Autonomic Nervous System Changes During Reiki Treatment: A Preliminary Study

The effect of reiki on fatigue and sleep quality in individuals with multiple sclerosis: a randomised controlled study

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of the application of Reiki on fatigue and sleep quality in people with MS. The study is a randomised controlled study. A total of 60 people (control group = 30, intervention group = 30) participated in this study. Personal Information Form, Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS) and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to collect data. It was found that the PFS and PSQI total and subcomponent scores of the intervention group decreased after Reiki compared to the control group and this was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The study showed that Reiki was significantly effective in improving fatigue and sleep quality in people with MS. As Reiki is a simple, inexpensive and accessible method, it was suggested that its use in the management of MS should be encouraged and maintained in nursing practice.

Reiki intervention for supporting healthcare professional care behaviors in pediatric palliative care: A pilot study

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in a palliative setting may experience challenges during their clinical practice in addressing the complex end-of-life phase of children and their families. Nurses, especially, have a frontline role in providing assistance, thereby becoming at risk of physical and psychological burden. Pediatric psychologists have an ethical responsibility to help colleagues by proposing self-care interventions that will improve their well-being and, indirectly, the work climate. This study investigated the impact of a complementary therapy, delivered by a pediatric psychologist and a nurse, on physical and psychological variables among nurses at the Paediatric Hospice of the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Italy.

METHODS

Thirty-five nurses participated in 5 weeks of Reiki sessions for an overall total of 175 sessions. The effect of the sessions was analyzed through a paired t-test analysis comparing the values of heart rate, oxygen saturation, and systolic and diastolic pressure collected before and after each session. The same test was conducted comparing the values of the 3 burnout subscales for each of the 35 nurses collected before the beginning of the first session with those collected at the end of the last session 2 months later.

RESULTS

Results underlined a positive short-term effect with a significant decrease in heart rate before and after each session (t = 11.5, p < .001) and in systolic pressure (t = 2, p < .05). In addition, a decrease in emotional exhaustion symptoms was found (t = 2.3, p < .05) at the end of the intervention.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Reiki could be a valid strategy to complement traditional pediatric psychology clinical practice designed to protect HCPs from emotional and physical demands and to create a more supportive workplace for staff and patients alike.

The effect of Reiki on fatigue and comfort in hemodialysis patients

OBJECTIVE

This prospective, single-blind, randomized parallel controlled study was conducted to determine the effects of distant Reiki on the fatigue and comfort levels of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment.

METHODS

The study was conducted in a private dialysis center located in one of the metropolises of Turkey between October 2020 and September 2021. Sixty-two patients receiving HD treatment were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 31) and control (n = 31) groups. Distant Reiki was administered to the patients in the intervention group three times a week for four weeks. Distant Reiki sessions were held the night before the patient's hemodialysis day and lasted approximately 36-40 min. The patients in the control group were administered routine treatment under the institutional policy without any further intervention. Data were collected using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). Measurements were performed before Reiki was applied, after Reiki was applied (the first day after the 12th session), and four weeks after the last measurement in order to assess whether Reiki has a long-term effect. The data obtained were assessed using Shapiro Wilk, Repeated Measures, Student's t, Pearson chi-square, Likelihood Ratio chi-square, and Fisher Exact chi-square tests.

RESULTS

The patients in the intervention and control groups were statistically similar in terms of their descriptive characteristics (p>0.05). The intervention group's fatigue score decreased from 5.42 (SD=1.20) to 3.44 (SD=1.00) immediately after the intervention and 3.21 (SD=0.86) four weeks after the intervention. In the control group, these values were 4.50 (SD=1.29), 4.70 (SD=1.22), and 4.65 (SD=1.02), respectively (p<0.05). The general comfort total score of the intervention group increased from 2.86 (SD=0.30) to 3.03 (SD=0.20) immediately after the intervention and 2.98 (SD=0.22) four weeks after the intervention. In the control group, these values were 2.71 (SD=0.33), 2.63 (SD=0.23), and 2.59 (SD=0.30), respectively (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

This research has shown that distant Reiki, as one of the non-pharmacological methods, positively affects the fatigue severity and comfort level of patients receiving HD treatment.

Evaluation of a Distance Reiki Program for Frontline Healthcare Workers' Health-Related Quality of Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Reiki is a biofield therapy which is based on the explanatory model that the fields of energy and information of living systems can be influenced to promote relaxation and stimulate a healing response.

Objective

To conduct a pragmatic within-subject pilot trial of a remote Reiki program for frontline healthcare workers' health-related symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Healthcare professionals in the UK (eg, physicians, nurses, and paramedics) were eligible to sign up for a distance Reiki program and were also invited to participate in the research study. Eight Reiki practitioners simultaneously gave each participant Reiki remotely for 20 minutes on 4 consecutive days. Feasibility of the research was assessed, including recruitment, data completeness, acceptability and intervention fidelity, and preliminary evaluation of changes in outcome measures. Participants' stress, anxiety, pain, wellbeing, and sleep quality were evaluated with 7-point numerical rating scales. Measures were completed when signing up to receive Reiki (pre) and following the final Reiki session (post). Pre and post data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed ranks tests.

