What is REIKI?

Reiki is an ancient healing art recognized by the National Institute of Health as a form of alternative medicine. It is a type of energy therapy administered by the placement of a practitioner’s hands lightly on or just above a person, with the goal of facilitating the person’s own healing response. Energy therapy is based on the belief that an unseen energy flows through all living things and directly affects the quality of a person’s health. This belief has been part of the wisdom of many cultures since ancient times. Benefits of REIKI

Stress Reduction Relaxation Reduction in Muscle Tension Decreases Pain Reduces Nausea Sleep Improvement Accelerates Healing Psychological Healing

REIKI in Medicine Reiki has been integrated into the hospital setting with more than 800 hospitals offering it nationwide. These include the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and The Children’s Hospital in Boston. Reiki is commonly given pre-op, in the operating room, post-op, and in oncology, cardiology, orthopedics and internal medicine.

A reiki session can help ease tension and stress and support the body to facilitate healing. Reiki complements all types of medical and therapeutic treatments and increases the efficacy of these treatments. It is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Reiki treatment benefits noted by the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic include:

Supports the well-being of the client who is receiving medical treatments Helps to relieve pain Stimulates tissue and bone healing after injury or surgery Stimulates the body’s immune system Improves sleep Reduces nausea Reduces anxiety Initiates the feeling of security, peace and wellness Brings a peaceful, deep relaxation Promotes natural self-healing

The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has one of the largest Reiki volunteer programs in the country. The following is a quote from their website:

“Our data, based on feedback from patients, family members, and staff members who received Reiki sessions, as well as outside research show that Reiki promotes relaxation, relieves stress and anxiety, reduces pain and fatigue, and improves overall quality of life.”

Reiki During Surgery

The benefits of reiki during surgery include: patients require less anesthesia, less pain medication, have a shorter hospital stay, and recover faster.

“The highest profile advocate of complementary therapies, especially Reiki, continues to be Mehmet Oz, M.D., Professor and Vice Chairman of Surgery at Columbia University in New York City, Director of the Cardiovascular Institute, and Founder and Director for the Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Oz has used Reiki and Therapeutic Touch therapists in his cardiovascular surgeries for more than 10 years.

Dr. Oz has conducted research on the effects of Reiki on his surgical patients with Julie Motz, RN, a Reiki-trained therapist, who assisted Dr. Oz during 11 open heart surgeries and heart transplants. These 11 patients had no post-operative depression, pain or leg weakness; no organ rejection (in transplants); a better functioning immune system, and a positive attitude toward healing.”

The largest ongoing study of Reiki in the clinical setting continues to be conducted at Columbia/HCA Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Portsmouth, NH, where more than 8,000 surgical patients have been given pre- and post-surgery Reiki treatments. Reiki is incorporated into their admission procedure and is also administered during transport to surgery. Treatments are given by trained RNs, physical therapists, technicians and support staff.

Research results continue to be consistent. All the patients in this study who received Reiki had the need for less anesthesia, had less bleeding during surgery, used less pain medications, had shorter lengths of stay in the hospital, and indicated greater satisfaction with their hospital experience than other patients.