Effects of Reiki on Mental Health Care: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to identify the benefits of Reiki in mental health care. Eleven studies were included. Although the number of studies is limited, the results contribute to the potential beneficial role of Reiki in mental health care. Persistent studies using Reiki with broad samples, consistent randomized controlled trials, and patterned protocols are recommended.

Reiki: Defining a Healing Practice for Nursing.

More Americans are embracing complementary and integrative healing modalities such as Reiki to enhance the efficacy of allopathic medicine. It is important that nurses and other health care professionals be knowledgeable about these modalities. Reiki is a wellness practice that offers whole-person healing of body, mind, and spirit. The study of Reiki offers nurses an opportunity to care for themselves as well as create an optimal healing environment for their patients. This article offer nurses a comprehensive overview of the system of Reiki; it includes the core elements of Reiki, its history, Reiki training, and examples of its applications.

Webpalestra COVID-19 (Coronavírus): Práticas Integrativas e a pandemia. Como o Reiki pode ajudar?

Assista mais vídeos sobre COVID-19 no link abaixo: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Assista mais vídeos sobre Práticas Integrativas e Complementares no link abaixo: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Acesse os slides das nossas palestras na Biblioteca Virtual do Telessaúde ES! Confira a data da exibição e encontre o material desejado. Faça download e tenha o material preparado pelos nossos palestrantes. https://telessaude.ifes.edu.br/biblio...

Associations between psychological symptoms and treatment outcomes of a massage therapy intervention: Secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial.

Massage therapy (MT) may be more effective for certain subgroups of advanced cancer patients, but this is not well-studied. Psychological symptoms are one potential moderator of MT outcomes, as they occur frequently in MT patients. Therefore, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from a multi-site study which compared MT to simple touch in 380 adults with advanced cancer. We examined whether the presence of depression or baseline psychological symptom frequency moderated outcomes of change in pain, interference of pain, quality of life, 60-second heart and respiratory rates, and physical distress. We found significant main effects of depression and baseline psychological symptom frequency on changes in pain, 60-second heart and respiratory rates, quality of life, and physical distress for both MT and simple touch, but did not find differential responses between groups in moderator analyses. Results imply that psychological interventions could be targeted to patients with cancer who are receiving any type of touch therapy to improve outcomes.

Implementation of Intentional Touch for Geriatric Patients with Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Intentional Touch (InTouch) refers to a soft physical touch with the aim to ease complaints and enhance well-being. Central questions were perception of InTouch by nurses and patients and possible effects on pain perception. PATIENTS AND METHODS: InTouch was developed by stakeholder involvement. Nurses working in geriatric care received expert training in InTouch. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation (including video recording) were conducted with nurses applying and patients with chronic pain receiving InTouch after the beginning of the intervention and after 4 weeks. Interviews were analyzed based on Qualitative Content Analysis and video recordings based on Qualitative Visual Analysis. RESULTS: Six elderly patients with chronic pain and 6 nurses were included. Nurses and patients equally described relaxation, well-being, and a sensation of warmth during the intervention. Patients reported no pain during the intervention. After the intervention, 3 patients each experienced pain relief or no change. Patients described better drive and positive feelings, and nurses felt empowered in their nursing work. Empathetic attention had special importance for improving the therapeutic relationship. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that InTouch promoted relaxation, well-being, and pain relief for elderly people suffering from chronic pain and may contribute positively to the therapeutic relationship.

Variables of Individual Difference and the Experience of Touch in Nursing.

We aim to investigate nurses' feelings of comfort or discomfort with three different types of touch: task-oriented contact, touch promoting physical comfort, and touch providing emotional containment. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 198 nurses. We present results of multiple regression analysis identifying some antecedents of nurses' feelings of comfort with touch, namely, attachment style, worry, gender, and length of service. Worry is negatively associated with task-oriented contact and touch promoting physical comfort. Attachment security and length of service are associated with comfort with touch aimed at emotional containment; female nurses feel more comfortable than male nurses in performing this type of touch. Practical implications of findings are discussed in relation to the promotion of focused training courses for practitioners who are willing to improve the quality of care services.

A Practice-Based Theory of Healing Through Therapeutic Touch: Advancing Holistic Nursing Practice.

