title: The effectiveness of therapeutic touch for decreasing pain in elders with degenerative arthritis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine if Therapeutic Touch (TT) decreased pain in elders with degenerative arthritis, compared with routine treatment and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). Eighty-two noninstitutionalized subjects, age 55 or older, were randomly assigned to TT or PMR treatments. Subjects served as their own controls for 4 weeks and then received six treatments at 1-week intervals. Visual analogue scales (VAS) for pain intensity and distress were used. Significant differences from baseline to postsixth treatment were found within groups. TT decreased pain (t(46) = 7.60, p = < .001) and distress (t(44) = 7.08, p = < .001). PMR decreased pain (t(36) = 6.58, p = .005) and distress (t(36) = 6.90, p = < .001). Differences in effectiveness existed between the TT and PMR groups; the pain and distress scores were lower in the PMR group. The differences approached significance for pain, F(2, 76) = 2.8, p = .06, and were significant for distress, F(2, 75) = 5.6, p = .005.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire School of Nursing, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Eckes Peck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005260:Female; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019124:Therapeutic Touch / Q000592:standards*