Foster as well as Michael Janson, MD, past president of the American Preventive Medicine Association, tell WebMD that use of acupuncture during surgery can reduce or even eliminate the need for anesthesia, although no one in the U.S. is familiar enough with the technique yet to use it for this purpose. Currently, acupuncture is not widely available in hospitals for surgery patients because of the problems of paying and coordinating an acupuncturist in a surgical unit. However, if patient demand for such a service increases, more hospitals may offer it. All of these involve touching or bringing the hands close to a person's body in order to alter their energy for the purposes of healing. Currently, there is no good scientific support for Reiki and very little for therapeutic touch.
Preliminary evidence shows that massage can affect the hormonal and immune system.
It is clear, however, that all these techniques relax people tremendously, which offers its own healing benefits. While some enhance the healing response, others interfere with medical treatment and may even prove dangerous when taken around the time of surgery. For instance, L-arginine and glutamine supplements appear to promote healing, while ginkgo, ginger, and other herbs increase the risk of excess bleeding after surgery. The only way to be safe is to tell your doctor what you are taking and ask advice about what to stop or start taking before surgery. Complementary medicine is definitely gaining popularity among consumers and will continue to grow along with patient demand, according to experts such as Janson and Foster.