User:Skept101/Tong Ren Treatment

Tong Ren
Tong Ren is a form of energy healing developed for the restoration of health and vigor (Tong Ren Technique, n.d.). Developed by licensed acupuncturist, Tom Tam, the practice is based on the premise that disease is caused by a hiatus in the body’s natural flow of chi, or life force energy (Gorski, 2008; Tong Ren Technique, n.d.). The purpose of applying Tong Ren is to rid the body of interruptions and blockages so that the body maintains its natural ability to heal itself. It does not require physical contact, so it is often administered at a distance. The combination of the ancient concept of chi and scientific knowledge of anatomy and physiology is believed to form a compelling technique that has been claimed to both effectively treat and successfully cure chronic and threatening illnesses such as cancers, AIDS, autoimmune disorders, anxiety, and depression, among others (Tong Ren Technique, n.d.).

During a session of Tong Ren, a practitioner taps the target points of pain with a small, magnetic hammer on an anatomical model of the patient (Gorski, 2008; Tong Ren Technique, n.d.; Tong Ren Therapy, 2008). The practitioner then, controls the conduction of chi to those points of interest in order to break them down. Once these blockages are said to have broken down, the body’s natural processes of blood flow, neural transmission, and hormone reception are restored to homeostasis, and the body can heal.

Evidence of the validity of Tong Ren consists of self-surveys and patient reports of positive healing results (Gorski, 2008; Tong Ren Therapy, 2008). Aside from these testimonials, practitioners claim that favorable results are more likely to occur when the patient’s confidence in the procedure is increased by hearing of the successful healing of others (Gorski, 2008). Such evidence has been deemed as anecdotal and characteristic of alternative health practices (Gorski, 2008; Tong Ren Therapy, 2008). According to surgeon Dr. David Gorski (2008), Tong Ren has not yet been tested in clinical trials, or with randomized and double-blind procedures. Therefore, a patient undergoing the standard treatments for their disease such as chemotherapy, along with the alternative treatment, attributes their improvement in health to Tong Ren rather than the standard treatment (Gorski, 2008; Tong Ren Therapy, 2008).

The media only informs the public of the results of pilot studies that typically yield positive results (Gorski, 2008; Tong Ren Therapy, 2008). However, a pilot study simply determines the most appropriate experimental design for later studies that will effectively test the research. The results of those later, conclusive studies that yield negative results are less likely to be revealed to the public (Tong Ren Therapy, 2008).