cancer patients received a statistically significant improvement in the side effects from treatment. It is encouraging to note that Jin Shin Jyutsu made improvements in these areas without adding additional unwanted effects that so often occur with medication interventions,’ she said. During a Jin Shin Jyutsu session, patients receive light touches on 52 specific energetic points called Safety Energy Locks as well as fingers, toes, and midpoints on the upper arm, upper calf and lower leg in predetermined orders known as “flows”. Patients remained clothed except for shoes and all hand placements are done over clothing. Sessions were performed in the Jin Shin Jyutsu Treatment Room, Chemotherapy Outpatient Clinic, or in the patient’s hospital room. The study also noted that the greatest overall improvement came from sessions held in the Jin Shin Jyutsu Treatment Room, where sessions are generally of a longer duration. The study did not include controls for several parameters including the time between sessions or location and duration of service. The study was presented at the 2012 Markey Cancer Center Research Day.