Reiki as complementary therapy for cancer patients

Wednesday, December 26, 2012 by: Caryn Connolly
Tags: cancer patients, Reiki, complementary medicine

(NaturalNews) The cover of the Fall 2012 issue of Caring 4 Cancer magazine, which is distributed at some cancer centers, reads "Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Popular Remedies That May Help." While the article itself does not specifically mention Reiki, it gives cancer patients other options of which they might not otherwise be aware and acknowledges that it does not cause any harm in conjunction with their more "conventional" chemotherapy treatments. However, there is information out there on Reiki, and it is being used on cancer patients.

For those who are not aware, Reiki is an alternative healing modality that can have many positive benefits for both the giver and receiver. Specifically in chemotherapy patients, it might reduce nausea, promote relaxation, reduce pain, reduce stress, and help them to sleep. Admittedly, having someone next to them who is caring and listening to their concerns is also an added benefit, especially when that person is not part of the traditional medical establishment. Many patients who have never heard of or tried Reiki before are willing to give it a try. A diagnosis of cancer can lead to a willingness to try anything that may prove beneficial.

Reiki has become an accepted part of the Integrative Therapy programs at some 75 hospitals to date. Most of the hospitals provide Reiki as a volunteer service, but a few do pay Reiki practitioners, usually on a per diem basis. In other words, the medical establishment is acknowledging that Reiki works but does not want to have to pay practitioners to provide full-time services.

There are some peer-reviewed studies that have been completed over the past few years, but more rigorous studies will be required to prove anything to the scientific establishment. Still, for those who personally know the benefits of Reiki, these studies give hope that it may one day become a recognized, standard treatment in the same way that chemotherapy or radiation is today. While these studies were small, Reiki shows some promise in helping patients who experience peripheral neuropathy and in reducing fatigue that occurs as a side effect of chemotherapy.

Full disclosure: Caryn Connolly is a Usui and Karuna Reikic Master who volunteers at Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton, providing Reiki to patients as they receive chemotherapy.

Sources for this article include:

http://chp.sagepub.com/content/17/3/161.abstract
www.caring4cancer.com
http://reiki.org/
www.caring4cancer.com
http://www.centerforreikiresearch.org/
http://chp.sagepub.com/content/17/3/161.abstract
http://ict.sagepub.com/content/6/1/25.abstract
http://jjco.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/8/512.full

About the author:
Caryn Connolly is currently enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she has become passionate about protecting future generations from the ravages of GMOs. Through her new Facebook page GMO Information Clearinghouse (www.facebook.com/GmoInformationClearinghouse), she disseminates information from various sources, including the few major studies done on GMOs. You can also visit Integrated Healing Solutions on Facebook (www.facebook.com/IntegratedHealingSolutions ) to find out more about what services Caryn is currently offering. You can also contact her directly through her website www.carynconnolly.com