Is Reiki a Placebo? – Part 1

By nature Reiki is very intangible.   So in a series of blog articles I will try to explore how Reiki works and what the scientific research says.

For me Reiki is merely a modern name for an ancient healing practice.  Which is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, we are run down and then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The benefits of Reiki

  • Help some people to feel deeply relaxed
  • Help people cope with difficult situations
  • Relieve emotional stress and tension
  • Help to improve overall wellbeing
  • Help alleviate pain & anxiety

My personal belief about how Reiki works, is that I act as a channel for Reiki energy and the client must be open to receiving it as the Reiki energy cannot “force” itself on to anyone.  As humans have free-will this means a client can block it if they consciously choose too.  The Reiki energy is then a resource that the human body can use to heal itself.

So is Reiki just Placebo?

A placebo is anything that seems to be a “real” medical treatment — but isn’t i.e. it is fake. The judgement is based on the availability of scientific evidence.  Dame Carol Black (– a former President of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Academy of Royal Colleges) and a group of distinguished doctors and scientists at the Kings Fund has concluded that current assumptions about what constitutes good scientific evidence for complementary therapies are too narrow.

Professor Stephen Holgate who is also a member of the Kings Fund said:

“As scientists, we have often sneered at the placebo effect. But as doctors, we know it can have a real impact on the outcomes of treatment for our patients. What is it, after all, but a trigger to the body’s natural ability to heal itself?  That is something worth encouraging.”

I am a firm believer in the body’s ability to heal itself.  As the aim of all complementary therapies is to stimulate the body to heal itself, they could all be considered placebo.  This is probably especially true of Reiki due to the fact that it has not been well studied scientifically.   The limited studies have not gathered enough evidence to “prove” Reiki energy exists, but this is not the same as proving it doesn’t exist.

For me, it makes more sense to assess the impact of Reiki and Reiki energy.  After all if you can assess the impact of the energy then it must exist.  And as to, is it a placebo?  If the Reiki energy has an impact, it must exist, and it can’t be a placebo because its having an impact.

So in my next blog I will at the scientific evidence on the impact of Reiki.

Related Posts

  • Headaches – Introduction

    Headaches are one of the most common complaints. Yet despite this, the precise mechanism and cause of certain types of headache remains unclear. The three main types of headache are

    • Tension
    • Migraines
    • Cluster
    Tension headaches – are characterised by constant pressure or tightness that affects both sides of the head accompanied by contraction of the neck muscles. They are the most common type of headache. The exact cause is unclear, but tension headaches have been linked to things such as stress, poor posture, skipping meals and dehydration. Migraines – are typically characterised by a throbbing or pulsating pain. In addition you feel worse for physical activity and there often additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or smells. Cluster Headaches – are characterised by being very severe but generally lasting less than one hour. One characteristic of cluster headaches is that the pain is often centred on the eye, which may water.   They are called cluster headaches because they can occur up to eight times in one day, for a few weeks or up to two months. Their cause is unknown but there is subjective evidence to suggest the triggers may include alcohol, strong smelling substances or extreme rise in temperatures. Identifying which type of headache you have can be very difficult as tension headaches and migraines share many of the same traits. Treating and preventing headaches depends on the individual and type of headache. It is often advisable to keep a diary in order to identify which type of headache(s), they experience and if there are specific triggers that can be avoided.

  • What helps fight colds? Part 2

    In Part 1, I gave you some ideas for preventing and stopping colds.  But in this article, I want to focus on if you have a blocked or stuffy nose. Propolis This is found in a variety of comercial cold remedies.  A water based nasal spray tested on children has been show to improve the symptoms of comon cold and reduce the number of disease-causing bugs in the airways. Steam If I get a blocked nose, I inhale steam to assit me to blow my nose clear. Nasal Rinsing This technique is where you use a container called a neti pot or nasal cup filled with a salt water solution to flush ou the nasal passages.  This can be used to both treat and prevent colds.  There is evidence that it can help clear a blocked nose, soothe a sore throat and even reduce the chanes of getting sick again.  If using a neti pot doesn't apeal you can buy saline nasal sprays. References Crişan I, Zaharia CN, Popovici F, Jucu V, Belu O, Dascălu C, Mutiu A, Petrescu A. Natural propolis extract NIVCRISOL in the treatment of acute and chronic rhinopharyngitis in children. Rom J Virol. 1995 Jul-Dec;46(3-4):115-33. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9179964 Slapak I, Skoupá J, Strnad P, Horník P. Efficacy of isotonic nasal wash (seawater) in the treatment and prevention of rhinitis in children. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008 Jan;134(1):67-74. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18209140

  • The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 7

    There is a wide range of American start up companies, creating technology solutions to combat the new "sitting disease".  In previous posts I have discussed in the impact of sitting all day

    In my post, "Taking a Break", I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency.  In my last blog post, "Get Moving" I looked at how you can move while working.  In this post I want to review the technology solutions that are out there. Activity Trackers Most of the technology solutions currently available are wearable activity trackers. These products are basically advanced sensors that come embedded inside of bracelets or clips that hook onto your clothing. They measure your daily activity (steps taken and calories burned), sleep, and through an associated app, diet.  Below I list some of the common trackers.
    • 1. Apple Watch
    Everyone knows that Apple is about to launch the Apple Watch which will have a plethora of health and fitness functionalities. However the Apple Watch heavily relies on the iPhone to function and is not really considered a standalone device. But I want to focus on one interesting feature which is that ten minutes before each hour, the Apple Watch taps on their arms as an alert to ecourage you to stay active or just simply stand up. I can see this being essential for people who want to stay active but find they lose track of time when they work.
    • 2. Jawbone UP
    The company’s wearable activity tracker, Jawbone UP includes a step counter, sleep tracker and an idle alert, which offers reminders to users by buzzing if they are inactive. What is neat about Jawbone is that it links to your calendar from your iPhone and see what your schedule is with meetings and we can say — rather than buzzing you during the middle of your board meeting — we can actually wait until the end and give you some insight.
    • 3. Nike+ Fuelband
    What is good about the Nike+ Fuelband activity tracker is that lets you set an activity goal, you can press a button on an LED screen to check your progress, and displays a green light when you have achieved your goal.  However it can be inaccurate if for some reason you happen to move your hands swiftly throughout the day.
    • 4. Fitbit One
    Fitbit One is the best holistic tracking of activity, diet and sleep and is good value compared to some of the other activity trackers. The app creates graphs, charts and tools based on your data and lets you easily log food, water, weight, food plans and more.  It is especially good for women as you can clip it in the center of your bra, rather than trying to blend in a wrist based activity tracker with your outfit. Applications “I'll help you unclog your mind and uncramp your body”, is the promise of HotSeat health app that turns short breaks into meaningful activity through nudges and social accountability.  What I like about this application is that it allows you to create competition - which are always very motivational! Darma - The Hitech Cushion Digital health upstart Darma have developed a cushion that aims to help people take control of their sitting habits.  It helps you remember to maintain good posture when sitting down for long periods of time. The cushion contains one millimeter-thick fiber optic sensors that sense the user’s movements. The pillow also has embedded sensors that detect heart rate, stress level, and respiration. All of this information is sent to a companion app on the user’s smartphone. The app can then track a user’s stress level, sitting time, and posture and try to motivate users to get up every now and then. It will also alert users when they’ve slipped into a bad position and explain how to correct their posture. If users are feeling back pain, the app can guide them through stretches that might help relieve it.  To me this more directly provides relevant information to help my clients than some of the more wearable technology solutions.  I am looking forward to its launch later this year, until then there is always massage!