Results

Seventy-nine healthcare professionals signed up to receive Reiki and took the baseline measures. Of those, 40 completed post-measures after the 4-day intervention and were therefore included in the pre-post analysis. Most participants were female (97.5%), and the mean age was 43.9 years old (standard deviations = 11.2). The study was feasible to conduct, with satisfactory recruitment, data completeness, acceptability, and fidelity. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests revealed statistically significant decreases in stress (M = -2.33; P < .001), anxiety (M = -2.79; P < .001) and pain (M = -.79; P < .001), and significant increases in wellbeing (M = -1.79; P < .001) and sleep quality (M = -1.33; P = .019).

Conclusions

The Reiki program was feasible and was associated with decreased stress, anxiety and pain, and increased wellbeing and sleep quality in frontline healthcare workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Evaluation of the Subjective Experience of Receiving Reiki: Qualitative Results from a Pragmatic Effectiveness Study

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the subjective experience of Reiki in a large sample. Design: The study design was a single-arm pragmatic effectiveness trial with qualitative questions completed post-Reiki session. Setting: The study took place at private Reiki practices across the United States. Subjects: A total of 99 Reiki practitioners met the inclusion criteria and participated in the study. Reiki practitioners invited each of their Reiki clients to complete a survey before and after the Reiki session. Of the N = 1575 Reiki sessions recorded, N = 1284 qualitative responses were completed (82% of total) and included in the analysis. Interventions: Trained and experienced Reiki masters conducted Reiki sessions in person, with each session lasting between 45 and 90 min. Outcome measures: Participants were asked to describe their experience during the Reiki session. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed eight major themes: (1) deep relaxation and calm (68%), (2) body sensations/somatic experiences (53%), (3) emotions (29%), (4) spiritual or symbolic significance (18%), (5) changes in symptoms (17%), (6) changes in perception (11%), (7) sleep and drowsiness (10%), and (8) changes to breathing (4%). Significantly more males reported feeling relaxed and experiencing time perception changes, whereas more females reported body sensations, emotions, visual perceptions, and spiritual significance. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that Reiki can elicit the relaxation response and alter emotions and perception in such a way as to facilitate a transformative subjective healing experience. Future work will analyze these themes as they relate to changes in symptoms and compare the experience of Reiki with other biofield therapies.

Does Reiki Benefit Mental Health Symptoms Above Placebo?

Background

Reiki is an energy healing technique or biofield therapy in which an attuned therapist places their hands on or near the client's body and sends energy to the client to activate the body's ability to heal itself and restore balance. It was developed in Japan at the end of the 19th century by Mikao Usui of Kyoto. Given the enormous international socioeconomic burden of mental health, inexpensive, safe, and evidenced-based treatments would be welcomed. Reiki is safe, inexpensive, and preliminary research suggests it may assist in treating a wide variety of illnesses. Given that Reiki is a biofield therapy, growing in use, and not yet accepted by the dominant biomedical paradigm, it is important to establish its effectiveness over placebo. This study aimed to examine Reiki's effectiveness over placebo in treating symptoms of mental health and to explore parameters for its effectiveness.

Method

A systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled trials (RPCTs) examining Reiki's effectiveness in treating symptoms of mental health in adults was conducted through a systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and ProQuest. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, and risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's Revised ROB 2 assessment tool. This was followed by a grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluations (GRADE) assessment.

Results

The evidence to date suggests that Reiki consistently demonstrates a greater therapeutic effect over placebo for some symptoms of mental health. The GRADE level of evidence is high for clinically relevant levels of stress and depression, moderate to high for clinically relevant levels of anxiety, low to moderate for normal levels of stress, and low to moderate for burnout, and low for normal levels of depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

The results suggest that, Reiki may be more effective in treating some areas of mental health, than placebo, particularly if symptoms are clinically relevant. To date, there are a small number of studies in each area, therefore findings are inconclusive and, more RCTs controlling for placebo in Reiki research are needed. Most included studies were also assessed as having a risk of bias of some concern. Incorporating Reiki as a complementary treatment to mainstream psychotherapy for depression, stress, and anxiety may be appropriate.

Systematic Review Registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/], identifier [CRD42020194311].

Changes in Keyboard Typing Accuracy and Spatial Perception after Cardiovascular Fitness Exercise

Background

This study aimed to identify the association between cardiopulmonary exercise and neurological activation by measuring dictation accuracy and the extent of spatial perception.

Methods

First of all, the body composition of subjects was analyzed to verify their physical abnormality. The subjects were given treadmill exercise using modified Bruce protocol. Before and after the treadmill exercise, a spatial perception test and dictation task with auditory and visual stimulation were carried out to identify the changes in neurological activation.

Results

The scores of spatial perception after treadmill exercise were higher than those before treadmill exercise (p < 0.05). In addition, the speed of the post-treadmill dictation task with visual stimulation was significantly increased compared to that of the pre-treadmill dictation task (p < 0.05). However, the accuracy of the post-treadmill dictation task with visual stimulation was significantly decreased compared to that of the pre-treadmill dictation task (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In this study, it was shown that spatial perception and speed of visual dictation were increased after treadmill exercise. These results suggest that cardiovascular fitness exercise increases spatial perception and typing speed by facilitating neurological activation.

