Reiki Practitioners Research Articles

The Effects of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Patients Attending a Day Oncology and Infusion Services Unit

Reiki is a system of natural healing techniques administered by laying of hands and transferring energy from the Reiki practitioner to the recipient. We investigated the role of Reiki in the management of anxiety, pain and global wellness in cancer patients. Building on the results of a pilot project conducted between 2003 and 2005 by a volunteer association at our hospital, a wider, 3-year study was conducted at the same center. The volunteer Reiki practitioners received 2 years of theory and practical training. The study population was 118 patients (67 women and 51 men; mean age, 55 years) with cancer at any stage and receiving any kind of chemotherapy. Before each session, the nurses collected the patient's personal data and clinical history. Pain and anxiety were evaluated according to a numeric rating scale by the Reiki practitioners. Each session lasted about 30 min; pain and anxiety scores were recorded using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), together with a description of the physical feelings the patients perceived during the session. All 118 patients received at least 1 Reiki treatment (total number, 238). In the subgroup of 22 patients who underwent the full cycle of 4 treatments, the mean VAS anxiety score decreased from 6.77 to 2.28 (P <.000001) and the mean VAS pain score from 4.4 to 2.32 (P = .091). Overall, the sessions were felt helpful in improving well-being, relaxation, pain relief, sleep quality and reducing anxiety. Offering Reiki therapy in hospitals could respond to patients' physical and emotional needs.

Reiki: An Ancient Healing Art-Modern Nursing Practice

Zeynep Erdogan, Marmara Universitesi Saglik Bilimleri Fakultesi Hemsirelik Bolumu, Haydarpasa Kampusu, Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkiye, Tel. 0216 3302070 Email. zeynerdogan@hotmail.com Gelis Tarihi: 01.06.2011 • Kabul Tarihi: 05.07.2011 ABSTRACT Complementary and alternative therapies have been widely used since 1990s, although it has been used since human beings existed. Reiki, one of the complementary and alternative therapies, is a Japanese word and a noninvasif treatment method withouth side effects and negative effects on actual treatment. It prevents various acute and chronic conditions and helps treatment. Its application is simple and cost effective. Reiki is widely used in rehabilitation units, hospices, emergency care units, psychiatric clinics, operating rooms, nursing home / elder care homes, pediatric clinics, gynecology clinics, and maternity and neonatal care clinics. Reiki can be applied by nurses trained as fi rst-degree reiki practitioners, unlicensed reiki practitioners, care-makers and family members in hospitals and clinics. Evaluation of evidence-based randomized controlled trials related to therapeutic effects of Reiki has showed that it has affects such as pain relief (especially postoperative and cancer), recovery from anxiety / depression, improvement of the quality of life, recovery from the fatigue, regulation of the blood pressure and the pulse, maintainance of the relaxation and comfort. It completes standard nursing care.

The Development and Validation of an Outcome Measure for Spiritual Healing: A Mixed Methods Study

Background: Spiritual healing, probably the oldest documented paramedical intervention, is a neglected area of research. In order to conduct further research into the effects of healing, a valid and reliable outcome measure is needed that captures the experience of individuals receiving healing (healees) and is not burdensome to complete. We aimed to develop such a measure. Methods: A mixed methods design was used. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were used to generate and refine questionnaire items grounded in the experiences and language of healees (Study 1). The resulting questionnaire was tested and its formal psychometric properties were evaluated (Study 2). Participants were recruited from a spiritual healing sanctuary and via individual healers (including registered spiritual healers, Reiki practitioners, healers affiliated with churches). Results: In Study 1, 24 participants took part in 7 focus groups and 6 cognitive interviews. 29 common effects were identified and grouped into 7 discrete dimensions that appeared to characterize potentially sustainable effects reported by participants following their experiences of spiritual healing. In Study 2, 393 participants returned completed baseline questionnaires, 243 of whom completed the questionnaire again 1–6 weeks later. Exploratory factor analysis generated 5 subscales, based on 20 of the items: outlook, energy, health, relationships and emotional balance. These subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, convergent validity and test-retest reliability. Three of the subscales and the whole questionnaire demonstrated good sensitivity to change. Conclusions: We have produced a psychometrically sound healing impact questionnaire that is acceptable to healees, healers and researchers for use in future evaluations of spiritual healing.

