TY  - JOUR
AU  - Sá, Rick
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/24
TI  - Biomarkers in Biofield Therapies: Analysis of Measurable Effects
JO  - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
SP  - 022
VL  - 11
IS  - 02
AB  - Biofield Therapies (BTs), such as Reiki and Healing Touch, are used in integrative and complementary medicine, but their biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. This review aimed to explore the physiological biomarkers modulated by BTs in a selected sample of studies to identify common patterns and elucidate potential mechanisms of action. A focused narrative synthesis of 14 intentionally selected studies was performed, encompassing various BT modalities, study designs (including randomized clinical trials, preclinical studies, and in vitro models), and biomarker types. A total of 64 biomarkers were extracted and classified based on type, clinical application, and biological function. Data synthesis included descriptive statistics to summarize the distribution of biomarker categories within this sample. In the RCTs, the analysis of the 17 biomarkers pointed to diagnostic and diagnostic-prognostic contexts, with a relevant subset of prognostic-therapeutic biomarkers (23.5%) suggesting an adjuvant role in predicting clinical outcomes and in therapeutic monitoring. The most frequently reported biomarkers in the selected studies were inflammatory and immunological (40.6%), followed by cellular regulatory markers. The main findings included evidence of modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, enhanced immune function (Natural Killer (NK) cell activity), cytoprotective effects in in vitro models, and exploratory observations of increased telomere length. This synthesis suggests that BTs are associated with measurable physiological changes in multiple systems, reinforcing the need for further mechanistic investigations. Future research should prioritize investigations into the diagnostic and prognostic potential of BT in oncological contexts, as well as the development of individualized biophotonic signatures to promote personalized, rapid, and non-invasive applications.
SN  - 2573-4393
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2602022
DO  - 10.21926/obm.icm.2602022
ID  - Sá2026
ER  -