Effect of Reiki Therapy on Quality of Life and Fatigue Levels of Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

The quality of life of patients receiving chemotherapy decreases, and fatigue is one of the most common symptoms. Reiki is used for cancer patients as an energy-based complementary and alternative method.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Reiki therapy on the quality of life and fatigue levels in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS

This was a pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental study with a control group: 70 patients enrolled with 35 participants in the experimental group and 35 in the control group. The experimental group received 6 sessions of Reiki therapy. The data were collected using a Patient Information Form, the Piper Fatigue Scale, and the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The mean scores on the general well-being subscale in the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire increased in the experimental group and decreased in the control group, whereas the mean scores on the general function and general symptom subscales decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (P < .001). The mean Piper Fatigue Scale scores of the experimental group decreased, whereas that of the control group increased; the group differences were statistically significant (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Reiki can reduce fatigue and increase the quality of life of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Reiki therapy can be used as a nursing intervention to increase the quality of life and reduce fatigue in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Effect of Reiki on the stress level of caregivers of patients with cancer: Qualitative and single-blind randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Reiki on stress levels of individuals caring for patients with cancer.

METHODS

The study was conducted a pretest-posttest, single-blind randomized controlled trial and qualitative study using a semi-structured in-depth interview. In this study, women who were primary caregivers of patients with cancer treated in a university hospital were randomized to Reiki and sham Reiki groups. The Reiki group received Reiki to nine main points for 45 min, once a week for 6 weeks, while the sham Reiki group received the same points during the same period without starting energy flow. CSI scores and salivary cortisol levels were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the study, whereas systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate were evaluated before and after application every week. After the study, the opinions of the Reiki group on Reiki experience were collected by using a questionnaire consisting of semi-structured questions.

RESULTS

The study was completed with a total of 42 caregivers. The sample size was calculated based on the difference in Caregiver Strain Index (CSI) scores before and after the intervention. According to the power analysis, with α = 0.05 and β = 0.20, the effect size was 1.71 and the power 99 %. Post-intervention CSI scores declined in the Reiki group compared with that in the sham Reiki group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of saliva cortisol levels (p > 0.05). According to the results of the general linear model repeated measure and Friedman tests, which were conducted to evaluate the change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate over a 6-week period, the values of these parameters decreased before and after each application compared with the caregivers in the sham Reiki group (p < 0.05). All caregivers stated that they found the caring process less stressful after the Reiki sessions and felt relieved compared with the pre-therapy period, and some of their physical complaints decreased.

CONCLUSION

Reiki reduces the stress levels of caregivers, is effective in regulating blood pressure and pulse rate, does not cause a significant change on saliva cortisol level, and provides relief to caregivers.

The effects of reiki on heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and stress levels: A pilot randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study

Reiki is a biofield energy therapy that focuses on optimizing the body's natural healing abilities by balancing the life force energy or qi/chi. Reiki has been shown to reduce stress, pain levels, help with depression/anxiety, increase relaxation, improve fatigue, and quality of life. In this pilot randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study, the effects of Reiki on heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, body temperature, and stress levels were explored in an effort to gain objective outcome measures and to understand the underlying physiological mechanisms of how Reiki may be having these therapeutic effects on subjective measures of stress, pain, relaxation, and depression/anxiety. Forty eight (n = 48) subjects were block randomized into three groups (Reiki treatment, sham treatment, and no treatment). The changes in pre- and post-treatment measurements for each outcome measure was analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) post hoc multiple comparison test, which found no statistically significant difference between any of the groups. The p-value for the comparison of Reiki and sham groups for heart rate was 0.053, which is very close to being significant and so, a definitive conclusion can not be made based on this pilot study alone. A second study with a larger sample size is warranted to investigate this finding further and perhaps with additional outcome measures to look at other possible physiological mechanisms that may underlie the therapeutic effects of Reiki.

Case report of instantaneous resolution of juvenile macular degeneration blindness after proximal intercessory prayer

An 18-year-old female lost the majority of her central vision over the course of three months in 1959. Medical records from 1960 indicate visual acuities (VA) of less than 20/400 for both eyes corresponding to legal blindness. On fundus examination of the eye there were dense yellowish-white areas of atrophy in each fovea and the individual was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration (JMD). In 1971, another examination recorded her uncorrected VA as finger counting on the right and hand motion on the left. She was diagnosed with macular degeneration (MD) and declared legally blind. In 1972, having been blind for over 12 years, the individual reportedly regained her vision instantaneously after receiving proximal-intercessory-prayer (PIP). Subsequent medical records document repeated substantial improvement; including uncorrected VA of 20/100 in each eye in 1974 and corrected VAs of 20/30 to 20/40 were recorded from 2001 to 2017. To date, her eyesight has remained intact for forty-seven years.

Mental Health Wellness and Biofield Therapies: An Integrative Review

Biofield therapies such as Healing Touch and Reiki increase relaxation, decrease anxiety and stress, and improve mood. Understanding the efficacy of these therapies in terms of mental health wellness is important for nurses interested in complementary and integrative care. The goal of the present integrative review was to investigate the state of knowledge regarding biofield therapies and the impact on anxiety, mood, and mental health wellness. Electronic databases were searched for articles available in English and published from 2014 to 2016. Biofield therapies show safety and promise in reducing anxiety, improving mood, and cultivating mental health and wellness.

