This Dr. Axe content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure factually accurate information.
With strict editorial sourcing guidelines, we only link to academic research institutions, reputable media sites and, when research is available, medically peer-reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.
This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff. Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to medically peer-reviewed studies.
Our team includes licensed nutritionists and dietitians, certified health education specialists, as well as certified strength and conditioning specialists, personal trainers and corrective exercise specialists. Our team aims to be not only thorough with its research, but also objective and unbiased.
The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.
How Energy Healing Works to Benefit the Body & Mind
November 17, 2019
There may be some skepticism about the therapeutic effects of energy healing, but this medicinal practice has been time-tested for thousands of years.
Some scientists believe that stimulating the human energy field should be combined with common practices of modern medicine in order to treat and understand the entire human body. Practices like reiki, healing touch, acupuncture and music therapy are used to treat energetic imbalances that can lead to early aging and disease.
If you’ve been dealing with common health issues like fatigue, pain, chronic stress and moodiness, it may be time to explore the many varieties of energy healing that have been practiced by ancient healers for centuries.
What Is Energy Healing? How Does It Work?
According to research published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine, energy medicine is defined as “the therapeutic applications of subtle energies.” While modern medicine focuses primarily on physiology, practitioners of energy healing focus more on the aspects of health that are not physical.
Physiologically, our bodies interact with our environment through ambient fields like sound, light, electricity and magnetism. These interactions generate massive amounts of information in the form of energy fields, according to researchers.
Did you know that humans have voltage potentials that modulate cell function? These energy units are involved in the therapeutic effects of healing energy.
The purpose of energy medicine is to treat energetic imbalances in order to bring the body’s systems back to homeostasis. In this form of medicine, it’s believed that disturbances in human energy patterns are indications of disease and aging.
According to research published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine mentioned above:
If Western medicine applied the principles of modern physics, it would understand human beings are composed of information (energy) interacting with other energy (environment) to profoundly impact our physical and emotional health.
Related: Singing Bowl and Sound Bath Benefits for Stress Relief & More
Types/Varieties
There are several types of energy healing and all are focused on interacting with energy of the body. Here’s a breakdown of the most well-known energy healing varieties:
- Acupuncture: Acupuncture stems from Traditional Chinese Medicine practices and involves using thin needles to stimulate specific energy points on the body. The point of acupuncture is to balance the flow of energy or life source by stimulating specific channels.
- Acupressure: Acupressure is a form of touch therapy that’s meant to improve the flow of “qi,” the human life force. The belief behind this practice is that stress impedes the body’s flow of “vital energy,” and by stimulating body meridians, or pathways, acupressure benefits bring back the proper flow of energy.
- Reiki: Reiki is a form of energy medicine that originated in Japan. A reiki practitioner channels a patient’s energy with light touch or by hovering her hands over the body to activate the natural healing processes. The general purpose of reiki is to allow “life force energy” to flow through the patent, helping promote positivity and healing.
- Reflexology: Reflexology, which has been practiced for over 4,000 years, involves the use of hand and food massage to stimulate the nervous system and trigger a healing response. Reflexology is meant to keep the flow of life energy uninhibited so the body can thrive and heal itself. It’s based on the principles of the zone theory, the idea that our hands and feet can be charted into “reflex zones,” and when they are stimulated, it triggers a response in the corresponding organ or body part.
- Healing Touch: Healing touch, or therapeutic touch, is an energy-based approach to healing that involves using touch to influence the human energy system. Like other forms of touch therapy, it’s meant to balance the body’s energy fields in order to benefit the patient’s physical, emotional and mental health.
- Music Therapy: This is a type of sound therapy in which instruments are used to involve as many sensory organs as possible. Patients using music therapy are able to incorporate touch, sight and sound. The music is used as stimuli to uncover and work-through emotions, like grief, sadness, loneliness, frustration and gratitude, among other music therapy benefits.
- Sound Energy Therapy: This is another type of sound therapy that’s meant to induce a state of relaxation using specific tones. With sound energy, the vibrations that come from sound are meant to promote deep relaxation, a reduction of stress and improved sleep.
- Healing Prayer: Healing prayer is a combination of spiritual practices, like meditation, visualization and other techniques that promote mindfulness. These mindful practices are meant to strengthen our defenses against stressors, keep cortisol levels at bay and fight stress-related diseases.
Top Benefits and Uses
1. Reduces Pain
Research on forms of energy healing like acupressure, acupuncture and healing touch therapy suggests that energy medicine may help relieve numerous forms of pain.
Healing energy can help alleviate headaches and migraines; back, knee, shoulder and neck pain; and arthritic pain.
One meta-analysis showed that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain, while a 2014 study found that acupressure was effective for reducing pain associated with conditions like chronic headaches, labor pains, menstrual cramps and lower back pain.
2. Improves Sleep
Researchers have found that healing energy may be useful for reducing insomnia symptoms and helping with overall sleep regularity.
In fact, a systematic review published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine indicates that acupuncture was superior to medications regarding the number of patients who experienced increase sleep duration.
3. Used as Complementary Medicine
Studies suggest that energy healing is beneficial as a form of complementary medicine to help boost immunity and speed up recovery for patients dealing with serious health conditions, including cancer and chemotherapy treatment, childbirth and postpartum healing, and healing after surgery.
Forms of energy medicine that can be used in combination with modern or conventional medicine include reiki, acupuncture, healing touch, healing prayer and reflexology, among others.
4. Boosts Brain Health
Our senses play a major role in our day-to-day functions and memory, so using healing energy or sensory-stimulating techniques, like music and touch therapy, can help boost brain function and promote balance.
Healing medicine is meant to cleanse and balance the body’s energy life force, thereby boosting your ability to focus and concentrate.
Research indicates that many forms of energy medicine, including reiki, music therapy, touch therapy and multisensory stimulation, can be helpful as a form of alternative medicine for dementia.
5. Promotes Mental Health
A study published in the journal of Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that acupressure was able to alleviate PMS symptoms, including feelings of anxiety and depression.
Many forms of energy healing promote relaxation and an overall sense of well-being. Spiritual healing, in particular, helps you improve peace in your life, thereby reducing stress on the body and working to prevent disease.
Healing prayer, meditation and mindfulness alone can have a major impact on hormone balance, helping lower cortisol levels, improve sleep and boost mood.
6. May Improve Healing
Because many forms of energy medicine help improve your mood and induce a relaxed, balanced state, they are known to promote healing and support immune function. A critical trial conducted in 1989 found that music therapy was even able to reduce the incidence of cardiac complications.
This energy healing benefit is likely due to its ability to reduce cortisol levels, allowing the body to recover, repair and heal naturally.
Risks and Side Effects
Energy healing appears to be generally safe when practiced by a trained professional. These types of healing, however, should not be used to replace conventional care, so be sure to continue seeing your health care professional, especially if you are struggling with a health issue.
To reduce potential risks and side effects, make sure to use a reputable practitioner or therapist who has been trained and can offer referrals.
Conclusion
- Healing energy is the therapeutic applications of subtle energies, meaning that it works to promote the human energy force and treat energetic imbalances in order to bring a patient’s body systems back to homeostasis.
- Practitioners and patients of energy medicine believe that disturbances in human energy patterns are indications of disease and aging. By balancing energy channels, a patient can experience a relief of pain, insomnia, mood disorders and early signs of aging.
- There are several types of energy medicine, including reiki, acupuncture, acupressure, healing touch, healing sprayer, music therapy and reflexology. Each one of these forms works to balance energy balance and promote human life force.
