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Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Aug 25;57(9):867.

Self-Reiki, Consideration of a Potential Option for Managing Chronic Pain during Pandemic COVID-19 Period
Maxime Billot (1) , Maeva Daycard  (2) , Philippe Rigoard (1, 3, 4)

1 PRISMATICS Lab (Predictive Research in Spine/Neuromodulation Management and Thoracic Innovation/Cardiac Surgery), Poitiers University Hospital, 86021 Poitiers, France.
2 Eveil: L'équilibre par les Mains, 87000 Poitiers, France.
3 Department of Spine Surgery and Neuromodulation, Poitiers University Hospital, 86021 Poitiers, France.
4 Institut Pprime UPR 3346, CNRS-Université de Poitiers-ISAE-ENSMA, 86360 Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, France.

Abstract

While the world faces an unprecedented situation with the pandemic, other chronic diseases such as chronic pain continue to run their course. The social distancing and restrictive displacement imposed by the pandemic situation represents a new barrier to access to pain management and tends to reinforce chronification process. Given this context, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) might offer new opportunities to manage CP, notably with a hand-touch method, such as self-Reiki therapy. Although Reiki administered by a practitioner has shown promising results to reduce pain and psychological distress, and to improve quality of life, self-Reiki practice needs evidence-based medicine to be disseminated. Overall, self-Reiki could bring positive results in addition to, and without interfering with, conventional medicine approaches in patients experienced chronic pain.

Free full text:
https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/9/867/htm

Excerpts:

"Reiki was born in early 20th century Japan following the inspiring practice of Mikao Usui, a lifelong practitioner of Tendai who provided health care by spreading energy with his hands to a recipient [14]. It was only after Takata’s attempt to disseminate the practice of Reiki at the end of the 1970’s that Reiki was democratized. Reiki is nowadays officially recognized and recommended by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in USA [15], and by the National Health Service and The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health in the UK [16]. Traditionally, Reiki treatment is a hands-on treatment provided by light touch, lasting from 45 to 75 min, administered to a fully clothed and quiet recipient who is comfortably seated or lying down [14]. The principle of Reiki treatment is that the practitioner, acting as a channel for universal energy, transfers energy to a recipient. Typically, a Reiki session consists of at least 12 standardized positions on the head and in the seven main energy centers (called chakras), and could also be directly targeted to the painful or disabled area. Reiki has been recognized as a biofield therapy category (a concept defined as 'a massless field, not necessarily electromagnetic, that surrounds and permeates living bodies and affects the body' [17]) that could benefit global health and/or specific symptoms such as pain. Reiki practice considers three degrees (first, second, and Master), each one of which provides a scope of practice with major interest in self-treatment and light touch treatment for others. While usual Reiki therapy involves a practitioner guiding energy to a living receiver (hetero-Reiki), it is also possible to be the practitioner and the recipient at the same time (self-Reiki). To date, scientific evidence has mainly focused on hetero-Reiki [18].

"Overall, the seven reviews [20,21,22,23,24,25,26] available in the literature failed to establish strong evidence of the effectiveness of Reiki therapy to relieve pain in various CP conditions. Although a high level of evidence through RCTs is still needed to establish Reiki therapy as an effective practice, people having experienced hetero- or self-Reiki have reported globally positive pain management. In addition to pain treatment, it has been reported that Reiki could be helpful to manage psychological components of CP disease.

"The literature has indicated positive effects of Reiki therapy, including decreased anxiety in healthy persons [27], people with various CP conditions [28], people with abdominal hysterectomies [29], women with breast biopsy [30], people with stage I to IV cancer [31] and community-dwelling older adults [32]. Similarly, the positive effects of Reiki therapy on depression in groups with various CP conditions [28], depressive conditions [33], women with breast biopsies [30], and elderly people living in community housing or nursing homes have been reported [32,34], while two studies indicated no effects in post-stroke patients [35] and patients with prostate cancer treated by radiation [36]. Particularly noteworthy is the reported effectiveness of Reiki therapy in 29 patients identified as depressive (19–78 years) who received Reiki therapy session in comparison with those having received placebo treatment [33]. In addition, two recent reviews supported the argument that Reiki therapy is valuable as a complementary therapy to manage anxiety and depression symptoms [22,25], whereas another review emphasized information insufficient to delineate the exact effect of Reiki therapy on psychological distress [37]."

"Given that self-Reiki can be a valuable tool and a special personal gift for management of CP in this time of pandemic, how can this practice be demystified and promoted?

"It is worthwhile to note that Reiki is accessible for everyone without any preliminary restrictions. The technique can be taught by a Master of Reiki who provides the tools necessary to use one’s hands and spread energy on the pain location by oneself. Self-treatment is fundamental for all practitioners from the beginner to the Master of Reiki."

"The sensations felt by the practitioner (hot, cold, or tingling sensation) could guide and help them to hold the hands in a location or to move them when they have faded. When no sensation is felt, it is recommended to wait at least 3 min by hand position before to removing them. Furthermore, self-Reiki can be practiced at any time of the day from waking up to right before sleeping."

"The most effective way to understand Reiki is to receive a treatment or to practice it. To achieve this goal, trained nurses and medical doctors can be valuable vehicles to promoters of Reiki in addition to the specialized Reiki therapists. Reiki is already present in several hospitals worldwide, a factor that may also help to demystify the practice [40]."

"Although self-Reiki practice has not been yet supported by strong evidence-based medicine, it is safe to assume that it could bring positive results and could be considered as an option for managing chronic pain in addition to, and without interfering with, conventional medicine approaches, notably during the pandemic period."

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Comments:

As usual, there is no mention of the fact that reiki is inconsistent with scientific knowledge, or even that it is controversial.

The claim is made that "Reiki is nowadays officially recognized and recommended by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in USA." The reference given is:
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Statistics on Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches. NCCIH n.d. Available online: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics-on-complementary-and-integrative-health-approaches (accessed on 22 June 2021).

Looking at this site, it seems to be only results of surveys of usage, not any kind of recognition or recommendation. In fact, I don't even see any mention of reiki.

Here is what the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health actually says about reiki:

"Reiki hasn’t been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose. It has been studied for a variety of conditions, including pain, anxiety, and depression, but most of the research has not been of high quality, and the results have been inconsistent.

"There’s no scientific evidence supporting the existence of the energy field thought to play a role in Reiki."

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/reiki