Nontouch biofield therapy: a systematic review of human randomized controlled trials reporting use of only nonphysical contact treatment

OBJECTIVE AND CONTEXT: This review was designed to assess the quality and review the outcomes of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of biofield therapies (external qigong, Healing Touch, Johrei, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch) that report using only nonphysical touch forms of treatment. RCTs of nonphysical contact biofield therapies have the potential to contribute to an evidence base for health-promoting effects mediated through mechanisms outside the present understanding of biomedicine.

METHODS

Articles meeting inclusion criteria were identified from database and reference list searches and evaluated for a range of reporting and design items. Data were extracted to determine the range of protocol parameters and treatment outcomes. The final set of included RCTs were evaluated via a modified 5-item Jadad scale as well as by a set of 20 criteria that included items relevant to the early-phase nature of the trials and to the examination of nonphysical touch biofield therapy interventions.

RESULTS

Of 90 RCTs that assessed effectiveness of a biofield therapy in humans, 28 trials involving 1775 participants met additional inclusion criteria (most importantly a clearly reported use of only nonphysical contact treatment). The research designs of these 28 trials revealed marked heterogeneity in regard to condition treated, number and duration of treatments, nature of the control/comparison group, and outcome measures. Finally, 10 trials were excluded on the basis of low quality assessment scores. Twelve of the remaining 18 trials (7 Therapeutic Touch, 3 external qigong, 1 Reiki, and 1 Healing Touch) reported at least one primary outcome with statistically significant beneficial treatment outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The pilot study nature of essentially all the identified nonphysical contact biofield therapy RCTs, as reflected by low sample sizes alone, precludes drawing robust conclusions. Given this perspective, the finding that two thirds of the higher-scoring trials demonstrated at least partial effectiveness favors a continued research effort, especially in light of the translational value of biofield clinical trials for studies exploring the nature and physiologic basis of biofield healing.

Development of a hospital reiki training program: training volunteers to provide reiki to patients, families, and staff in the acute care setting

Creating a healing and healthy environment for patients, families, and staff is an ongoing challenge. As part of our hospital's Integrative Care Program, a Reiki Volunteer Program has helped to foster a caring and healing environment, providing a means for patients, family, and staff to reduce pain and anxiety and improve their ability to relax and be present. Because direct care providers manage multiple and competing needs at any given time, they may not be available to provide Reiki when it is needed. This program demonstrates that a volunteer-based program can successfully support nurses in meeting patient, family, and staff demand for Reiki services.

Reiki for depression and anxiety

BACKGROUND

Anxiety and depression affect many people. Treatments do not have complete success and often require people to take drugs for long periods of time. Many people look for other treatments that may help. One of those is Reiki, a 2500 year old treatment described as a vibrational or subtle energy therapy, and is most commonly facilitated by light touch on or above the body. There have been reports of Reiki alleviating anxiety and depression, but no specific systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of Reiki for treating anxiety and depression in people aged 16 and over.

SEARCH METHODS

Search of the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL - all years), the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group's Specialised Register (CCDANCTR - all years), EMBASE, (1974 to November 2014), MEDLINE (1950 to November 2014), PsycINFO (1967 to November 2014) and AMED (1985 to November 2014). Additional searches were carried out on the World Health Organization Trials Portal (ICTRP) together with ClinicalTrials.gov to identify any ongoing or unpublished studies. All searches were up to date as of 4 November 2014.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised trials in adults with anxiety or depression or both, with at least one arm treated with Reiki delivered by a trained Reiki practitioner.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The two authors independently decided on inclusion/exclusion of studies and extracted data. A prior analysis plan had been specified but was not needed as the data were too sparse.

MAIN RESULTS

We found three studies for inclusion in the review. One recruited males with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of non-metastatic prostate cancer who were not receiving chemotherapy and had elected to receive external-beam radiation therapy; the second study recruited community-living participants who were aged 55 years and older; the third study recruited university students.These studies included subgroups with anxiety and depression as defined by symptom scores and provided data separately for those subgroups. As this included only 25 people with anxiety and 17 with depression and 20 more with either anxiety or depression, but which was not specified, the results could only be reported narratively. They show no evidence that Reiki is either beneficial or harmful in this population. The risk of bias for the included studies was generally rated as unclear or high for most domains, which reduces the certainty of the evidence.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to say whether or not Reiki is useful for people over 16 years of age with anxiety or depression or both.

Sympathetic Arousal during a Touch-Based Healing Ritual Predicts Increased Well-Being

Objective. There is mounting evidence that more elaborate treatment rituals trigger larger nonspecific effects. The reasons for this remain unclear. In a pilot field study, we investigated the role of psychophysiological changes during a touch-based healing ritual for improvements in subjective well-being.Methods. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin conductance levels (SCL) were continuously assessed in 22 subjects before, during, and after a touch-based healing ritual. Participants rated their expectations and subjective well-being was assessed before and after the ritual by the “Short Questionnaire on Current Disposition”.Results. Subjective well-being increased significantly from before to after the ritual. The analysis of psychophysiological changes revealed a significant increase in respiratory rate from baseline to ritual, while skin conductance, heart rate, and heart rate variability did not change. Increases in SCL as well as decreases in respiratory rate from baseline to ritual were significantly associated with improvements in subjective well-being. Regression analyses showed increases in SCL to be the only significant predictor of improvements in well-being.Conclusion. Higher sympathetic arousal during a touch-based healing ritual predicted improvements in subjective well-being. Results suggest the occurrence of an anticipatory stress response, that is, a state of enhanced sympathetic activity that is known to precede relaxation.

