Reiki:
A Healing Practice
Reiki is a gentle, hands-on healing practice that originated in Japan in the early twentieth century. The word itself is a combination of two Japanese words - "rei," meaning universal, and "ki," meaning life energy. Together they point to the core idea behind the practice: that a practitioner can channel and support the flow of vital life energy through the body to encourage healing, balance, and well-being.
The modern system of Reiki was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui in the 1920s and was later brought to the United States by Hawayo Takata, who established the first Reiki clinic in the U.S. in 1970. A practitioner typically places their hands lightly on or just above specific areas of the body, moving through a series of positions with the intention of promoting energetic balance. Sessions are quiet, non-invasive, and generally described by recipients as deeply relaxing.
Reiki is considered a complementary therapy - it is not a replacement for medical care, but rather a practice used alongside it. It is increasingly offered in hospitals, hospice settings, oncology units, and veteran care programs as a supportive intervention for pain, anxiety, and stress.
What Does the Research Say?
The research base for Reiki is growing, though it remains an area where more large-scale studies are needed. A 2014 literature review published in Pain Management Nursing analyzed seven randomized controlled trials and found evidence suggesting that Reiki may be effective for both pain and anxiety, with effect sizes ranging from modest to large depending on the population studied (Thrane & Cohen, 2014). A more recent 2024 meta-analysis published in BMC Palliative Care reviewed randomized controlled trials conducted between 2005 and 2023 and concluded that Reiki demonstrated meaningful therapeutic effects in reducing patient anxiety (Özdemir et al., 2024).
Military and veteran populations have been a particular focus of Reiki research. A study published in Military Medicine in 2020 examined 30 military health care beneficiaries with chronic pain who received six Reiki sessions. Researchers found statistically significant reductions in present, average, and worst pain across all six sessions, as well as meaningful improvements in how pain interfered with sleep, relationships, and daily activity (Gantt & Orina, 2020). Separately, a clinical trial conducted at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center examined Reiki's effect on neuropathic pain in service members who had sustained major limb trauma - one of several military-funded efforts to evaluate Reiki as an adjunct therapy for combat-related injury and PTSD (Uniformed Services University, ongoing).
The U.S. Army and the National Institutes of Health have both allocated funding to research energy healing modalities including Reiki, reflecting growing institutional interest in complementary approaches to care - particularly for the complex needs of veterans dealing with chronic pain, trauma, and PTSD.
Whether approached as an energetic healing system, a relaxation practice, or a contemplative form of care, Reiki offers something that is increasingly rare in modern medicine: time, presence, and touch - offered with the simple intention of supporting the body's own capacity to heal.
References
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Gantt, L., & Orina, J. A. T. (2020). Educate, try, and share: A feasibility study to assess the acceptance and use of Reiki as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain in military health care facilities. Military Medicine, 185(3-4), 394-401. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz438
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Özdemir, F. K., Akbıyık, A., & Uçar, T. (2024). Therapeutic effects of Reiki on interventions for anxiety: A meta-analysis. BMC Palliative Care, 23, Article 148. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-024-01439-x
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Thrane, S., & Cohen, S. M. (2014). Effect of Reiki therapy on pain and anxiety in adults: An in-depth literature review of randomized trials with effect size calculations. Pain Management Nursing, 15(4), 897-908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2013.07.008
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Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Translational Science Research Program. (n.d.). Reiki for the management of neuropathic pain in soldiers with extremity trauma. https://www.usuhs.edu/research/centers/tsnrp/research/funded-study/65586