Effect of Healing on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trial

— RAhealing  

Official title:

Effect of Healing on Rheumatoid Arthritis: a Three-arm Double-blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00967395
• Other study ID #: (KF) 01-123/04
• Secondary ID: (KF) 01-123/04
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: August 26, 2009
• Last updated: January 5, 2012
• Start date: January 2008
• Est. completion date: September 2009

Study information

• Verified date: January 2012
• Source: Frederiksberg University Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Denmark: The Regional Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The hypothesis is that healing may influence the patient's general status by altering psychological as well as other body functions of importance for the rheumatoid arthritis. This is tested in a three group design with a control group and two groups receiving healing with or without a healer present. The study is randomized and double blind.

Description:

The central claim of healers is that this process facilitates self-healing in the patient. Spiritual healing includes several categories, including 'therapeutic touch' and 'intercessory prayer', and the healing may be attributed to God, spirits, universal forces or energies, biological healing energies residing in the healer, or self-healing powers or energies thought to reside latent in the healed organism. The highly controversial hypothesized effects of distant or spiritual healing contradict our traditional sense of reality and are in conflict with what is generally viewed as being in correspondence with modern science.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 90
• Est. completion date: September 2009
• Est. primary completion date: January 2009
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a stable medication the past 3 months written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not able to arrange own transport, language problems

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Health Services Research

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Arthritis
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Intervention

Other:
• Healing
Healing in our study is given be a healer "no-touch", who just has to be present in the room.
• Sham healing
Sham Healing in our study is given be a student "no-touch", who just has to be present in the room.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Henning Bliddal	Oak Foundation, The Danish Rheumatism Association, The IMK Foundation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	DAS28		8 weeks follow-up	No
Secondary	Colour Doppler fraction		8 weeks follow-up	No