The Effect of Reiki on Pain Applied to Patients With Cancer

Abstract

Pain, the most common and major source of fear in patients with cancer, reduces the quality of life. This systematic review was conducted to determine the effect of Reiki on pain applied to patients with cancer. The creation of a systematic review protocol and the writing of the article were based on the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) criteria. The literature review was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. Seven experimental and quasi-experimental studies met the inclusion criteria, and a total of 572 patients with cancer with sample sizes ranging from 18 to 180 were included. In-person Reiki was applied in 6 of the studies included in the systematic review, while in one of them, distance Reiki was applied. Although Reiki was found to reduce pain in 5 studies included in the review, it was determined that it was not effective on pain in 2 studies. A limited number of studies show that Reiki applied to patients with cancer has a positive effect on pain. It is recommended to conduct more randomized controlled trials with a high methodological quality that examine the effectiveness of Reiki application for patients with cancer.

Therapeutic effects of Reiki on interventions for anxiety: a meta-analysis

“…Previous meta-analyses have investigated the effects of Reiki on pain relief. Avci et al [ 28 ] conducted a meta-analysis of 7 relevant studies, concluding that the use of Reiki can decrease pain levels in cancer patients. In a similar vein, Thrane et al [ 45 ] examined 20 studies and found evidence that Reiki can help alleviate pain.…”

“…The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine categorizes Reiki as a biofield therapy and energy therapy [ 27 ]. Traditional medical treatments, such as drug therapy, can be costly and come with potential side effects that may hinder both physical pain relief and psychological anxiety alleviation [ 28 ]. As a result, many patients can benefit from alternative and complementary therapeutic approaches alongside traditional surgical and drug treatments.…”

“…Reiki, which translates to universal life energy, is an affordable, side-effect-free, and easily applicable complementary and integrative therapy. Previous meta-analyses have investigated the effects of Reiki on pain in both cancer patients and the general population, demonstrating a decrease in patient suffering [ 28 , 29 ]. Expanding on this research, the objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review on the impact of Reiki on patient anxiety.…”