Reiki and anxiety reduction I know, from working with hundreds of clients, that reiki helps with physical and emotional issues, including anxiety, and as a healing modality it is being recognised more and more by formal medical institutions as a great therapy to complement traditional medicine.
There is a mountain of research, primarily in US hospitals, about the benefits of reiki in a clinical setting. Hartford Hospital in Connecticut carried out research, under Dr Molly Punzo, MD, into using Reiki to reduce anxiety and pain across a number of departments including Cardiology, Orthopedic, Oncology, and Palliative Care units, as well as in the outpatient Cancer Centre. During the pilot phase, outcome measurements were obtained from patients rating their anxiety and pain pre and post Reiki sessions. The Quality Management Department analysed the results which showed a statistically significant decrease in anxiety and pain regardless of the specialty area. The research indicates that Reiki:
This is just one example of where Reiki is beginning to gain acceptance as a meaningful and cost-effective way to improve patient care. Hospitals are undergoing major changes. They are experiencing a need to reduce costs and at the same time improve patient care. Under the old medical model based on expensive medication and technology this posed an unsolvable dilemma. Not so with Reiki and other complementary modalities. Reiki is therefore a very good way to improve care while cutting costs and improving patient care. Its calming, gentle and totally supportive of your healing needs physical, mentally and emotionally. It also works well with combined with other therapies such as massage and hypnotherapy. With no contraindications, it really is a therapy for all. research into reiki & depression.Can Reiki help with depression? I certainly believe so because my clients tell me it does.
So, being inquisitive, I started to search out any formal research findings, and came across this interesting study, outlined in brief below. The following is a summary by Pat Cougar of the research article "Long-Term Effects of Energetic Healing on Symptoms of Psychological Depression and Self-Perceived Stress" by Adina Goldman Shore, PhD. Originally published in the May/June 2004, Vol. 10, No. 3 issue of Alternative Therapies magazine. Dr. Adina Goldman Shore's article was the result of a one-year study of the effects of Reiki healing on psychological depression and self-reported stress. The study investigated the hypothesis that it is the Reiki energy itself, and not the "hands on" touch, that is the healing factor, and examined the long-term effects of Reiki on depression and stress. Dr. Shore also provides some basic information regarding the uses of Reiki, including it usefulness in psychotherapy. Forty-five participants with symptoms of depression and stress volunteered for this study. Participant were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Hands-on (touch) Reiki, Distance (non-touch) Reiki, and distance Reiki placebo. Participants were not aware of which group would be receiving placebo Reiki. Twelve Reiki Masters, and three second degree Reiki practitioners were chosen to conduct the one to one and one-half hour sessions. Each participant received one treatment weekly for six weeks. Three tests, designed to measure levels of depression and stress, were administered to each participant before and after the series of six sessions. One year later, the participants retook the three tests. After testing was completed, the control/placebo group received another six weeks of Reiki treatments, this time with actual Reiki, and the three tests were administered to this group again. Findings of the study demonstrated that:
There we have it. I always say to clients 5-6 reiki sessions for a shift to be experienced, and this research supports that. Over the next coming weeks I'm going to be searching out more clinical papers and studies regarding the therapies I provide, its always useful to be able to back up my own thoughts and findings with more formal studies. |