For nearly 50 years, Therapeutic Touch (TT) has contributed to advancing holistic nursing practice and has been recognized as a uniquely human approach to healing. This narrative explores the development of a practice-based theory of healing through TT, which occurred between 2010 and 2016. Through the in-depth self-inquiry of participatory reflective dialogue in concert with constant narrative analysis, TT practitioners revealed the meaning of healing within the context of their TT practice. As the community of TT experts participated in an iterative process of small group and community dialogues with analysis and synthesis of emerging themes, the assumptions and concepts central to a theory of healing emerged, were clarified and verified. Exemplars of practice illustrate the concepts. A model of the theory of healing illuminates the movement and relationship among concepts and evolved over time. Feedback from nursing and inter-professional practitioners indicate that the theory of healing, while situated within the context of TT, may be useful in advancing holistic nursing practice, informing healing and caring approaches, stimulating research and education, and contributing to future transformations in health care.

Self-Efficacy for Coping with Cancer Enhances the Effect of Reiki Treatments During the Pre-Surgery Phase of Breast Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Self-efficacy for coping with cancer plays a critical role in influencing psychological cancer-related outcomes, some studies suggested its role in enhancing or reducing the effects of psychological interventions in cancer patients. Reiki has recently been included among the efficacious complementary therapeutic intervention for cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study evaluated the role of self-efficacy for coping with cancer as buffer of the Reiki treatment effects on cancer-related symptoms in a randomized controlled trial (intervention versus control group) of breast cancer patients (N=110) during the pre-surgery phase. RESULTS: Results showed that self-efficacy for coping with cancer can influence the effect of a Reiki treatment. Higher efficacious patients showed a more powerful effect of the Reiki intervention on both anxiety and mood than the low efficacious patients. CONCLUSION: From a practical perspective, the study provides insightful results for healthcare professionals.

[Therapeutic touch and anorexia nervosa]. / Toucher thérapeutique et anorexie mentale.

An innovative practice, therapeutic touch has been used for around ten years in the treatment of eating disorders. Delivered by nurse clinicians having received specific training, this approach is based on nursing diagnoses which identify the major symptoms of this pathology. The support is built around the body and its perceptions. Through the helping relationship, it mobilises the patient's resources to favour a relationship of trust, a letting-go, physical, psychological and emotional relaxation, and improves the therapeutic alliance.

El don de la aplicación de la terapia de Reiki en pacientes oncológicos / The gif of the application of Reiki therapy in cancer patients

El dolor es una de las consecuencias más temidas del cáncer. Cuando este no se alivia bien contribuye al sufrimiento del paciente y su familia. Ello puede motivarlos a buscar terapias alternativas y complementarias adicionales, tal y como la que nos ocupa en esta revisión bibliográfica. El Reiki es un método de curación que utiliza la energía universal, a través de la imposición de las manos. Es una terapia relativamente nueva en relación con el alivio de los síntomas del cáncer. De hecho, aún existen pocos artículos en este campo. En la actualidad, los autores exploran la evidencia sobre la eficacia del Reiki en relación con el dolor del cáncer y el control de los síntomas. Debido al mayor interés depositado en el Reiki por los profesionales de la salud -en especial por los profesionales de oncología- para el alivio de los síntomas del cáncer, se ha realizado una síntesis de los últimos estudios para ofrecer la evidencia existente hasta el momento. Tras la revisión bibliográfica, se puede concluir que en este momento no existe suficiente evidencia sobre la eficacia del Reiki en el alivio de los síntomas del cáncer debido al reducido tamaño muestral utilizado, la escasez de estudios y el abandono de los participantes de los estudios, entre otras causas (AU)

Pain is one of the most feared symptoms of cancer. Bad pain not properly relieved contributes to the suffering of the patient and family. This may encourage them to seek additional complementary and alternative therapies, such as the one in our literature review. Reiki is understood as a healing method that uses universal energy to achieve balance and harmony of body, mind and soul, through the laying on of hands. Reiki is a relatively new therapy in relation to the relief of the symptoms of cancer. In fact, there are still a few articles in this field. Currently, the authors explore the evidence on the effectiveness of Reiki in relation to cancer pain and symptom control. Due to the increased interest deposited in Reiki by the health professionals -especially for oncology professionals- to relieve the symptoms of cancer, there has been a synthesis of recent studies to provide the evidence so far. After our literature review, we can conclude that there is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of Reiki in relieving the cancer’s symptoms due to the small sample size used, the paucity of studies and the abandonment of the study participants and others (AU)

Interpretations of the Healer's Touch in the Hippocratic Corpus.

This paper analyses gender as an aspect of the role of touch in the relationship between doctors and patients, as represented in the Hippocratic Corpus. Touch is an essential aspect of the ancient doctor's art, but one potentially fraught with concerns over gender: while seeing, hearing, and smelling are also central to the medical encounter, touching is the act that places the greatest demands on the privacy and bodily integrity of the patient. This paper shows--perhaps counterintuitively--that, despite the multiple assertions of gender differences put forward by the authors of the Hippocratic Corpus, these authors make little distinction between touching male and female patients. At the same time, the paper argues that ancient physicians were anxious to avoid the charge that they were harming their patients when they touched them. It demonstrates that male doctors, sensitive as they were to the problems posed by their interactions with female patients, were challenged in different ways when engaging in intimate contact with male patients.