Mother Cabrini and the Anatomy of an Illness

Mother Cabrini and the Anatomy of an Illness

A Systematic Review of the Therapeutic Effects of Reiki

Reiki is an ancient form of Japanese healing. While this healing method is widely used for a variety of psychologic and physical symptoms, evidence of its effectiveness is scarce and conflicting. The purpose of this systematic review was to try to evaluate whether Reiki produces a significant treatment effect. Studies were identified using an electronic search of Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Quality of reporting was evaluated using a modified CONSORT Criteria for Herbal Interventions, while methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad Quality score. Two (2) researchers selected articles based on the following features: placebo or other adequate control, clinical investigation on humans, intervention using a Reiki practitioner, and published in English. They independently extracted data on study design, inclusion criteria, type of control, sample size, result, and nature of outcome measures. The modified CONSORT Criteria indicated that all 12 trials meeting the inclusion criteria were lacking in at least one of the three key areas of randomization, blinding, and accountability of all patients, indicating a low quality of reporting. Nine (9) of the 12 trials detected a significant therapeutic effect of the Reiki intervention; however, using the Jadad Quality score, 11 of the 12 studies ranked "poor." The serious methodological and reporting limitations of limited existing Reiki studies preclude a definitive conclusion on its effectiveness. High-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to address the effectiveness of Reiki over placebo.

Kyoto Pilgrimage Past and Present

Kyoto Pilgrimage Past and Present Pamela D. Winfield Introduction Kyoto, or Heian‐kyō as it was known for most of its history, is perhaps unlike other pilgrimage cities in the world. It has no one distinguishing landscape feature such as the Ganges in Benares which perennially draws pilgrims to its shores. It does have the Kamo, Katsura, and Uji rivers, but these waters have primarily attracted not pilgrims but rather poets, moon viewing parties and even double love‐suicides to its banks and bridges well into the modern period. Kyoto does not possess any single sacred site such as the sanctuary in Santiago de Compostela to which penitents progress on bended, bloodied knee. Rather, it boasts thousands of Buddhist temples, Shintō shrines, Daoist‐inspired gardens and sacred mountain climbs that are designed to elevate the spirit and cultivate the connection between nature, human nature and Buddha‐nature. It has numerous pilgrimage destinations within the contours of its urban landscape, but at the same time also participates in far‐reaching pilgrimage circuits that extend well beyond the metropolitan center. All roads may lead to Rome as the old adage goes, but in Kyoto’s case, roads run both ways, leading pilgrims as much out beyond the urban setting as drawing them in toward the city center. This essay, accordingly, will address pilgrimage itineraries in and around Kyoto from the perspective of a much larger matrix of pilgrimage activity in the Kansai region. In the process, it will revisit the false dichotomy between pilgrimage and tourism (a theme that Chaucer first brought to light over six‐hundred years ago), and hopefully shed new light on some contemporary pilgrimage practices in Japan by a whole host of players: tourists, school groups, tea aficionados, Reiki practitioners, scholars, and nature‐lovers alike. Mountain pilgrimages around the city Taking our cue from Victor Hugo’s famous bird’s‐eye view of Paris, let us broadly survey the topography and chronology of Kyoto à vol d’oiseau.1 Heian‐kyō (lit. the capital of peace and tranquility) was established in 794 by Emperor Kammu to escape the political intrigues of the Buddhist clergy in the old capital of Nara.2 After a disastrous decade at the short‐lived capital at Nagaoka (784‐794 CE), Heian‐kyō was sited in the flat plain of the Yamashiro basin according to Chinese principles of feng shui geomancy. Mountains (symbolizing the male yang aspect) surround the capital on three sides to the north, and its rivers (symbolizing the female yin aspect) flow south. Buddhist Mt. Hiei to the northeast and proto‐Shintō Mt. Kurama to the northwest protected the capital from evil influences that were believed to emanate from the north. Like most sacred mountains, these peaks were closed to women before the so‐called nyonin kekkai ban was lifted in the nineteenth century, but today both male and female pilgrims are able to make their way up the slopes by bus, funicular, or (rarely) by foot. Many Tendai Buddhist congregations and confraternities organize package tours to their head temple at Enryakuji on Mt. Hiei to pay homage to their founder Saichō (767‐822) and the great Tendai reformers of the medieval period.3 Perhaps the most impressive practice associated with the mountain is the Kaihōgyō or 1,000‐day austerity‐training performed by Tendai “marathon monks.”4 They circumambulate the mountain’s temple complex in sets of 100 or 200 days per year, incessantly chanting the mantra of Fudō myōō, the King of Immovable Wisdom. They run approximately thirty kilometers per day in straw sandals, stopping only to sleep, eat, or pause at approximately 260 worship stops. They culminate their pilgrimage in their seventh year by including the entire city of Kyoto in their circumambulation. On the other side of the city to the northwest, other less organized and less intense pilgrims hike Mt. Kurama to retrace the steps of Mikao Usui (1865‐1926). This modern‐day seeker reputedly discovered the hands‐on healing technique of Reiki in either 1914 or 1922 (the accounts differ) while in retreat on the mountain.5 Other visitors attend the annual Kurama fire festival here which commemorates the transfer and enshrinement of a kami...

