People who received reiki prior to a colonoscopy procedure showed statistically significant decreases in heart rate, respirations and self-reported symptoms of anxiety, according to recent research. However, these decreases did not persist beyond the procedure.
The study, “Endoscopic Procedure With a Modified Reiki Intervention: A Pilot Study,” involved 21 people with a mean age of 58. Subjects were assigned to the reiki group or control group. The control group received standard care and education for a colonoscopy procedure, while those in the reiki group received the same treatment with an additional 15 minutes of a modified reiki intervention by a nurse trained in reiki.
According to the study’s authors, 90 percent of the subjects reported they were extremely satisfied with the reiki intervention, while all intervention participants said they would recommend reiki treatment prior to colonoscopy.
The research, which appears in MASSAGE Magazine‘s October 2010 issue, was originally published in Gastroenterology Nursing in January/February 2010.
Other research in reiki:
Reiki Useful in Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue
Reiki Reduces Heart Rate, Diastolic Blood Pressure
Reiki Induces Relaxation, Liminal State of Awareness