Benefits of Reiki in older individuals with chronic pain

Reiki is characterized as a complementary therapy which involves the laying on of hands on human beings with the intention to re-establish the physical, mental and spiritual balance. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the benefits experienced with the practice of Reiki in older individuals with chronic non-cancer pain. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews, with open and closed-ended questions, were used for data collection. Data were collected between July and August of 2012. The study subjects were ten older patients with chronic non-cancer pain complaints, submitted to five Reiki sessions. The analysis proposed by Bardin was considered to evaluate the results. In conclusion, this therapeutic practice significantly improves chronic pain complaints, in addition to contributing to the balance of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of older people.

Asymmetric activation of the anterior cerebral cortex in recipients of IRECA: preliminary evidence for the energetic effects of an intention-based biofield treatment modality on human neurophysiology

OBJECTIVES

Neurophysiologic studies of mindfulness link the health benefits of meditation to activation of the left-anterior cerebral cortex. The similarity and functional importance of intention and attentional stance in meditative and biofield therapeutic practices suggest that modulation of recipient anterior asymmetric activation may mediate the energetic effects of intention-based biofield treatments as well. The aim of the current study was to test this hypothesis by using a treatment modality known as IRECA (Istituto di Ricerca sull'Energia Cosmica Applicata).

DESIGN

Participants' electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded over a 5-minute recovery period (subdivided into three 100-second intervals) while participants received genuine IRECA, placebo treatment, or no treatment, after completion of a cognitively demanding task.

PARTICIPANTS

21 undergraduate students (3 men and 18 women; mean age, 22.1 years). All were right-handed and none had a history of neurologic or psychological impairment.

OUTCOME MEASURES

(1) Alpha Asymmetry Index (AAI), a standard measure of anterior asymmetric activation of the cerebral cortex, defined as the average right hemisphere minus left hemisphere log alpha power of EEG recordings for homologous pairs of electrodes in frontal and prefrontal regions; (2) self-report measures of state anxiety obtained at baseline, before treatment, and after treatment, using a short form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

RESULTS

In line with predictions, recipients of IRECA showed enhanced left-anterior activation of the cerebral cortex relative to placebo and no-treatment controls (as indicated by significantly higher and significantly positive AAI scores) during the first 100 seconds of treatment, and they reported greater overall reduction in state anxiety relative to baseline measures.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides preliminary supporting evidence for an intention-based biofield therapeutic modality offsetting the negative effects of stress via sympathetic activation of recipients' left-anterior cerebral cortex.

Comparison of physical therapy with energy healing for improving range of motion in subjects with restricted shoulder mobility

Two forms of energy healing, Reconnective Healing (RH) and Reiki, which involve light or no touch, were tested for efficacy against physical therapy (PT) for increasing limited range of motion (ROM) of arm elevation in the scapular plane. Participants were assigned to one of 5 groups: PT, Reiki, RH, Sham Healing, or no treatment. Except for no treatment, participants were blinded as to grouping. Range of Motion, self-reported pain, and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed before and after a 10-minute session. On average, for PT, Reiki, RH, Sham Healing, and no treatment, respectively, ROM increased by 12°, 20°, 26°, 0.6°, and 3° and pain score decreased by 11.5%, 10.1%, 23.9%, 15.4%, and 0%. Physical therapy, Reiki, and RH were more effective than Sham Healing for increasing ROM (PT: F = 8.05, P = 0.008; Reiki: F = 10.48, P = 0.003; RH: F = 30.19, P < 0.001). It is possible that this improvement was not mediated by myofascial release because the subjects' HRV did not change, suggesting no significant increase in vagal activity. Sham treatment significantly reduced pain compared to no treatment (F = 8.4, P = 0.007) and was just as effective as PT, Reiki, and RH. It is the authors' opinion that the accompanying pain relief is a placebo effect.

Reiki therapy for postoperative oral pain in pediatric patients: pilot data from a double-blind, randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE

To examine the effects of Reiki as an adjuvant therapy to opioid therapy for postoperative pain control in pediatric patients.

METHODS

This was a double-blind, randomized controlled study of children undergoing dental procedures. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either Reiki therapy or the control therapy (sham Reiki) preoperatively. Postoperative pain scores, opioid requirements, and side effects were assessed. Family members were also asked about perioperative care satisfaction. Multiple linear regressions were used for analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight children participated. The blinding procedure was successful. No statistically significant difference was observed between groups on all outcome measures.

IMPLICATIONS

Our study provides a successful example of a blinding procedure for Reiki therapy among children in the perioperative period. This study does not support the effectiveness of Reiki as an adjuvant therapy to opioid therapy for postoperative pain control in pediatric patients.

Effects of spiritual healing for women undergoing long-term hormone therapy for breast cancer: a qualitative investigation

BACKGROUND

Spiritual Healing is widely available and used, but is a neglected area for research and its biologic and psychologic mechanisms are not understood. The side-effects of long-term hormonal therapy for breast cancer are onerous and have been reported to lead to "drug holidays" that could diminish the long-term treatment benefits. It was investigated whether Spiritual Healing could support patients with breast cancer undergoing this treatment.

