Does Reiki Work?

That’s the big question, right?

And, luckily, science has the answer! The answer is… 

Maybe.

Probably?

It looks like it might work!

Well, thanks, Science. But, that’s not particularly satisfying.

To put things in perspective. I worked on a study right after college. The study followed 6,000 men for over 20 years. (Until other countries joined in, now it has 11,000 men.) It is looking at how bone density changes in men as they age. Spoiler alert: it decreases. Thanks, Science. I’m just kidding. The study is a treasure trove of research into how men age. Thanks, Science!

Now, Reiki studies. The good ones follow up to 20 people for 7 days. Those are the good ones. Some studies follow people for about 20 minutes. Those are the not as good ones.

The thing about good research is that it is hard, time consuming and expensive. And, no pharmaceutical companies are jumping in to sponsor research on Reiki.

So, scientists just have to make a good guess based on the research that has been done.

Here’s the current guess: it looks like it works. So far, it has not been found to cure any health conditions. But, it does lower heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate variability (which is linked to emotional regulation). It does relax people and trigger their parasympathetic nervous system (the one that we use to rest and heal). And it does help with recovery after surgery and pain control.

If Reiki was a drug we could market, pharmaceutical companies would be fighting over it.

Instead, Reiki is free. It is quick and easy to learn. And, once you have learned it from a Reiki Master, you can practice it anytime for free on yourself, your family and your loved ones.

So, let’s learn it. Let’s teach it. Let’s spread this tool to everyone. 

Cited:

McManus, David E. Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy. Journal of Evidence Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine 2017;22:1051-1057.