BIOTOUCH: CLINICAL INTEGRATION OF AN

ENERGY THERAPY

Kenna Stephenson, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.

Medical Director of Women’s Wellness Center, The University of Texas Health

Center

Barbara Pinson, M.D., David P. Holiday, Ph.D., Janet Seliga, B.S.N.,

Megan Black, B.S.N.

BIOTOUCH DEFINED

• A therapy that affects the energy fields of the human body, utilizing “butterfly light” touch to intensify and enhance the flow of energy between the practitioner and the recipient.

• Classified as Energy Medicine by NIH Center for CAM

BIOTOUCH TECHNIQUE

• Light touch “butterfly light”

• 17 Set points

• Stationery touch for 6-8 seconds per point

• Stroking touch at rate of 1 cm/sec.

BIOTOUCH HISTORY

• Technique developed in 1970’s by Norman Cochran in a Colorado mining town in a spontaneous response to assist others with health problems.

• Mr. Cochran taught method to others who were just as effective.

• In 1993 The International Foundation of Bio-Magnetic Touch Healing was founded. justtouch.com

• St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic, Tucson, AZ, Sr. Mary Schild

COMPARISON OF TOUCH

Method Biotouch Reiki Therapeutic Touch

Kangaroo/ Grooming/ Caring

Centering/Meditation

No Required Required No

Reading/Unruffling

No Required Required No

Skin to skincontact

YesAlways

Occasional Infrequent YesAlways

Hierarchy/ Attunement/Authority

No Yes Yes No

BIOTOUCH RESEARCH

• Centers in Tucson, Honolulu document qualitative data

• University of AZ (Schwartz, et. al. unpublished) :

– BP, HR, Care Scale

– ADHD EEG

• South Carolina Honors College, Thesis, W. Rivers, 2002.– Anxiety Scale

– Heart Rate

– Heart Rate Variability– Time Control/Touch

Group/ Biotouch Group

BIOTOUCH Research ProjectStephenson, et. al.

• Step 1: Training of UTHCT Staff

• Step 2: Study design and Approval

• Step 3: Recruitment of Subjects

• Step 4: Implementation

Demographic Data of Subjects

• 96.6 % Female• 24% Women of Color• 85% College-

educated• At least one child in

the household on avg.• At least one other

adult in the household on average

National Statistics on Working Women

• The Double Day• 60 million women

employed outside the home

• Stress Related/MS Disorders

• $200 billion annually in US-70%preventable

Pain, Stress, and Crosstalk

Introduction to SF 36 (Ware, 1993)

• Eight domains:• Physical Functioning• Role-Physical• Bodily Pain Index• General Health

Perceptions• Vitality• Social Functioning• Role-Emotional• Mental Health Index

Quality of Life Scale SF-36

• 3. Does your health limit you in these activities?

• Running, lifting heavy objects, moving a table, sports, pushing a vacuum cleaner, lifting or carrying groceries, climbing stairs

• 9. Do you feel full of life? Did you feel worn out? Did you feel downhearted and blue? Did you have a lot of energy? Have you felt calm and peaceful?

Methodology

• Baseline SF 36• Biotouch once weekly

for 8 weeks

• Follow-up SF 36 at 8 weeks

• Final SF 36 4 weeks after last treatment session

• Weekly logs

Methodology

• Practitioners instructed to touch set points indicated by patient’s clinical condition

• Clinical settings included: outpatient, inpatient, and worksite

RESULTS: SF-36Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (Ware, 1993) **for P<0.01; * for P<0.05, *? FOR 0.05<p<0.10, NS for P>0.10

Scale Label Baseline values across dropout and non-dropouts compliance comparison N=62

8 weeksN=39 Mean Change

FinalN=25 Mean Change

BP Bodily Pain NS ** **

GH Gen. Health Percep.

NS * *

MH Mental Health Index

NS ** **

PF Phys. Fx. NS ** NS

RE Role-Emotional

NS ** *?

RP Role-Phys. NS ** *?

