Energy Healing in Healthcare

Energy healing therapies such as Reiki have been used in hospitals world-wide. According to the American Hospital Association, more than 800 American hospitals offered Reiki as part of hospital services in 2007 and the use of such services has been rapidly growing in hospitals and clinics.   There is also a growing body of research indicating that energy therapies are effective in reducing pain, depression and anxiety as well as accelerating the healing process and boost the immune system.

Surgical units in hospitals are using energy therapies such as Reiki before surgery to help people with anxiety, during surgery and after surgery to help rebalance the body and accelerate recovery time and decrease the length of time medication is needed after surgery.

Such hospitals as Columbia University Medical Center, NY, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, NY, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, MA, Sharp Memorial Hospital, CA and St. Joseph’s  Medical Center, CA are just a few hospitals that offer Reiki services as part of their integrative program.

Since March, 2005, LifeSpark Cancer Resources, Inc., a Denver-based non-profit organization, has been providing free Reiki sessions to people dealing with cancer, before, during and after treatments, as well as providing free sessions to their caregivers.  In addition to providing sessions in various locations throughout the Denver metro area, LifeSpark also provides Reiki sessions to individuals receiving chemotherapy while in the infusion room, at the following hospitals:

  • UCHealth Anschutz Cancer Center in Aurora, CO
  • Denver Health Medical Center Cancer Center, Denver, CO
  • UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital Cancer Center, Highlands Ranch, CO
  • UCHealth Memorial Hospital Cancer Center in Colorado Springs, CO
  • UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital Cancer Center in Ft Collins, CO

 

SOME RESEARCH STUDIES CONDUCTED

In 2022, LifeSpark Cancer Resources partnered with UCHealth Anschutz Cancer Center in Aurora, CO and conducted a COMIRB approved crossover design research study using Reiki. The purpose was to see if the use of Reiki as a self-care tool can increase resilience among nurses and reduce burnout in their day-to-day care of patients.  The results of this study suggest that a Self-Reiki practice can reduce stress and anxiety and promote a sense of well-being, thus increasing resilience and reducing burnout among nurses.  The link to this study is:  https://lifesparknow.org/research-reiki-and-oncology-nurse-resilience/

Dyer NL, Baldwin AL, Rand WL. A Large-Scale Effectiveness Trial of Reiki for Physical and Psychological Health. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Dec;25(12):1156-1162. doi: 10.1089/acm.2019.0022. Epub 2019 Oct 22. PMID: 31638407.  The results from this  trial suggested that a single session of Reiki improves multiple variables related to physical and psychological health, which included, pain, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, appetite, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being 

Dyer NL, Ali A, Baldwin AL, Kowalski S, Rand WL. An Evaluation of the Subjective Experience of Receiving Reiki: Qualitative Results from a Pragmatic Effectiveness Study. J Integr Complement Med. 2022 Sep;28(9):739-748. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2022.0477. Epub 2022 May 25. PMID: 35613402.  Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that Reiki can elicit the relaxation response and alter emotions and perception in such a way as to facilitate a transformative subjective healing experience. Future work will analyze these themes as they relate to changes in symptoms and compare the experience of Reiki with other biofield therapies.

Friedman, R, Burg, M, Miles, P. et al. Effects of Reiki on Autonomic Activity Early After Acute Coronary Syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010 Sep, 56 (12) 995–996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2010.03.082

 

SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Center for Reiki Research: https://www.centerforreikiresearch.org