Is Reiki energy healing art a legitimate practice? Here we attempt to answer these questions.
Doctors, nurses, researchers and others have evaluated the effectiveness of Reiki therapy in the areas of chronic pain, disability, mobility, daily functioning, sleep problems and reliance upon medication. Psychological symptoms such as stress, panic, fear, anger, depression, anxiety, and inability to relax or cope have been evaluated before and after treatment. Research is on-going in the areas of fibromyalgia, diabetes, AIDS and cancer. So far, all of the conclusions indicate that Reiki and other forms of healing touch therapy are effective complementary therapies with little or no negative side effects.
Is Reiki energy pain relief real?
In 1997, the Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, published the story of Tom. This is just one example of the effectiveness of Reiki energy pain relief. There are many others, but when it comes to pain, no one can argue that the pain from advanced cancer is agonizing. Anything that can make a patient's last days more comfortable is a blessing.
During my time working in a nursing home, I spent many hours with patients who had to choose between agonizing pains or a drug induced stupor. At that time, the power of healing touch or Reiki energy healing therapy was not recognized or accepted. Acting from a desire to help, nurses and hospice workers have taken it upon themselves to learn the healing art and add it to their treatment options.
But back to Tom's story. Tom had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and was only given a short time to live. His symptoms included immobilizing pain and swelling.
After receiving Reiki energy healing therapy from a hospice nurse, he was taught to use Reiki energy. He was taught about establishing his "intent" to use Reiki energy, something that seems very important, in order for Reiki to be effective.
With Reiki and his intent, his quality of life improved. His level of comfort improved. He was able to live "well with his cancer". No one is saying that Reiki "cured" his cancer", but it did relieve his symptoms and the quality of his remaining days was improved.
In cases of advanced cancer, according to the researcher (M. Bullock), the general trends seen with Reiki energy healing therapy include periods of stabilization, relief from pain, anxiety, swelling and a "peaceful and calm passing if death is imminent". The author recommends Reiki energy healing therapy as a valuable compliment to be used by those who work in a hospice environment or are supporting patients in their "end-of-life journey".
Is Reiki energy pain relief just a placebo effect?
Researchers say "no". In the Journal of Complementary Medicine, researchers published the results of a study in which the results and responses of clients were compared to their initial expectations. The theory is that if Reiki energy pain relief were simply a placebo effect, only those patients that expected relief would report success.
In addition researchers measured the level of antibodies in patient's saliva before and after treatment. All of the results were compared to a control group that received no treatment.
Researchers found that the percentage of patients who reported relief of pain was much higher than would normally be expected from a placebo effect. 14% is a common percentage for placebo induced pain relief. 55% was the percentage of clients in the study who reported that Reiki energy pain relief was effective. Positive responses did not appear to be related to the client's initial expectations or beliefs.
In addition, the clients who were treated by the most experienced Reiki practitioners had significantly higher levels of antibodies in their saliva. The researchers concluded that the therapy effectively reduced stress and pain, while improving the body's ability to fight of infection and that the findings were not exclusively a result of the placebo effect.
Is Reiki energy healing art a legitimate practice?
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recognizes Reiki as a form of energy medicine worthy of additional study. Researchers would like to be able to explain "how it works", because there is little question that it "does work" for many people. Although there may still be critics, since there always are, most people in the health care professions have come to accept the legitimacy of Reiki.
It is comparable to chiropractic care and acupuncture, though not as prevalent. Because of the nature of Reiki energy healing art, it can be used by massage therapists, nurses and other care givers. It does not require extensive or expensive instruction. Researchers have suggested it as a complementary technique for various practitioners.
In a recent review (published in the Journal of the New York State Nurses Association) of the available literature on Reiki energy, pain relief is only one topic that was covered. Relaxation, physical healing, reduced emotional distress and a deepened awareness of a spiritual connection have all been attributed to Reiki in case studies and exploratory research. A researcher at the University of Rochester School of Nursing (R. Gallob), who completed the review, described Reiki as easily adaptable to the nursing practice, benefiting both the practitioner and the patient.
However, the benefits of learning and using the Reiki energy healing techniques are not limited to nurses and other healthcare professionals. Anyone can learn the Reiki energy pain relief techniques. Anyone can learn to use Reiki to improve his or her own life and the lives of those they love.