Witchcraft and Reiki: Voodoo Economics and Voodoo Healing

Witchcraft and Reiki: Voodoo Economics and Voodoo Healing

Nurses' Lived Experience of Reiki for Self-care

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of nurses who practice Reiki for self-care. In-person interviews were conducted with 11 nurses who met specific study criteria, using open-ended questions to examine the experience of nurses who are Reiki practitioners, to understand their perceptions of Reiki use in self-treatment, and to appreciate its meaning for them. The Colaizzi method was utilized in data analysis and independent decision trail audits were completed to promote study rigor and trustworthiness of results. Thematic categories and major and minor thematic clusters emerged around the topics of daily stress management, self-healing, spirituality, and interconnectedness of self, others, and beyond. Implications of the study findings for nursing practice and nursing education are discussed. Potential applications of study findings to Jean Watson's transpersonal caring theory located within a caring science framework are explored and recommendations for future research are offered.

Wheel of Hope project: addressing disparities in complementary services for women with breast cancer in an underserved community.

Abstract Abstract #1121 Introduction For low-income women, unsafe housing, difficulty accessing quality health care, and economic insecurity only compound the stress of breast cancer. Use of yoga, reiki, and meditation practices by women with breast cancer has been linked with increased quality of life and decreased presence of stress hormones.1-3 Feelings of hope may improve psychological health.4 Yet for women in poor neighborhoods, geographic, transportation, language, cultural, and financial barriers exist to accessing complementary and support services.&amp;#x2028; In the Bronx, a majority Latino New York City borough containing the poorest Congressional District in the US, these services are rarely available. While numerous free services exist in higher SES neighborhoods in Manhattan, their location and monolingual nature limit the ability of Bronx women with breast cancer to access them. Other complementary services are too expensive.&amp;#x2028; Methods To address this disparity of greater need and decreased access, The Wheel of Hope project, funded through a STEP grant of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, offered a full-day bilingual program including a “sharing circle” for psycho-social support, gentle chair yoga, nutritious food, and reiki in a “Day of Healing” for women with breast cancer residing in the Bronx. Participants received both a meditation CD and an information packet in their language of choice. Women shared experiences, encouragement, and fears, relaxed, received reiki and learned complementary self-care and healing skills which could be continued at home. The events reflected our core values with bilingual/bicultural yoga instructors, reiki practitioners, group facilitators and educational information. At the end of each session an evaluation form was given to each participant.&amp;#x2028; Results A total of 86 women, heterogeneous in age, ethnicity, dominant language, and type and stage of breast cancer participated. 43.1% identified as Latina, 26.4% African American, 22.2% West Indian, 5.6% White, and 2.8% Asian.&amp;#x2028; Of 80 survey respondents, 98.7% indicated the day helped them in some way. 77% reported reduced stress, 78.4% felt more peaceful and encouraged by sharing with women with similar problems. 60.8% had increased feelings of hope. 71.2% planned to continue meditation techniques at home. 67.1% to continue yoga, 58.9% to continue breathing techniques, and 47.9% to change their cooking or eating habits as a result of nutritional information they received.&amp;#x2028; Conclusions Low-income Bronx women were eager to participate and were positive about their experience, demonstrating the value of such programs. We plan to continue to provide these services, to encourage similar efforts in other communities, and to promote the training of peer cancer survivors to lead healing and support circles.&amp;#x2028; References&amp;#x2028; (1) Cohen, L.et.al.Journal of Clinical Oncology.2006;24(18S):8505.&amp;#x2028; (2) Miles, P.Advances.2007;22(2):20-26.&amp;#x2028; (3) Carlson, L. Speca, M. Patel, K. and Goodey, E.Psychosomatic Medicine.2003;65: 571-581.&amp;#x2028; (4) Stanton, A. Danoff-burg, S. and Huggins, M. Psycho-Oncology.2002;11(2):93-102. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 1121.

