Reiki

Research on Reiki is just beginning, and a number of small studies indicate that Reiki can be particularly useful for reducing anxiety and pain.

For more information on Reiki research please visit:
www.centerforreikiresearch.org/. This web site promotes the scientific awareness of Reiki by providing a current list of evidence based research published in peer reviewed journals along with summaries of each of these studies.

The following are Reiki papers published in peer-reviewed medical journals and indexed on PubMed and can also be found at ReikiinMedicine.org.

Miles P. Reiki for Support of Cancer Patients. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine. Fall 2007;22(2):20-26.

Miles P, True G. Reiki–Review of a Biofield Therapy: History, Theory, Practice and Research. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(2):62-72.

Miles P. Reiki Vibrational Healing. Interview with Bonnie Horrigan. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(4):74-83.

Miles P. Preliminary report on the use of Reiki for HIV-related pain and anxiety. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(2):36.

Schmehr R. Case Report: Enhancing the Treatment of HIV/AIDS with Reiki Training and Treatment. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(2):120.

Schiller R. Reiki: A Starting Point for Integrative Medicine. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2003;9(2):20-21.

Miles P. Is there any significant experience with using Reiki in the hospital or ER setting and any literature to support this use? Explore (NY). 2005 Sep;1(5):414.

Miles P. Palliative care service at the NIH includes Reiki and other mind-body modalities. Advances in Mind Body Medicine. 2004 Summer;20(2):30-1.

Miles P. Living in Relation to Mystery: Addressing Mind, Body, and Spirit. Advances in Mind Body Medicine. 2003 Summer;19(2):30-1.

Pamela Miles was the lead reviewer for the Reiki backgrounder for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). NCCAM is the center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that studies the safety and efficacy of complementary therapies such as Reiki. There is no copyright protection on this document and the government encourages you to use it freely to enhance your health care.

The Reiki module written by Pamela Miles for the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing, is peer-reviewed and written for the health consumer and for care providers.

Shiflet S, Nayak S, Bid C, Miles P, Agostinelli S. Effect of Reiki Treatments on Functional Recovery in Patients in Poststroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2002;8(6):755-763.

Reiki is a Japanese technique for strees reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by transmitting energy from the hands of the practitioner to the client. The energy being transmitted is Universal Life Force which we all experience and are a part of. In Reiki, the practitioner has been attuned to this energy in a specific way and can bring it through by channeling it through their hands. Anyone can do this and it is easy to learn.

When one's life force is low due to illness, trama, or stress, a Reiki treatment can bring a great sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. As one's energy "picks up" there is a greater sense of well being and an opportunity for the body to heal itself.

A treatment feels wonderful and is always relaxing. The client feels a deep release of tension and if there is pain, often the pain is relieved and the client feels much better. Reiki treats the whole person- body, mind, and spirit. It is a simple, natural, and safe method for reducing stress and allowing the body to activate it's own healing abilities. It is frequently used as a compliment with medical and therapeutic modalities. Many use Reiki before and after surgery, chemotherapy, and other medical situations. Often the healing process is much shorter than expected as a result of this.

courtesy of :Terry Attwood, CHT, Reiki Master

In an article in Autism/Asperger's Digest Magazine in 2000, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PD.D., Coordinator for Integrative Psychiatry and System Medicine, Program in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, said the following:

"We have done a pilot study of reiki massage for autistic children. The preliminary results are encouraging, especially when the parents are taught the reiki along with visualization in between formal appointments with the therapist. The use of reiki by parents and therapist appears to encourage communication; especially non-verbal communication children are calmer and have less self-stimulation."

Reiki Rays of Hope received a $2500 grant from the National Council of Jewish Women, Cleveland Section, to train 25 mothers of children with ASD to use Reiki on themselves and their children. Twenty seven participating mothers gave remarkable reports of improved sleeping, less agitation, better focus, improved behaviors, and increased attention span of the children with Autism. These promising results have led to discussions for formal research projects using Reiki with the special needs population.