METHODS

The qualitative observation study took place in a specialist research facility in a general hospital. Spiritual Healing was provided by 4 healers registered with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers. Twelve (12) patients with breast cancer undergoing long-term hormone treatment and who found the effects onerous, self-referred themselves and were given ten weekly sessions of approximately 40 minutes each. Data collected included participant's daily records, direct observations noted by healers, the researcher's field diary and a one-to-one semi-structured interview.

FINDINGS

The positive effects of Spiritual Healing included alleviation of the physical side-effects of their treatment, increased energy levels, enhanced well-being, emotional relaxation, and re-engagement with precancer activities. Although 1 participant admitted considering a drug holiday prior to joining the study, none of the participants felt tempted to stop their hormonal treatments while receiving Spiritual Healing.

CONCLUSIONS

These qualitative findings indicate that Spiritual Healing has the potential to support patients with breast cancer in the maintenance of their long-term orthodox treatments. Further research is needed to test Spiritual Healing as a cost-effective complementary therapy, for those undergoing long-term cancer treatments.

Reiki training for caregivers of hospitalized pediatric patients: a pilot program

To explore the feasibility of a Reiki therapy-training program for the caregivers of pediatric medical or oncology inpatients, at a large pediatric hospital, a series of Reiki training classes were offered by a Reiki Master. At completion of the training, an interview was conducted to elicit participant's feedback regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of the training program. Seventeen of the 18 families agreed to participate. Most families (65%) attended three Reiki training sessions, reporting that Reiki benefitted their child by improving their comfort (76%), providing relaxation (88%), and pain relief (41%). All caregivers identified becoming an active participant in their child's care as a major gain from participation in the Reiki training. A hospital-based Reiki training program for caregivers of hospitalized pediatric patients is feasible and can positively impact patients and their families. More rigorous research regarding the benefits of Reiki in the pediatric population is needed.

Effect of biofield therapy in the human brain

OBJECTIVES

The effects of Okada Purifying Therapy (OPT), a form of subtle energy (biofield) therapy that originated in Japan, were investigated. Electroencephalograms and the Profile of Mood States scores were measured using a crossover design during OPT and placebo sessions.

PARTICIPANTS

Nineteen (19) healthy Japanese adults (mean age±standard deviation: 40.8±11.2 years; 10 females) with no previous experience of biofield therapy participated in this study.

METHODS

Each session lasted 15 minutes. A single-blind, randomized design with a protocol consisting of regular cycles with eyes open followed by eyes closed was used. The power spectral value was calculated in θ (4.0-7.9 Hz), α (8.0-12.9 Hz), and β (13.0-29.9 Hz) frequency ranges.

RESULTS

The power spectral value of the α band at F(p1), F(p2), F(7), F(z), F(8), C(3), C(z), C(4), and P(z) increased significantly in the OPT session compared with the placebo session. Mood state was improved after both sessions, and no significant difference was found between the two sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

OPT was more effective in increasing α waves in the frontal and central cortex than a placebo treatment.

The application of Reiki in nurses diagnosed with Burnout Syndrome has beneficial effects on concentration of salivary IgA and blood pressure

This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of the secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), α-amylase activity and blood pressure levels after the application of a Reiki session in nurses with Burnout Syndrome. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design was conducted to compare the immediate effects of Reiki versus control intervention (Hand-off sham intervention) in nurses with Burnout Syndrome. Sample was composed of eighteen nurses (aged 34-56 years) with burnout syndrome. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a Reiki treatment or a placebo (sham Reiki) treatment, according to the established order in two different days. The ANOVA showed a significant interaction time x intervention for diastolic blood pressure (F=4.92, P=0.04) and sIgA concentration (F=4.71, P=0.04). A Reiki session can produce an immediate and statistically significant improvement in sIgA concentration and diastolic blood pressure in nurses with Burnout Syndrome.

Randomized expectancy-enhanced placebo-controlled trial of the impact of Quantum BioEnergetic distant healing and paranormal belief on mood disturbance: a pilot study

CONTEXT

Previous research has demonstrated the effects of ostensible subtle energy on physical systems and subjective experience. However, one subtle energy technique that has been neglected, despite anecdotal support for its efficacy, is Quantum BioEnergetics (QBE). Furthermore, the influence of paranormal belief and experience (either real belief/experience or suggested belief/experience) on subtle energy effects remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to investigate experimentally the effects of distant QBE healing, and paranormal belief/experience, on mood.

DESIGN

A randomized expectancy-enhanced placebo-controlled design was used.

SETTING

Data were collected at the QBE Centre, Melbourne.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were students from Deakin University and from the general public.

METHODS

Snowball sampling (ie, word-of-mouth) and convenience sampling using a ballot box placed in the university library.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Profile of Mood States-Short Form was used to quantify positive and negative mood states.

RESULTS

The QBE condition was associated with (1) significantly less Tension-Anxiety compared with the placebo and control condition; and (2) significantly less Anger-Hostility and Total Mood Disturbance compared with the control condition (but not the placebo condition). Furthermore, there was an interaction of condition and paranormal belief/experience with regard to Depression-Dejection, with believers assigned to the placebo condition scoring lowest on this Mood variable.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that the use of QBE by an experienced practitioner reduces mood disturbance. In addition, the placebo condition may have evoked suggestibility effects in believers, which would mean that they may be more likely than nonbelievers to believe that they were receiving healing, thus resulting in lower Depression-Dejection scores.

