Spiritual healing in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory single centre, parallel-group, double-blind, three-arm, randomised, sham-controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: Our objective was to investigate the efficacy of "energy/spiritual healing" in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Eligible patients were women with RA on stable medication. The design was a randomised, blinded, sham-controlled trial; the third group included an external unblinded control of the natural course of RA. Participants in both groups received 8 sessions with "perceived healing" over 21 weeks with 8 weeks of follow-up. Active healing (AH) treatment comprised healing with no physical contact, and sham healing (SH) included exactly the same healing with a sham healer. During intervention, participants wore hearing protectors and were blindfolded. No healing (NH) only had their outcomes assessed. Coprimary outcomes were disease activity score (DAS) for 28 joints and Doppler ultrasound. All 9

SUBMITTER: Bliddal H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4294308 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature