Marlborough House 1 Middle Street, Taunton TA1 1SH
Reiki
Remember – you can talk to us about your problems completely free and without obligation. Please call 01823 272227 or contact us
What is reiki?
Reiki is a non-invasive, soothing and nurturing healing treatment from Japan. Both powerful and gentle, it relieves stress and encourages relaxation, helping to restore the vital energy we lose in daily life.
The reiki practitioner gently places his or her hands in a sequence of positions covering your whole body. The therapy is simple but highly beneficial, and you can learn to practise it on yourself or on members of your family.
The Reiki Association says: ‘As running water smoothes the jagged edges of a rock until it is small enough to roll away, reiki flows to the areas of need, soothing pain and supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself. Reiki restores balance in one's life.’
What to expect
First we’ll ask you about yourself and what is troubling you. And we’ll explain what will happen during your session.
It could not be more simple. You lie fully clothed on the treatment couch. Your reiki practitioner places his or her hands in a subtle pattern of positions on your head and the front and back of your torso. Rest assured that the placement of the hands will never be intrusive. Throughout your session your reiki practitioner will be stimulating the flow of energy through your body and directing it to the parts that are most in need of it.
At the end of your session you should feel refreshed and relaxed. Some people feel immediate benefits, and with others the effects are felt progressively more deeply as they continue their treatment.
Who and what we treat
We use reiki to dispel tension and stress in patients. It may also be effective in relieving pain. If you lack self-confidence, or if your creativity is blocked, reiki could well be of benefit to you.
At Marlborough House we offer a one-day course for small groups wishing to learn reiki as a self-healing tool.
Contact us
To contact us, please call 01823 272227 or click the link below.
In a study by Hartwell & Brewitt (1997) a group of chronically ill patients were given 11 weekly one-hour reiki sessions. No other new allopathic or complementary treatments were given during this period. The electrical skin resistance was measured at many conductance points on the hands and feet using a ‘LISTEN’ device. All patients were measured before the first session and after sessions 3 and 11. Three test points showed highly significant before/after differences. These meridian points correlate with the spleen, adrenal glands, and cervical and thoracic regions of the spine. These might be termed representative of the neuroendocrine-immune system. The spinal readings showed the greatest difference, starting on average 25% below normal, and gradually increasing to within optimal range. Following reiki, all patients experienced a reduction in pain and an increase in relaxation and mobility.
In 1997, Dr. Olson, Coordinator of Nursing Research and Dr. Hanson, research scientist at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, USA conducted research into the efficacy of reiki as an adjunct to opiate therapy, with a view to reducing the dosage while maintaining a similar level of pain management. Patient perception of pain was measured using two standard tests immediately before and after reiki treatments. Both tests showed a highly significant reduction in pain following reiki.
A phase II trial of reiki for the management of pain in advanced cancer patients compared pain, quality of life, and analgesic use in a sample of patients with cancer pain (n=24). They received either standard opioid management plus rest (Arm A) or standard opioid management plus reiki (Arm B). Participants either rested for 1.5 hr on Days 1 and 4 or received two reiki treatments (Days 1 and 4) one hour after their first afternoon analgesic dose. Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain ratings, blood pressure, heart rate, and respirations were obtained before and after each treatment/rest period. Analgesic use and VAS pain scores were reported for 7 days. Quality of life was assessed on Days 1 and 7. Participants in Arm B experienced improved pain control on Days 1 and 4 following treatment, compared to Arm A, and improved quality of life, but no overall reduction in opioid use. Future research will determine the extent to which the benefits attributed to reiki in this study may have been due to touch.
[Translation from the German] Two other interesting reiki studies were performed in 2002 by Duquemin and Pankhurst in England. Reiki treatments for patients with multiple sclerosis and others with chronic fatigue syndrome were studied. Health data were collected in parallel to the treatments. The group of participants studied was fairly small, so further research is needed in this area.
After 12 treatments of 1.5 hours 90.2% of MS patients experienced a reduction in lethargy, 87% suffered less from depression. Cognitive and motor problems were reduced to a considerable extent. Over 70% of patients reported that their pain and fatigue were reduced.
In the group of patients who suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, 90% reported that their pain was reduced.
An improvement in motor skills was observed in 80% of the patients, and 70% suffered less fatigue.