Biofield therapies in cardiovascular disease management: a brief review

Though there have been advances over the last 30 years in the therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular disease (CVD), heart disease and stroke remain the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Many medical therapies for CVD are associated with a number of side effects, often leading patients to seek non-pharmacological treatments to complement standard care. Referred to as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), these therapies consist of a heterogeneous group of modalities used in addition to conventional health care. Biofield therapies exist within this CAM domain and involve the direction of healing energy to facilitate general health and well-being by modifying the energy field. What follows is a brief overview of three biofield therapies developed or used within the field of nursing (Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and Healing Touch), surveying the use of these interventions for individuals with CVD, and outcomes that may impact CVD risk factors and health-related quality of life.

Immediate Effects of Reiki on Heart Rate Variability, Cortisol Levels, and Body Temperature in Health Care Professionals With Burnout

Burnout is a work-related mental health impairment comprising three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Reiki aims to help replenish and rebalance the body’s energetic system, thus stimulating the healing process. The objective of this placebo-controlled, repeated measures, crossover, single-blind, randomized trial was to analyze the immediate effects of Reiki on heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature, and salivary flow rate and cortisol level in health care professionals with burnout syndrome (BS). Participants included 21 health care professionals with BS, who were asked to complete two visits to the laboratory with a 1-week interval between sessions. They were randomly assigned the order in which they would receive a Reiki session applied by an experienced therapist and a placebo treatment applied by a therapist with no knowledge of Reiki, who mimicked the Reiki treatment. Temperature, Holter ECG recordings (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval [SDNN], square root of mean squared differences of successive NN intervals [RMSSD], HRV index, low frequency component [LF], and high frequency component [HF]), salivary flow rate and cortisol levels were measured at baseline and postintervention by an assessor blinded to allocation group. SDNN and body temperature were significantly higher after the Reiki treatment than after the placebo. LF was significantly lower after the Reiki treatment. The decrease in the LF domain was associated with the increase in body temperature. These results suggest that Reiki has an effect on the parasympathetic nervous system when applied to health care professionals with BS.

A randomised controlled single-blind trial of the efficacy of reiki at benefitting mood and well-being

This is a constructive replication of a previous trial conducted by Bowden et al. (2010), where students who had received Reiki demonstrated greater health and mood benefits than those who received no Reiki. The current study examined impact on anxiety/depression. 40 university students—half with high depression and/or anxiety and half with low depression and/or anxiety—were randomly assigned to receive Reiki or to a non-Reiki control group. Participants experienced six 30-minute sessions over a period of two to eight weeks, where they were blind to whether noncontact Reiki was administered as their attention was absorbed in a guided relaxation. The efficacy of the intervention was assessed pre-post intervention and at five-week follow-up by self-report measures of mood, illness symptoms, and sleep. The participants with high anxiety and/or depression who received Reiki showed a progressive improvement in overall mood, which was significantly better at five-week follow-up, while no change was seen in the controls. While the Reiki group did not demonstrate the comparatively greater reduction in symptoms of illness seen in our earlier study, the findings of both studies suggest that Reiki may benefit mood.

The effect of distant reiki on pain in women after elective Caesarean section: a double-blinded randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Approximately 25% of all babies in North America are delivered via Caesarean section (C-section). Though a common surgical procedure, C-section recovery can be painful. Opioids, specifically codeine, are commonly used to ease pain; however, its active metabolite, morphine, passes into breast milk, and may produce unwanted side effects in neonates; therefore, alternatives to opioids are being sought. Reiki is an ancient Japanese form of healing where practitioners transfer healing energy through light touch and positive healing intention. Although 1.2 million Americans use reiki to reduce pain or depression, there is a lack of strong evidence supporting its effectiveness. A recent systematic review showed existing studies to be of poor methodological quality, with the common limitation of lack of blinding. To overcome this issue, the authors used distant reiki to assess its effectiveness in reducing pain following an elective C-section.

METHODS

In this randomised, double-blinded study, women who underwent an elective C-section were allocated to either usual care (control, n=40) or three distant reiki sessions in addition to usual care (n=40). Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The primary endpoint was the Area Under the VAS-Time Curve (AUC) for days 1-3. Secondary measures included: the proportion of women who required opioid medications and dose consumed, rate of healing and vital signs.

RESULTS

AUC for pain was not significantly different in the distant reiki and control groups (mean ± SD; 212.1 ± 104.7 vs 223.1 ± 117.8; p=0.96). There were no significant differences in opioid consumption or rate of healing; however, the distant reiki group had a significantly lower heart rate (74.3 ± 8.1 bpm vs 79.8 ± 7.9 bpm, p=0.003) and blood pressure (106.4 ± 9.7 mmHg vs 111.9 ± 11.0 mmHg, p=0.02) post surgery.

CONCLUSION

Distant reiki had no significant effect on pain following an elective C-section. Clinical Trial Registration Number ISRCTN79265996.

The effect of Reiki on work-related stress of the registered nurse

PURPOSE

The Reiki Master Teacher group at a large academic, urban medical center studied the effects of Reiki on work-related stress in Registered Nurse Reiki I class participants. Research suggests that work-related stress is an influential factor in nursing burn out and retention. Reiki, an ancient form of Oriental "energy work" or healing, has been found to decrease stress.

