THE EFFECTS OF TOUCH THERAPIES ON PAIN, FATIGUE AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONGST CANCER PATIENTS : A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: The diagnosis, course and treatment of cancer can place extensive repercussions for both individuals and their families. This phenomenon brings about pain, fatigue, and significantly impacts one's quality of life (QoL). Touch therapies such as therapeutic touch (TT), healing touch (HT), and Reiki are known to benefit several patients and facilitate healing. Objectives: The aim of this review is to evaluate and synthesize current evidence of how effective touch therapies (i.e. TT, HT, Reiki) are on pain relief, fatigue levels, and the QoL amongst cancer patients. Methods: A systematic search through six databases was done to identify relevant studies: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO. A meta-analysis and narrative synthesis were conducted on the effects of touch therapies on the relative outcomes thereafter. Results: Fourteen studies were included in the review - of which seven were meta-analyzed. For pain, pooled effects were of 24%, 95% CI (-55, 8) across four studies. For fatigue, pooled effects were 10%, 95% CI (-43, 23) for three studies. For QoL, four studies revealed pooled effects of 34%, 95% CI (-3, 71). Associated clinical outcomes include comfort and well-being, and emotional and mood states. The impact of touch therapies on pain, fatigue and QoL was inconclusive. Conclusion & Implications of Study: Pain, fatigue and low QoL place a burden in individuals with cancer. Through this review, evidence of the effectiveness of touch therapies as healing modalities for pain, fatigue and improving one's QoL amongst the oncology population can thus be identified. Their advantages and benefits will also be highlighted to allow healthcare professionals to have a better understanding of this means of complementary therapy altogether.