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therapeutic touch
noun
: a technique in alternative medicine that involves passing the hands over the body of the person being treated and that is held to induce relaxation, reduce pain, and promote healing
Examples of therapeutic touch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1998, the Ig Nobel Prize in science education went to Dolores Krieger, professor emerita at New York University for demonstrating the merits of therapeutic touch, a method by which nurses manipulate the energy fields of ailing patients by carefully avoiding physical contact with those patients.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2023
Oregon allows therapeutic touch during a session with the psychedelic, which can temporarily affect people's emotions and perceptions.
—Laura Doan, CBS News, 8 May 2023
Alternative medicine seemed reasonable to me; until a little girl named Emily used real science to debunk therapeutic touch.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2010
Gravity, and all weighted blankets, works on the principle of Deep Touch Stimulation (DTS)-a form of therapeutic touch or holding that relaxes the nervous system.
—Sam Gutierrez, House Beautiful, 11 Dec. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'therapeutic touch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1975, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of therapeutic touch was
in 1975
Dictionary Entries Near therapeutic touch
Cite this Entry
“Therapeutic touch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/therapeutic%20touch. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
therapeutic touch
noun
: a technique often included in alternative medicine in which the practitioner passes his or her hands over the body of the person being treated and that is held to induce relaxation, reduce pain, and promote healing
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