Tactile Massage as Part of the Caring Act: A Qualitative Study in Short-Term Emergency Wards.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to illuminate the nursing staff's lived experiences and meaning in giving tactile massage (TM) while caring for patients in short-term emergency ward. METHOD: Data were collected through individual qualitative interviews with six nurses and eight assistant nurses working with TM in short-term emergency wards in two hospitals in Sweden. The narratives were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method. FINDINGS: Nurses experienced providing TM to patients as a present awareness in connection with compassion for the patient. TM provided the nurses with a tool to ease patient suffering and pain. Three dimensions were found where touch became a tool of doing, was an aware presence as a mindful being, and was embodied in a human-to-human connection with a changed caregiver. CONCLUSION: Given the current high-tech health care system with overcrowded units and a shortage of nursing staff, TM could be included as a caring tool to improve the caring in caregiving, allowing nurses to act in aware presence by touch to encourage health and well-being for both the patient and themselves.

Examination of the Perceptions of Registered Nurses Regarding the Use of Healing Touch in the Acute Care Setting.

Given the current transformation of traditional health care to provide more integrative and complementary modalities, health systems are implementing new programs and services to meet consumer and provider needs. One such integrative modality, Healing Touch, with a foundation in holistic nursing, is a gentle therapy that uses touch to promote health and well-being by balancing the human energy system. This article describes the perceptions of registered nurses regarding the implementation of a Healing Touch training program at a multihospital health system. Five themes were identified: benefit to the patient, benefit to the nurse, holism beyond task orientation, integrating Healing Touch into acute care, and barriers and challenges. Nurses recognize the importance of creating caring-healing relationships and a holistic approach to care. Training in Healing Touch provides one avenue for nurses and health care providers to provide compassionate care.

Caring touch--patients' experiences in an anthroposophic clinical context.

This study describes the phenomenon of caring touch from the patients' perspective in an anthroposophic clinical context where caring touch is often used to promote health and alleviate suffering. The aim of the study was to explore and phenomenologically describe the phenomenon of caring touch from the patients' perspectives. The study has been carried out with a Reflective Lifeworld Research approach in order to understand and describe human existential phenomena. Ten female patients were interviewed in an anthroposophic clinic in Sweden. The findings show how caring touch has multifaceted meanings and makes the patients' feel present and anchored in a meaningful context. The patients' feel that they are seen, accepted and confirmed. Furthermore, touch creates a caring space where the patients become receptive for care and has the power to alleviate the patients' suffering, as well as to frighten and cause or worsen the suffering. In order to take advantage of the caring potential, the patient needs to be invited to a respectful and sensitive form of touch. An interpersonal flexible space is necessary where the touch can be effective, and where a dynamic interplay can develop. In conclusion, caring touch is an opportunity for carers to support well-being and health. The carers need to approach their patients in both a sensitive and reflective way. A caring science perspective can serve as a help to further understand touch as a unique caring act.

El Reiki como forma terapéutica en el cuidado de la salud: una revisión narrativa de la literatura / O Reiki como forma terapêutica no cuidado à saúde: uma revisão narrativa da literatura / The Reiki as therapeutic form in health care: a narrative literature review

Reiki es una terapia complementaria, caracterizada por la imposición de manos en el ser humano como un objetivo para restablecer el equilibrio físico, mental y espiritual. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo identificar la producción científica en terapia complementaria reiki, mediante una revisión narrativa de la literatura, realizada a través de una búsqueda de la salud Biblioteca Virtual (BVS), entre los años 2007 y 2012. Se detectó un total de 398 artículos, indexados en MEDLINE, LILACS y BDENF, utilizando los descriptores reiki and enfermería y reiki and cuidado. S incluyeron en este estudio 6 artículos, 1 publicado en periódico brasileño y 5 en periódicos extranjeros, disponible solamente el resumen en inglés. Se constató que, de los artículos analizados, se puede afirmar que el reiki, en cuanto que dispositivo de cuidado, provoca cambios significativos en el individuo, especialmente en lo referente a la ansiedad, dolor, estrés, aumento de células de defensa y disminución de la presión arterial. Pocos estudios han sido publicados para demostrar la eficacia del reiki, fundamental en la práctica de enfermería, y por lo tanto de suma importancia disponer de esta herramienta de cuidado, pudiendo asi publicar sus experiencias y estudios, pues cuantos más estudios se publiquen más motivación hay para poner en práctica este dispositivo tan importante para el equilibrio del ser humano (AU)

