NIH Manual Healing Methods

Introduction
Physical Healing Methods
Biofield Therapeutics
Combined Physical and Biofield Methods
Recommendations


  Return to  Menu Page

~ Overall Recommendations

Research on manual healing methods is needed in four parallel and interactive directions:

• To determine the range of clinical benefits for the many common physical complaints and problems treated by therapists using these methods (e.g., back pain, headache, whiplash, and chronic fatigue syndrome).

• To determine the degree to which a general sense of well-being is enhanced by the various manual healing methods.

• To evaluate the effect of structural manipulation on body awareness (both visceral and external); regulation of motion; range of movement; ability to cope with stress; muscle tone and flexibility; growth, development, and aging; autonomic function (neural control systems); electrical patterns in muscles; immune system response; and cardiovascular and respiratory function.~ • To determine the physiological and neurological mechanisms associated with specific manual healing methods.