Is Reiki a Placebo? – Part 3
While in Part 2 we looked at the impact of healing (Reiki) energy on cells, yeast & animals, that is not the same as on human beings. So in this post I want to share with you some of the research done on humans. So I want to start with looking at physical factors…
Krieger (1975) carried out four experiments with the intention of raising blood haemoglobin levels in patients. The technique of Therapeutic Touch (similar to Reiki) was used, with Oscar Estebany being the healer in the first three experiments and nurses trained in the method in the fourth. Significant differences in blood haemoglobin levels were obtained in:
- 43 healed patients as against 33 controls
- 46 healed patients as compared to 33 controls, where the groups were more carefully matched
Miller (1982) undertook a double-blind study on 96 hypertension patients divided equally into experimental and control groups. The experimental patients received distant healing from eight healers, together with their normal medical treatment; the controls received no healing. The results showed a significant improvement in the systolic blood pressure of the healed group, as compared to the controls, but no significant changes in the diastolic blood pressure.
So there is clear scientific evidence that Reiki does have a desirable impact on the human body.
Full References
Krieger, Dolores (1975). Therapeutic touch: The imprimatur of nursing. Am. J. Nursing, 7, 784-787.
Miller, R. N. (1982). Study on the effectiveness of remote mental healing. Med. Hypoth., 8, 481-490.
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More how to chill out…
In my previous post I said that the activity you do to chill out doesn't matter it you just need to enjoy it and it absorbs you. So why not consider paying video games, yes video games. If you ask any gamer, who enjoys playing them and they will tell you it help them relax or de-stress. I know this may sound unlikey. However that is scientific research to support the idea that regularly playing video games can help people unwind an dimprove their ability to handle everyday stress. In 2010 Associate Professor Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson of the Texas A&M Public Research Facility demonstrated that both men and women who play violent video games long-term seem to be able to adopt mental skills to handle stress, become less depressed and get less hostile during stressful tasks. In 2014 reserarchers from University College London found that people who played video games after work experienced faster recovery from work related stress. While there are a number of video games on the market which are specifically aimed at helping people unwind and manage stress, it seems that almost any form of game playing will do the trick. Spending half an hour each day on a video console could be be as effective as going to the gym for helping you “chill out” at the end of a busy day. References http://www.christopherjferguson.com/hitman.pdf http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1418103/
What can I expect from a Reiki treatment?
A Reiki treatment session lasts one hour and the fully clothed client lies on a massage table. The Reiki practitioner then holds her hands above the clients body or gently lays her hands on the clients body. The Reiki energy is automatically absorbed into the clients body which has a greatly beneficial effect. There is no standard experience of a Reiki treatment, but most of my clients find it deeply relaxing and they feel more peaceful afterwards. When a client feels tired at the onset of a treatment they often feel more invigorated afterwards. During a treatment clients routinely report sensations of heat, coldness or tingling in their bodies. Some clients see flashes of colour, others are reminded of previous experiences as these are gently released, yet others feel nothing. This does not mean Reiki was not working, it means that it was working in a gentle manner.
What aids chronic knee pain?
According to Arthristis research Uk, many of the 4.5 million people in the Uk with osteoarthritis of the knee, suffer with chronic knee pain. This includes my dad, so this piece of research caught my attention. A group of researchers from Standord University working with counterparts in China conducted a review of 19 randomised control trials to examine whether accupuncture was effective for knee pain. They considered both the visual analogue scale (VAS) of measuring knee pain and Western Ontario and McMaster Universitities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). They concluded that accupuncture can be effective in relieving chronic knee pain 12 weeks after treatments. Reference , et al Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture for chronic knee pain.
