Matourypour, P., Vanaki, Z., Zare, Z., Mehrzad, V., Dehghan, M., & Ranjbaran, M. (2016). Investigating the effect of therapeutic touch on the intensity of acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting in breast cancer women under chemotherapy. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 21, 255–260.
To determine the effect of therapeutic touch on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)
Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups, control receiving no intervention, therapeutic touch, and a placebo intervention. The researcher received training in therapeutic touch and performed these interventions. In the placebo group, the researcher moved her hand around the body to pretend an act of therapeutic touch. CINV was assessed immediately before the intervention and again 24 hours after chemotherapy. Patients were receiving triplet antiemetic prophylaxis.
Vomiting intensity was lower in the intervention group compared to the controls (p < 0.0001), but no difference existed between the intervention and placebo groups.
The study results suggested that therapeutic touch may provide a placebo effect to reduce CINV. The efficacy of actual therapeutic touch was not demonstrated compared to placebo.
The findings did not show the effectiveness of therapeutic touch compared to a placebo intervention to prevent CINV. They do suggest a potential placebo effect for therapeutic touch. This study had several limitations.