Energy Therapies for Physical and Occupational Therapists Working with Older Adults

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has begun to identify, define, and categorize complementary and alternative healing practices. The purpose of this article is to explore approaches of health and healing that are based on the assumption that subtle energy fields exist within and around the human body. Basic theories, rationales, and evidence for Qigong, Polarity Therapy, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch will be reviewed. Applications and implications for the physical and occupational therapist working with older adults will also be discussed.