Articles

That Healing Touch
Method relieves maladies, say its Tucson believers
The Arizona Daily Star
Final Edition, Tucson, Tuesday, May 14, 1996
By: Ed Severson

A number of Tucsonans swear that mere touching - not antibiotics, nor surgery, not even a dose of Tylenol - has helped relieve their ailments.

We're not talking that tired, achy-all-over feeling either, but maladies such as sciatica, epilepsy and arthritis.

"I have no idea how it works," said Paul Bucky, 45, who heads up the International Foundation of Bio-Magnetics, which teaches and provides Bio-Magnetic Touch Healing^TM.

The non-profit, tax-exempt educational foundation is housed in a small, homey suite of offices at 5447 E. Fifth St. In a living-room-like atmosphere, you know you're not in the standard "What insurance do you carry?" medical office.

The foundation has to other such centers, one in Honolulu and another in Belo Horizonte in southeast Brazil.

The hands-on method employs very light "butterfly-like"touches on various parts of the body, which, according to Bucky, activate the body's curative powers.

"We're not faith healers," Bucky said, "We don't slam people on the head, and they go home healed."

Some of those who have had the free treatments, however, insist that the results have been astonishing.

"I couldn't raise my arm," said Julia Janka, 78, who injured her shoulder in a fall.

"The doctors weren't helping me and I was so sore that I was frantic."

Janka, who has been having treatments since the end of September, said that her shoulder is now "perfect."

"Eventually, it would probably have healed," she said. "But this was a little healing that goes faster."

Sherry Landry, 45, said that her right leg, which had been numb, responded after a couple of treatments.

It's still numb every now and then, but not like it used to be," said Landry, who has been getting three treatments a week.

An epileptic, she said that her seizures are also much lighter since she began treatments.

Bucky learned about touch healing from a cigar-smoking Colorado mining engineer named Norman Cochran.

Cochran had stumbled onto the technique one day when the pregnant wife of a friend as hemorrhaging.

"He had an overwhelming desire to help," Bucky said.

"If you let me touch your wife, I think I can help her," Cochran said.

He did. The oman stopped hemorrhaging and carried the baby to full term.

Bucky became involved with Cochran when Cochran relieved his sciatica through touching. When word got out of Cochran's skills, people came from all over for help.

"Then he started teaching people, and found out anybody could do it," Bucky said.

"I just sort of hung out and created a public awareness of touch healing."

Bucky also came up with its trademark name, Bio-Magnetic Touch HEaling. In addition, he set up the foundation.

After he and Cochran parted because of "differences of philosophy," Bucky and his wife, Cheryl, set up the center in Honolulu. Two and a half years ago, they came to Tucson to set up the center here.

Although there is no charge for a 15 - 20 minute session, during which specific points on the body are lightly touched, donations are accepted.

"Some people just leave us fruit," Bucky said.

An introductory touch-healing course, which includes a manual, video and two days of training, costs $48.

The course leading to certification costs $60 and includes a series of 12 evening classes over a month's period.

Bucky said that about 60 people have been certified in Tucson since the center opened.

"Everyone's effective, the very first time they touch," said Bucky, how calls the method a complimentary technique" to standard medicine.

No special exercises, diets or other lifestyle changes are required. "We accept everybody where they're at," Bucky said.

"We don't change anything about them" such as urging them to stop smoking or halt conventional medical care.

Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at University Medical Center, said there are a number of touch therapies similar to Bio-Magnetic Touch Healing.

Most, which originated in China work on the belief that there is some kind of energy flow in the body that can be manipulated by touching.

"I can't see that they do any harm," he said. "they might do some good."

He said the concept of energy flow around the body, which is central to Eastern medicine, has never been taken seriously by Western science.

"I am certainly open to the idea that there is something there, and that it can be manipulated," he said.

"There is a lot of testimonial evidence about (touch therapy's effects."

Many who have had Bio-Magnetic Touch Healing^TM are quite happy to add their testimonials for the technique.

Jan Lockett, 47, who has treatments three times a week, said that when she began, her arthritis and gout were so bad that she used canes to walk.

Within eight weeks, she had shown considerable improvement, and she soon gave up the cane.

"Now, I've discontinued the use of all arthritis or any anti-inflammatory medication," she said.

Like others who feel that they have been helped by Bio-Magnetic Touch Healing^TM, she has no idea why the method has been effective for her.

"Quite frankly, I don't care," she said.

"It works."

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