The practice of Reiki healing began in Japan during the 1920's. Reiki therapy
was brought to Hawaii, in the United States, by Hawayo Takata, in 1937. The
practice is sometimes met with criticism.
It is considered a belief based system, sometimes categorized with faith healing
or "laying on of hands". With our current technology, we cannot explain why or
how it works, but researchers are currently studying the health benefits of
Reiki therapy and looking for a possible explanation.
In the United States, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM) provides funding for the scientific research and evaluation of
health care systems and practices that fall outside of the realm of
"conventional" medicine. They are currently sponsoring research concerning Reiki
healing. Researchers would like to explain how Reiki (pronounced "ray-kee")
might work.
NCCAM sponsored researchers are evaluating Reiki therapy for the treatment of
fibromyalgia. They are evaluating the impact of Reiki therapy on the well-being
and quality of life in people with advanced AIDS. In people with prostrate
cancer, they are evaluating the effects of Reiki therapy on the progression of
the disease and the patient's anxiety level. In people with diabetes, they are
hoping Reiki therapy can help control blood sugar levels, improve heart function
and/or relieve the pain of damaged nerves.
NCCAM is an agency of the Federal Government. They are not a "faith based"
organization. Their members are scientists who have been trained to research and
study complementary and alternative therapies. There goal is to provide the
public and health care professionals with information concerning therapies that
are safe and effective. Without evidence supporting that a therapy may be
beneficial, they will not provide funding for additional research.
In other words, Reiki healing may be considered "quackery" by some, but at one
time chiropractic care, massage therapy, aroma therapy, acupuncture and many
other forms of treatment were criticized. Now, many of these are commonly
suggested as complementary therapies.
Many hospitals use aroma therapy to help reduce recovery time after surgery.
Massage and other forms of physical therapy are considered absolutely necessary
for patients recovering from injuries or surgical procedures. Acupuncture and
chiropractic treatments have been shown to relieve pain that cannot be
successfully treated with conventional medicine.
The value of human touch cannot be overstated. Premature babies grow and thrive
more quickly when they are touched, stroked and held often. The ancient practice
of "laying on of hands" is now called "Therapeutic Touch" and is used in a
conventional medical setting. Doctors at the Simon Fraser University in Canada
have been using Therapeutic Touch for twenty years and conclude that it is a
"safe and beneficial intervention for cancer patients".
Reiki healing combines the power of touch with energy medicine, another health
field that is a part of complementary and alternative medicine. The Japanese
words "rei" and "ki" (which are combined to form the word Reiki) are translated
as "universal life energy". Energy medicine sometimes focuses on forces that can
be measured with scientific instruments, such as electromagnetic fields, and
sometimes on forces that cannot yet be measured conclusively by scientific
means.