Effects of self‐directed reiki and concentration on cutaneous microvascular perfusion of the fingers

For each reiki practitioner, the dorsal surfaces of three fingers were scanned 12 times during a 15-minute session, using a laser Doppler perfusion imager (PeriScan PIM II, Perimed), to measure changes in cutaneous blood perfusion. During images 5–8, the 37 reiki practitioners sent reiki to the hand being scanned; ageand gendermatched subjects untrained in reiki (n = 30) concentrated on love flowing from their fingers.

Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) can be refractory to conventional pharmacologic therapy (1–3), which may have significant side effects. Reiki is a hands-on therapy based on the theoretical existence of a bioenergy field intrinsic to the human body (4). Reiki practitioners believe that this bioenergy field can be altered by a trained practitioner and that this can ameliorate disabling symptoms. However, its therapeutic efficacy remains unclear (5). This trial therefore assessed the efficacy of Reiki therapy to alleviate pain and improve mobility and quality of life in subjects with type 2 diabetes and PDN. A total of 207 subjects with type 2 diabetes and PDN were recruited. Analgesics including anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, and nonsteroidal antiflammatory agents were permitted and equally distributed across groups, but no dosing adjustments were allowed. Subjects were stratified according to age, diabetes duration, diabetes control, and recruitment site. Written informed consent and ethical approval was obtained. The study design was a randomized, semidouble–blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial. Subjects were randomized into one of three treatment groups (Reiki, mimic Reiki, or usual care) in a 1:1:1 fashion. Mimic practitioners were actors trained to mimic Reiki practitioners in style of practice. Reiki was applied as previously described (6). Practitioners …

In Vitro Effect of Reiki Treatment on Bacterial Cultures: Role of Experimental Context and Practitioner Well-Being

To measure effects of Reiki treatments on growth of heat-shocked bacteria, and to determine the influence of healing context and practitioner well-being. Overnight cultures of Escherichia coli K12 in fresh medium were used. Culture samples were paired with controls to minimize any ordering effects. Samples were heat-shocked prior to Reiki treatment, which was performed by Reiki practitioners for up to 15 minutes, with untreated controls. Plate-count assay using an automated colony counter determined the number of viable bacteria. Fourteen Reiki practitioners each completed 3 runs (n = 42 runs) without healing context, and another 2 runs (n = 28 runs) in which they first treated a pain patient for 30 minutes (healing context). Well-being questionnaires were administered to practitioners pre-post all sessions. No overall difference was found between the Reiki and control plates in the nonhealing context. In the healing context, the Reiki treated cultures overall exhibited significantly more bacteria than controls (p < 0.05). Practitioner social (p < 0.013) and emotional well-being (p < 0.021) correlated with Reiki treatment outcome on bacterial cultures in the nonhealing context. Practitioner social (p < 0.031), physical (p < 0.030), and emotional (p < 0.026) well-being correlated with Reiki treatment outcome on the bacterial cultures in the healing context. For practitioners starting with diminished well-being, control counts were likely to be higher than Reiki-treated bacterial counts. For practitioners starting with a higher level of well-being, Reiki counts were likely to be higher than control counts. Reiki improved growth of heat-shocked bacterial cultures in a healing context. The initial level of well-being of the Reiki practitioners correlates with the outcome of Reiki on bacterial culture growth and is key to the results obtained.

Personal Interaction with a Reiki Practitioner Decreases Noise-Induced Microvascular Damage in an Animal Model

