International Study of Biofield Therapy

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Participants from 14 different countries received a single session of biofield therapy (Okada Purifying Therapy) lasting 30 minutes or longer from the volunteer practitioners. Before and after the therapy, they reported the severity of physical pain, anxiety/depression, dizziness/palpitation, and overall symptoms. The team compared the effectiveness/safety of biofield therapy between countries and analyzed the factors associated with the outcomes.

Detailed Description
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Participants aged 16 or older from 14 different countries (Japan, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Taiwan, Thai, South Korea, Belgium, France, Portugal, and Spain) received a single session of biofield therapy (Okada Purifying Therapy) lasting 30 minutes or longer from the volunteer practitioners in their country of residence. Before and after the intervention, they reported each severity level of physical pain, anxiety/depression, dizziness/palpitation, and overall symptoms. The team compared the improvement/exacerbation rate of a single session of biofield therapy between the countries, and examined the adjusted odds ratio of the variables associated with the changes in each category of symptoms in a real-world setting.

Official Title
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International Cross-sectional Study on the Effectiveness of Biofield Therapy for the Relief of Various Symptoms

Conditions
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Pain, Depression, Anxiety, Dizziness, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Okada Purifying Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Individuals who agreed to receive a single session of biofield therapy for 30 minutes or longer from the volunteer investigators. Individuals who were able to self-evaluate the change of their symptoms. Individuals who were competent to answer the questionnaires. Individuals who were aged 16 or older. Exclusion Criteria: no specific exclusion criteria

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 16 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Other: Okada Purifying Therapy|The practitioner raises his/her hand forward towards the recipient with the palm directed toward the recipient. The practitioner uses his/her hands alternately during the administration of Okada Purifying Therapy. The distance between the palm and the body is usually 1-2 feet, with each session typically lasting 30 to 60 minutes.|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| improvement/exacerbation rate of symptoms after a single session of biofield therapy | The Mann-Whitney test was conducted to compare the improvement/exacerbation rates between countries. | Up to one year after all the data were collected. | 
| adjusted odds ratio of the factors associated with the changes in symptoms | Logistic regression analyses | Up to one year after all the data were collected. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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biofield therapy, ethnic differences, Okada Purifying Therapy, effectiveness, safety