Adults with cancer, treated in hospital and treated intravenously, have reported a reduction in their symptoms after benefiting from this energy treatment.
- Reiki therapy, a Japanese method which consists of reharmonizing a person’s energies, which block the proper functioning of the body and mind. “It uses touch on specific points in the body’s energy circuit.”
- In cancer patients receiving infusion treatments, it reduced pain, fatigue, nausea and improved well-being.
- Patients find this approach to be a positive experience that promotes relaxation.
Coming from Japan, Reiki therapy is a method consisting of balancing the energies of the person, so that they find lasting and deep appeasement at the level of their body, their psychic and their emotional, according to the French Federation of Traditional Reiki. “It uses touch on specific points of the body’s energy circuit and thus promotes the emergence of natural solution potentials.” Increasingly used in American healthcare settings, this holistic approach is effective in alleviating symptoms related to cancer and treatment, such as pain, anxiety or nausea. This is the conclusion drawn by researchers at the University Hospitals of Cleveland (United States) after carrying out a study published in the journal Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
392 Reiki sessions provided to 268 cancer and chronically ill patients
As part of the research, the team wanted to evaluate a Reiki program for people suffering from cancer and other chronic illnesses, who only stay a few hours in a health establishment, without spending the night, to benefit from an infusion treatment, such as chemotherapy. For the purposes of the work, 268 patients, with an average age of 63, received 392 Reiki sessions lasting 15 to 20 minutes. These were delivered by a trained practitioner who generates relaxation and healing responses in the body by placing their hands on or above the patient’s body. Before and after the intervention, participants completed a questionnaire to measure their pain, fatigue, anxiety, nausea and well-being.
Fatigue, pain, nausea… Fewer symptoms thanks to Reiki therapy
Volunteers reported clinically meaningful mean improvements in pain, fatigue, nausea and well-being. Participants also reported that Reiki therapy was a positive experience that promoted relaxation and symptom reduction. According to scientists, positive patient reactions underline the potential of this Japanese method as a complementary therapy in clinical settings. “Further research is needed to assess long-term changes after Reiki, including with a program expanded to other health care settings,” they concluded.