METHODS

The Perceived Stress Scale tool was administered prior to the Reiki I class and after three weeks of practicing self-Reiki.

FINDINGS

Seventeen participants returned follow-up data. Results indicated that practicing Reiki more often resulted in reduced perceived stress levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from this small pilot study supports educating nurses about Reiki practice to decrease work-related stress.

Biofield therapies: helpful or full of hype? A best evidence synthesis

BACKGROUND

Biofield therapies (such as Reiki, therapeutic touch, and healing touch) are complementary medicine modalities that remain controversial and are utilized by a significant number of patients, with little information regarding their efficacy.

PURPOSE

This systematic review examines 66 clinical studies with a variety of biofield therapies in different patient populations.

METHOD

We conducted a quality assessment as well as a best evidence synthesis approach to examine evidence for biofield therapies in relevant outcomes for different clinical populations.

RESULTS

Studies overall are of medium quality, and generally meet minimum standards for validity of inferences. Biofield therapies show strong evidence for reducing pain intensity in pain populations, and moderate evidence for reducing pain intensity hospitalized and cancer populations. There is moderate evidence for decreasing negative behavioral symptoms in dementia and moderate evidence for decreasing anxiety for hospitalized populations. There is equivocal evidence for biofield therapies' effects on fatigue and quality of life for cancer patients, as well as for comprehensive pain outcomes and affect in pain patients, and for decreasing anxiety in cardiovascular patients.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for further high-quality studies in this area. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Reiki for the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Fibromyalgia is a common, chronic pain condition for which patients frequently use complementary and alternative medicine, including Reiki. Our objective was to determine whether Reiki is beneficial as an adjunctive fibromyalgia treatment.

DESIGN

This was a factorial designed, randomized, sham-controlled trial in which participants, data collection staff, and data analysts were blinded to treatment group.

SETTING/LOCATION

The study setting was private medical offices in the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area.

SUBJECTS

The subjects were comprised 100 adults with fibromyalgia.

INTERVENTION

Four (4) groups received twice-weekly treatment for 8 weeks by either a Reiki master or actor randomized to use direct touch or no touch (distant therapy).

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was subjective pain as measured by visual analog scale at weeks 4, 8, and 20 (3 months following end of treatment). Secondary outcomes were physical and mental functioning, medication use, and health provider visits. Participant blinding and adverse effects were ascertained by self-report. Improvement between groups was examined in an intention-to-treat analysis.

RESULTS

Neither Reiki nor touch had any effect on pain or any of the secondary outcomes. All outcome measures were nearly identical among the 4 treatment groups during the course of the trial.

CONCLUSION

Neither Reiki nor touch improved the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Energy medicine modalities such as Reiki should be rigorously studied before being recommended to patients with chronic pain symptoms.

Experience of proximate spiritual healing in women with breast cancer, who are receiving long-term hormonal therapy

BACKGROUND

This paper presents the research protocol for a pragmatic study of the experience of spiritual healing. This unique qualitative study seeks to identify any qualitative benefits of hands-on or proximate spiritual healing for women experiencing adverse reactions to hormonal treatments. Healing will be administered as adjuvant therapy for the long-term management of breast cancer.

DESIGN

A purposive sample of up to 20 women who have completed their initial treatments at least 6 months previously will be recruited through the Oncology Department at Southampton General Hospital. The study will take place at the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility within Southampton General Hospital, where spiritual healing will be provided by healers who are National Federation of Spiritual Healers registered. Patients will be offered up to 10 weekly healing sessions.

OUTCOME

Patients will be asked to keep a daily log noting any changes they have noticed during or after the healing sessions and their attributions of these. Audio recorded in-depth interviews will be carried out after completion of the final healing. Participants will also be invited to attend focus group meetings to discuss any effects of healing. Data will be analyzed initially using an ethnographic approach allowing further analysis using other appropriate qualitative methodologies. Depending on the findings, this study will also form the preliminary stage of a further study to develop and evaluate a healing-specific questionnaire.

Effects of reiki in clinical practice: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this systematic review is to summarise and critically evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of reiki.

METHODS

We searched the literature using 23 databases from their respective inceptions through to November 2007 (search again 23 January 2008) without language restrictions. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad score.

RESULTS

The searches identified 205 potentially relevant studies. Nine randomised clinical trials (RCTs) met our inclusion criteria. Two RCTs suggested beneficial effects of reiki compared with sham control on depression, while one RCT did not report intergroup differences. For pain and anxiety, one RCT showed intergroup differences compared with sham control. For stress and hopelessness a further RCT reported effects of reiki and distant reiki compared with distant sham control. For functional recovery after ischaemic stroke there were no intergroup differences compared with sham. There was also no difference for anxiety between groups of pregnant women undergoing amniocentesis. For diabetic neuropathy there were no effects of reiki on pain. A further RCT failed to show the effects of reiki for anxiety and depression in women undergoing breast biopsy compared with conventional care.

DISCUSSION

In total, the trial data for any one condition are scarce and independent replications are not available for each condition. Most trials suffered from methodological flaws such as small sample size, inadequate study design and poor reporting.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the evidence is insufficient to suggest that reiki is an effective treatment for any condition. Therefore the value of reiki remains unproven.