SF Social Fx. NS ** **

VT Vitality NS ** **

WEEKLY LOG ENTRIES

SENSATIONS

METABOLISM

STRESSDURATION

PAIN

RESULTS

• Biotouch treatment sessions did not result in any adverse outcomes.

DISCUSSION

• The domain of touch-

Animal studies of stroking/grooming

rodents

non-human primates

DISCUSSION

• HUMANS AND TOUCH– NEONATES

– CHILD

– SOCIETAL

• PATIENT PLEAS FOR TOUCH

DISCUSSION

• PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF TOUCH– SKIN AND NICE

NETWORKNEURO-IMMUNO-

CUTENEOUS-ENDOCRINE

CNS

CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE

PATHOGENESIS MODEL

GENETICS

HIGHSTRESS

ENDO./EXO.

HORMONES

ALCOHOLTOBACCO

HIGH FAT HIGH CALORIE

DIET

SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

INSULIN RESIST./DYSLIPIDEMIA/INFLAMMATION/ATHEROSCLEROSIS

DISCUSSION

• Proposed mechanisms of action for sustained effects in SF-36 domains.

• Physiological: Diminished chronic pain or regression of chronic pain through interaction of skin, neural, and LHPAA pathways

• Increased sense of well-being-LHPAA, CV response

DISCUSSION

• Placebo: Hawthorne effect

• Psychogenic: Close proximity of individual who affirms pain or stress

CONCLUSIONS

• Biotouch technique was replicated and integrated into a direct patient care setting.

CONCLUSIONS

• Biotouch, performed once weekly, improved Quality of Life Scores (at 8 weeks) and exhibited a sustained (greater than 4 weeks post treatment) effect on domains of: Bodily Pain, Social Functioning, Vitality, General Health Perceptions, and Mental Health Index.

Application

Clinical Benefits

-ease of integration-high degree of patient

acceptance-clinical results are

replicated with no learning curve

-low potential for harm

APPLICATION

• Economically advantageous– No equipment

requirements– Accessible

training– No special

room requirements

Future Projects

• “Effects of Biotouch on Caregiver Salivary Cortisol Levels”, Janet Seliga, Thesis, University of Texas Health Center

• “The Effects of Biotouch on Neuroactive Hormones and Inflammatory, Antithrombotic, and Prothrombotic Factors in Postmenopausal Women”, Stephenson, Neuenschwander

BIOTOUCH

RESOURCES

• Kenna Stephenson, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.

• The University of Texas Health Center at Tyler (903)877-7277

• WEB:• kenna.stephenson• @utcht.edu• janet.seliga@uthct.edu• jane.boreman@uthct.edu• justtouch.com

EXCERPTS FROM SF 36

PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS STONEY AND WEST 1997

A L T E R E D L I P I D SA L T E R E D L I P O P R O T E I N S

M E T O B O L I C I N F L U E N C E SL I P A S E C H A N G E S

A L T E R E D L I P I D T R A N S F E RI N S U L I N R E S I S T A N C E

B E H A V O R I A L A N D E N V I R O N M E N T A L I N F L U E N C E SD I E T A L C O H O L A N D C A F F E I N E C O N S U M P T I O N

E X E R C I S E A N D A C T I V I T Y S E A S O N A L V A R I A T I O N SS M O K I N G

A L T E R E D L I P I D SA L T E R E D L I P O P R O T E I N S

M E T O B O L I C I N F L U E N C E SL I P A S E C H A N G E S

A L T E R E D L I P I D T R A N S F E RI N S U L I N R E S I S T A N C E

H O R M O N A L I N F L U E N C E SE N D O G E N O U S R E P R O D U C T I V E H O R M O N E S

E X O G E N O U S R E P R O D U C T I V E H O R M O N E SS T R E S S H O R M O N E S I N S U L I N R E S I S T A N C E

I N D I V I D U A L D I F F E R E N C E S O F :E T H N I C I T Y G E N D E R B O D Y C O M P O S I T I O N

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