Building a body of knowledge: research on therapeutic touch 1974 - 1986

The purpose of this article is to provide readers with a comprehensive review of Therapeutic touch research. Specifically, the article reviews and describes doctoral and/or published research that is directed at testing either outcomes of Therapeutic Touch or theories underlying the process. Critique of selected studies is offered where it seems appropriate and critical to interpretation of the results. This review provides the foundation for discussion, in a later article, related to future directions for research in this evolving, holistic nursing intervention.