Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
Volume 31, May 2018, Pages 384-387
The effect of reiki on pain: A meta-analysis
Melike Demir Dogan
Gümüshane University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gümüshane, Baglarbasi Mahallesi 29100, Turkey
Abstract
Objective:
Pain is one of the most common symptoms and may lead to important psychological, mental, and physiological problems in individuals. According to data by The Center for Reiki Research, Reiki is an effective approach to decrease the levels of pain, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of Reiki on pain level.
Methods:
Randomized controlled clinical trials in databases of Pubmed, ISI Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar were investigated. 4 randomized controlled studies involving 212 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
Results:
The result obtained after the final Reiki application was evaluated in VAS pain score. When Reiki (n=104) group was compared with control group (n=108), standardized mean difference was observed to be -0.927 (95% CI: -1.867 to 0.0124). Reiki was observed to cause a statistically significant decrease in VAS score.
Conclusion:
Consequently, this meta-analysis revealed that Reiki was an effective approach in relieving the pain.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388117303626Excerpts:
"Reiki, one of the energy approaches, was discovered by Dr. Usui in texts of Sanskrit, in late 19th century and then it was put in practical application by Hawayo Takata [[1], [2], [3]]. In Reiki, everything in the universe consists of energy including the human body and deviations of this energy may lead to diseases. Reiki points out a structure filled with spiritual wisdom waiting to be woken up in human as well as universal energy [4,5]. In Reiki application, practitioner tries to balance the energy flow in individual by sending the energy received from the universe [[6], [7], [8]].
"Reiki application consists of three stages as the first level, the second level, and mastery level. Practitioners balance their own energies at the first level. Practitioners can send reiki energy to other people at the second level. At the third level, which is mastery stage, the person can train new practitioners [1]. In Reiki, duration of the therapy is about approximately 30–90 min. During the application, the person lies down or stays in extended position and there is no need to take the clothes off [1,2,4].
"Reiki is generally safe and its serious adverse effect has not been reported [8]. According to the data of The National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there is a gradually increasing interest on energy approaches among consumers and healthcare providers [9]. Especially in the last decade, Reiki practice has increased among doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals [3]. It is commonly used in rehabilitation units, hospices, emergency care units, psychiatry clinics, surgery rooms, aged care facilities, pediatric clinics, clinics of gynecology and obstetrics, and neonatal care clinics. Reiki can be applied by licensed or unlicensed reiki practitioners such as nurse, caregivers, family members, and patients who received first level Reiki training in hospitals and clinics [3,10].
"Although there is not yet a theory that explains how Reiki works in pain and the whole body, the quantum physics promises hope for the explanation of this mechanism in the future [11]. Even though there are studies determining the effect of Reiki on pain, there are yet no meta-analyses showing that Reiki is a definitive and effective practice on pain.
"According to the data of The Center for Reiki Research, Reiki is an effective approach for reducing the level of pain, depression, and anxiety [12]. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the effect of reiki on pain level."
"Four studies in total were included in the meta-analysis."
"While patients in the control group in two of studies included were not subjected to an additional practice in addition to general medical treatment, patients of the remaining two had resting period as the intervention in addition to general medical treatment."
"Since there are only a limited number of randomized controlled trials to determine the effect of reiki on pain, studies on all pain types rather than studies on a specific type of pain were evaluated in this study. Therefore, in the present study revealing that Reiki was effective in reducing pain, it could not be determined to be effective specifically at which type of pain. For this reason, it is planned and recommended to repeat the study when the number of studies with specific patient groups and types of pain increase."
Comments:
As usual, there is no discussion of the fact that reiki is inconsistent with scientific knowledge and is rejected by medical science.
Note that of the four studies, the controls had no additional treatment in two studies and had "resting period," which seems to be the same as nothing, in the other two. Whenever the treatment group gets an extra treatment that the controls do not, it is almost guaranteed that there will be a perceived benefit due to placebo effects. Thus, the conclusion that "Reiki was an effective approach in relieving the pain" is unwarranted.