Reiki é uma terapia complementar, caracterizado pela imposição das mãos no ser humano com objetivo de reestabelecer o equilíbrio, físico, mental e espiritual. Este trabalho visa identificar a produção científica sobre a terapia complementar reiki, a partir de uma revisão narrativa da literatura, realizada através de uma busca na Biblioteca Virtual da Saúde, entre os anos de 2007 a 2012. Foram encontrados um total de 398 artigos, indexados no MEDLINE, LILACS e BDENF, usando os descritores reiki and enfermagem e reiki and cuidado. Foram incluídos no estudo 6 artigos, sendo 1 publicado em periódico brasileiro e 5 em periódicos estrangeiros, disponibilizado apenas o resumo em inglês. Constata-se que, dos artigos analisados, podemos afirmar que o reiki, enquanto dispositivo de cuidado, provoca mudanças significativas no indivíduo, principalmente em relação a ansiedade, dores, estresse, aumento das células de defesa e diminuição dos níveis pressóricos. Poucos estudos têm sido publicados para demonstrar a eficácia do reiki é fundamental na prática da enfermagem e assim de suma importância que este tenha em mãos esta ferramenta do cuidado, podendo assim publicar suas experiências e estudos, pois quanto mais estudos publicados mais motivação se tem para colocar em prática este dispositivo tão importante para o equilíbrio do ser humano

Reiki is a complementary therapy, characterized by the laying on of hands in the human being with the aim of re-establish the physical, mental and spiritual balance. This work involves identifying the scientific production on complementary therapy; reiki from a narrative review of literature, research conducted through a search of the Virtual Health Library (BVS), between the years 2007 to 2012. It was found a total of 398 articles, indexed in MEDLINE, LILACS and BDENF, using the descriptors reiki and nursing and reiki and care. It was included 6 articles in this study, 1 published in Brazilian periodical and 5 in foreign ones. It is available only the abstract in English. It is find that, of the articles analyzed, we can affirm that the reiki, while care device, causes significant changes in the individual, especially in relation to anxiety, pain, stress, increase defense cells and decreased blood pressure. Few studies have been published to demonstrate the effectiveness of reiki, is fundamental in the practice of nursing and thus of the most importance that the professional take into account this care tool and then can publish their experiences and studies, because the more published studies more motivation will be created to put into practice this device so important for the balance of the human being (AU)

Nurses' comfort with touch and workplace well-being.

Touch is an essential part of caregiving and has been proved to be useful to reduce pain. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to nurses' perceptions of touch. The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between nurses' feelings of comfort with touch and their well-being at work. A sample of 241 nurses attending a pain management training course completed a questionnaire, including the following measures: Comfort with Touch (CT) scale (task-oriented contact, touch promoting physical comfort, touch providing emotional containment), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI; emotional exhaustion, cynicism), and Job Satisfaction. Results of structural equation models showed that touch providing emotional containment was the main predictor of emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion, in turn, was positively related to cynicism and negatively related to job satisfaction. In addition, the direct path from touch providing emotional containment to cynicism was significant. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Enhanced coherence within the theta band between pairs of brains engaging in experienced versus naïve Reiki procedures.

OBJECTIVES: The study objective was to discern whether the coherence between brain activities of the "patient" and practitioner differ between Reiki experts and novices. RATIONALE: If the physical process associated with Reiki involves "convergence" between the practitioner and subject, then this congruence should be evident in time-dependent shared power within specific and meaningful frequency electroencephalographic bands. DESIGN: Simultaneous quantitative electroencephalogram measures (19 channels) were recorded from 9 pairs of subjects when 1 of the pairs was an experienced Reiki practitioner or had just been shown the procedure. Pairs recorded their experiences and images. SETTING/LOCATION: The "practitioner" and "patient" pairs were measured within a quiet, comfortable acoustic chamber. OUTCOME MEASURES: Real-time correlations and coherence between pairs of brains for power (µV(2)·Hz(-1)) within the various frequency bands over the 10-min sessions were recorded and analyzed for each pair. Descriptors of experiences were analyzed for word meanings. RESULTS: Only the coherence within the theta range increased over time between the brains of the Reiki pairs relative to the Sham pairs, particularly over the left hemisphere. The pleasantness-unpleasantness rating for the words employed to describe experiences written after the experiment were more congruent for the Reiki pairs compared to the reference pairs. CONCLUSIONS: The increased synchronization of the cerebral activity of the participant and the practitioner during proximal therapies involving touch such as Reiki may be an important component of any subsequent beneficial effects.