It's just a form of guided meditation where you focus your attention on the practitioner's touch, so it does exactly what meditation does (which is potentially

It's just a form of guided meditation where you focus your attention on the practitioner's touch, so it does exactly what meditation does (which is potentially relaxation, reduction in anxiety, reduction in pain perception, improvement of mental health). The claims that it cures specific non-mental ailments are of course bullshit, but the meditation part is real, although you can get the same effect from any other meditative practice.