NCT06552728

The Effects of Energy Healing in Fibromyalgia

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 25 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of California, Irvine · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to study the clinical effects of Energy Healing using fMRI and determine its application to Fibromyalgia patients. We also want to find out how active Energy Healing compares to sham Energy Healing in terms of brain connectivity and pain interference scores.

Detailed description

The primary objective is to investigate the effects of energy healing as compared to sham EH on brain connectivity of the insula/salience network, sensory motor network, and default mode network as primary outcomes using fcMRI. The secondary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of EH in reducing clinical pain severity and interference (secondary outcomes) and their relationship to brain connectivity (secondary outcomes) as compared to placebo/sham EH. The exploratory objective is to understand the effects of EH versus sham EH on brain functional response to visual stimuli, insular glutamate, heart rate variability, mood, sleep, and fatigue symptoms in fibromyalgia patients (all exploratory outcomes).

Conditions

• Fibromyalgia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Energy Healing	EH derives from the theory that by using the body's biological energy, there can be a therapeutic effect that guides the patient towards a homeostatic state. Preliminary data in chronic pain patients, suggests that EH, delivered by an experienced practitioner, is able to reduce self-reported pain symptoms within minutes. Effects lasting for weeks to months have also been anecdotally reported. For patients with pain, this can result in a reduction of symptoms. Participants will also be presented with sham EH as a control.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-12-03
• Primary completion: 2026-12-01
• Completion: 2027-05-01
• First posted: 2024-08-14
• Last updated: 2025-10-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States