To determine whether Reiki, a process of transmission of healing energy, can significantly reduce microvascular leakage caused by exposure to excessive noise using an animal model. Reiki is beginning to be used in hospitals to accelerate recovery. Despite many anecdotes describing Reiki's success, few scientific studies are reported and none of those use animals. Animal models have the advantage over human subjects in that they provide well-controlled, easily interpretable experiments. The use of noise is relevant to hospital patients because of the excessive ambient noise in hospitals in the United Kingdom and United States. Loud noise can lead to several nonauditory disorders in humans and animals that impair recovery. In the rat, stress from noise damages the mesenteric microvasculature, leading to leakage of plasma into the surrounding tissue. One group of four rats simultaneously received daily noise and Reiki, while two other groups received "sham" Reiki or noise alone. A fourth group did not receive noise or additional treatment. The experiment was performed three times to test for reproducibility. Average number and area of microvascular leaks to fluorescent albumin per unit length of venule. In all three experiments, Reiki significantly reduced the outcome measures compared to the other noise groups (sham Reiki and noise alone) (p < 0.01). Application of Reiki significantly reduces noise-induced microvascular leakage in an animal model. Whether or not these effects are caused by Reiki itself, or the relaxing effect of the Reiki practitioner, this procedure could be useful for minimizing effects of environmental stress on research animals and hospital patients.

Autonomic Nervous System Changes During Reiki Treatment: A Preliminary Study

to investigate if a complementary therapy, Reiki, has any effect on indices of autonomic nervous system function. Blind trial. Quiet room in an out-patient clinic. Forty-five (45) subjects assigned at random into three groups. Three treatment conditions: no treatment (rest only); Reiki treatment by experienced Reiki practitioner; and placebo treatment by a person with no knowledge of Reiki and who mimicked the Reiki treatment. Quantitative measures of autonomic nervous system function such as heart rate, cardiac vagal tone, blood pressure, cardiac sensitivity to baroreflex, and breathing activity were recorded continuously for each heartbeat. Values during and after the treatment period were compared with baseline data. Heart rate and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the Reiki group compared to both placebo and control groups. The study indicates that Reiki has some effect on the autonomic nervous system. However, this was a pilot study with relatively few subjects and the changes were relatively small. The results justify further, larger studies to look at the biological effects of Reiki treatment.

Reiki: The Re-Emergence of an Ancient Healing Art in Modern Times

Reiki has experienced a tremendous rebirth and expansion since its rediscovery by Dr. Mikao Usui in the early 1900s. The number of Reiki practitioners has grown to several hundred thousand worldwide. After Reiki instruction and attunements by a Reiki master/teacher, the practitioners, through intention alone, pull concentrated life force into their bodies and pass it through the hands to the client. The Reiki session places the client into a deep state of relaxation and peace, allowing the body to rebalance and heal. Reiki is not a religion, dogma, or creed, nor can it create or cause anyone harm. In fact, Reiki is beneficial to the practitioner and the client. Anyone can learn Reiki. There are no special skills or education necessary to learn this ancient healing art—only an open mind and heart.

Responses of established healthcare to the professionalization of complementary and alternative medicine in Ontario

This paper examines the reactions of leaders of established health professions in Ontario, Canada to the efforts of selected complementary and alternative (CAM) occupational groups (chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncture/traditional Chinese doctors, homeopaths and Reiki practitioners) to professionalize. Stakeholder theory provides the framework for analysis of competing interests among the various groups in the healthcare system. The data are derived from personal interviews with 10 formal leaders from medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, clinical nutrition and public health. We conceived of these leaders as one group of stakeholders, with both common and conflicting interests. The findings demonstrate that these stakeholders are reluctant to endorse the professionalization of CAM. They propose a series of strategies to contain the acceptance of CAM groups, such as insisting on scientific evidence of safety and efficacy, resisting integration of CAM with conventional medicine and opposing government support for research and education. These strategies serve to protect the dominant position of medicine and its allied professions, and to maintain existing jurisdictional boundaries within the healthcare system. The popular support for CAM will require that health professional stakeholders continue to address the challenges this poses, and at the same time protect their position at the apex of the healthcare pyramid.

The first Reiki practitioner in our OR

The first Reiki practitioner in our OR

Health care and consumer choice: Medical and alternative therapies

This paper reports on research conducted in a large Canadian city during 1994–1995. The study examines the motivations of patients who choose to seek care from one of five different types of practitioners: family physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists/traditional Chinese doctors, naturopaths and Reiki practitioners. We use the Andersen socio-behavioural model to help explain why people choose orthodox medicine or a type of alternative care. The data are derived from face to face interviews with 300 patients: 60 from each of the five modes of treatment. The findings demonstrate that this model can explain the use of alternative as well as orthodox medical services. Patients choose specific kinds of practitioners for particular problems, and some use a mixture of practitioners to treat a specific complaint. The choice of type of practitioner(s) is multidimensional and cannot solely be explained either by disenchantment with medicine or by an “alternative ideology”.