When I begin to talk about Reiki Practice, I can get a whole host of reactions. From complete acceptance to total disbelief, the response to Reiki and nursing is all over the spectrum. And I get that. As a scientifically logical person with a strong influence of my analytical mind- I find myself questioning my own Reiki Practice from time-to-time.

This is why I have listed a large amount of Reiki research on my own website, as reference for you the curious and scientific nurse, to check out. You can access the Reiki research articles I have read and reviewed by clicking here.

Since as a nurse I rely on evidence based practice, the other day I was doing a bit more of my own research and came across this very recent article (May, 2014) on Reiki research. To read the full article, you can of course click here.

In summation, the article references these main points regarding Reiki research:

• Since Reiki is not ingested, put under the skin, and requires no manipulation of tissue all of the Reiki research out there shows no negative effects from Reiki therapy. It is safe and does no harm.
• It is difficult to measure Reiki as it relates to balance. While we as nurses can understand the concepts of homeostasis and equilibrium of the physical body, it is more difficult to articulate how exactly Reiki brings the human being into total balance.
• Reiki has been measured using a large number of outcomes. Some of these include pain, stress, anxiety, career burnout, and caring efficacy. Reiki research has been done in a variety of settings. For example, studies have been conducted with patients who have depression, diabetes, cancer, and AIDS (to name a few).
• Many of the Reiki research studies are small in size, have poor design and entertain a large number of limitations to make them strong in statistical significance. Research is still being done and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, as well as the National Institutes of Health, continuously conduct research on Reiki and other touch therapies.

Again, you can access the full article on research and Reiki by clicking here. What have you heard about Reiki? Do you know of any research being done in this field? I invite you to leave a comment or question below.