Doctors, nurses, researchers and others have evaluated the effectiveness of Reiki therapy in the areas of chronic pain, disability, mobility, daily functioning, sleep problems and reliance upon medication. Psychological symptoms such as stress, panic, fear, anger, depression, anxiety, and inability to relax or cope have been evaluated before and after treatment. Research is on-going in the areas of fibromyalgia, diabetes, AIDS and cancer. So far, all of the conclusions indicate that Reiki and other forms of healing touch therapy are effective complementary therapies with little or no negative side effects.
Is Reiki energy pain relief real?
In 1997, the Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, published the story of Tom. This is just one example of the effectiveness of Reiki energy pain relief. There are many others, but when it comes to pain, no one can argue that the pain from advanced cancer is agonizing. Anything that can make a patient's last days more comfortable is a blessing.
During my time working in a nursing home, I spent many hours with patients who had to choose between agonizing pains or a drug induced stupor. At that time, the power of healing touch or Reiki energy healing therapy was not recognized or accepted. Acting from a desire to help, nurses and hospice workers have taken it upon themselves to learn the healing art and add it to their treatment options.
But back to Tom's story. Tom had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and was only given a short time to live. His symptoms included immobilizing pain and swelling.
After receiving Reiki energy healing therapy from a hospice nurse, he was taught to use Reiki energy. He was taught about establishing his "intent" to use Reiki energy, something that seems very important, in order for Reiki to be effective.
With Reiki and his intent, his quality of life improved. His level of comfort improved. He was able to live "well with his cancer". No one is saying that Reiki "cured" his cancer", but it did relieve his symptoms and the quality of his remaining days was improved.
In cases of advanced cancer, according to the researcher (M. Bullock), the general trends seen with Reiki energy healing therapy include periods of stabilization, relief from pain, anxiety, swelling and a "peaceful and calm passing if death is imminent". The author recommends Reiki energy healing therapy as a valuable compliment to be used by those who work in a hospice environment or are supporting patients in their "end-of-life journey".
Is Reiki energy pain relief just a placebo effect?
Researchers say "no". In the Journal of Complementary Medicine, researchers published the results of a study in which the results and responses of clients were compared to their initial expectations. The theory is that if Reiki energy pain relief were simply a placebo effect, only those patients that expected relief would report success.
In addition researchers measured the level of antibodies in patient's saliva before and after treatment. All of the results were compared to a control group that received no treatment.
Researchers found that the percentage of patients who reported relief of pain was much higher than would normally be expected from a placebo effect. 14% is a common percentage for placebo induced pain relief. 55% was the percentage of clients in the study who reported that Reiki energy pain relief was effective. Positive responses did not appear to be related to the client's initial expectations or beliefs.
In addition, the clients who were treated by the most experienced Reiki practitioners had significantly higher levels of antibodies in their saliva. The researchers concluded that the therapy effectively reduced stress and pain, while improving the body's ability to fight of infection and that the findings were not exclusively a result of the placebo effect.
Is Reiki energy healing art a legitimate practice?
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recognizes Reiki as a form of energy medicine worthy of additional study. Researchers would like to be able to explain "how it works", because there is little question that it "does work" for many people. Although there may still be critics, since there always are, most people in the health care professions have come to accept the legitimacy of Reiki.
It is comparable to chiropractic care and acupuncture, though not as prevalent. Because of the nature of Reiki energy healing art, it can be used by massage therapists, nurses and other care givers. It does not require extensive or expensive instruction. Researchers have suggested it as a complementary technique for various practitioners.
In a recent review (published in the Journal of the New York State Nurses Association) of the available literature on Reiki energy, pain relief is only one topic that was covered. Relaxation, physical healing, reduced emotional distress and a deepened awareness of a spiritual connection have all been attributed to Reiki in case studies and exploratory research. A researcher at the University of Rochester School of Nursing (R. Gallob), who completed the review, described Reiki as easily adaptable to the nursing practice, benefiting both the practitioner and the patient.
However, the benefits of learning and using the Reiki energy healing techniques are not limited to nurses and other healthcare professionals. Anyone can learn the Reiki energy pain relief techniques. Anyone can learn to use Reiki to improve his or her own life and the lives of those they love.
Patsy Hamilton was a health care practitioner for over twenty years before becoming a health writer. Currently she is writing a series of articles about Reiki, a subject of personal interest. Read more at http://understanding-reiki.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patsy_Hamilton
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