The Science of Stress Management by Amitava Dasgupta

Author:Amitava Dasgupta [Dasgupta, Amitava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2018-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

Reiki for Stress Management

Reiki is an energy-based touch therapy that provides a means for the life force to recharge and rebalance the human energy field. In a typical Reiki session, which may last twenty to thirty minutes or more, the therapist lightly touches a person or works with the energy field of the person by moving his or her hands just over the physical body. Reiki can be practiced at the first or second level, but the highest level, the third level, of practice skill is usually achieved only by Reiki masters. Reiki therapy is a cost-effective, noninvasive therapy without any side effect, and such holistic therapy can be easily adopted for stress relief in clinical situations. Although the benefits of aromatherapy and massage have been clearly documented in the medical literature, the benefits of Reiki have not been clearly established by scientific research. This may be because relatively fewer scientific reports have been published on Reiki healing compared to extensive scientific literature on stress relief and many other health benefits of aromatherapy, aromatherapy massage, and massage therapy. Another reason is conflicting reports, with some studies showing benefits but other studies failing to confirm such benefits. Therefore, more scientific research is needed to establish the health benefits of Reiki.

In one study based on twenty-three healthy subjects, the authors observed that thirty minutes of Reiki session were associated with significant relaxation and reduced anxiety. The salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) level was also increased, indicating stress relief, but no significant change was observed in salivary cortisol level after Reiki treatment.63 Burnout is a common phenomenon among health-care physicians working at mental health clinics. In one study, the authors showed that Reiki intervention for thirty minutes was very effective in reducing the burnout phenomenon among community mental health clinicians.64 In another study involving a nine-year-old female child with a history of perinatal stroke, seizures, and type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent diabetes), six weeks of Reiki treatment by a Reiki master resulted in positive changes in sleep patterns (better sleep during 33.3 percent of nights) and no report of seizures during the Reiki treatment. The Reiki master reported that the child was relaxed within five to seven minutes of the Reiki treatment. The authors concluded that Reiki is a helpful adjunct therapy for children with increased stress levels and sleep disturbances.65

Reiki may be effective in pain management in various patient groups. In one study involving twenty-four cancer patients, the authors observed that patients who received pain medication along with Reiki showed significantly lower perception of pain, lower diastolic blood pressure, and decreased heart rates on days they received Reiki treatment compared to patients who received pain medication alone.66 Reiki is effective in reducing pain due to diabetic neuropathy (severe nerve pain associated with complications of diabetes).67 In another study, the authors reported that after abdominal hysterotomy, women who received Reiki intervention reported less pain and requested smaller amounts of pain medication compared to women who did not received Reiki therapy.68

However, there are also published reports indicating no benefit of Reiki.

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