Stress-induced immunosuppression and therapeutic touch.

Abstract

The small sample size requires cautious interpretation of the results. This is a pilot study designed to provide evidence to show that further study of therapeutic touch as an intervention that may be useful in reducing the adverse immunologic consequences of anxiety related to stress in otherwise healthy students is warranted. Change in immune function related to anxiety and the relief of anxiety can be measured. Subsequent power analysis suggests sample sizes of 90 subjects per group are required to confirm the conclusions.