Reiki for Cancer
Reiki is a gentle, holistic treatment that infuses the body with energy and helps restore the body's normal energy flow. It can be particularly helpful for cancer patients because of the debilitating effects of all three standard cancer treatments - chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
From my experience working with cancer patients for 10 years at the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, NJ (Englewood Health), cancer patients receiving Reiki during their chemotherapy infusion sessions experienced tremendous benefits of increased energy and the associated feeling of well-being after their Reiki treatments. From questionnaires filled out by patients before and after Reiki, fatigue and stress levels dropped significantly, while patients reported "feeling very relaxed" and enjoying a greater sense of calm. Even those who had never heard of Reiki or were uncertain of its possible benefits, were surprised to discover how much better they felt after their treatments. One skeptic reported that for a few days after his treatment, he actually felt "more connected to the universe." Most patients fell asleep during their Reiki treatments, and woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
After volunteering in the Infusion Center for one year, I was hired by Englewood Hospital as the first and only Reiki Master Practitioner on staff to help cancer patients based on the excellent benefits patients were experiencing. I later also worked in the hospital’s Graf Center for Integrative Medicine where I treated a variety of injuries, illness, trauma and burnout.
The St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, Oregon believed so strongly in the value of its Reiki work that it took out a half-page ad in a local newspaper in 2010 stating:
"Complete cancer care requires a balanced approach. That's why we provide Reiki as a complementary therapy for cancer patients. This Japanese technique has been shown to promote relaxation, giving the body the energy it needs to meet the challenges of cancer treatment. We do this because we know that healing can take many forms, and sometimes the gentlest touch can be the best medicine."
The St. Charles Center also studied the "Effect of Reiki Treatments on Pain, Anxiety and Well-Being". In its study of 79 patients from Jan. 7 through Sept. 13, 2010, Reiki practitioners gave 312 treatments to 68 female and 11 male patients. The patients were asked to provide information on their level of pain, anxiety and well-being both before and after their Reiki treatments on a scale of 0-10 (10 being the highest level). The data collected showed that pain, anxiety and well-being all responded positively to Reiki treatments by approximately 3 points.
Reiki is a gentle, holistic treatment that infuses the body with energy and helps restore the body's normal energy flow. It can be particularly helpful for cancer patients because of the debilitating effects of all three standard cancer treatments - chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
From my experience working with cancer patients for 10 years at the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, NJ (Englewood Health), cancer patients receiving Reiki during their chemotherapy infusion sessions experienced tremendous benefits of increased energy and the associated feeling of well-being after their Reiki treatments. From questionnaires filled out by patients before and after Reiki, fatigue and stress levels dropped significantly, while patients reported "feeling very relaxed" and enjoying a greater sense of calm. Even those who had never heard of Reiki or were uncertain of its possible benefits, were surprised to discover how much better they felt after their treatments. One skeptic reported that for a few days after his treatment, he actually felt "more connected to the universe." Most patients fell asleep during their Reiki treatments, and woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
After volunteering in the Infusion Center for one year, I was hired by Englewood Hospital as the first and only Reiki Master Practitioner on staff to help cancer patients based on the excellent benefits patients were experiencing. I later also worked in the hospital’s Graf Center for Integrative Medicine where I treated a variety of injuries, illness, trauma and burnout.
The St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, Oregon believed so strongly in the value of its Reiki work that it took out a half-page ad in a local newspaper in 2010 stating:
"Complete cancer care requires a balanced approach. That's why we provide Reiki as a complementary therapy for cancer patients. This Japanese technique has been shown to promote relaxation, giving the body the energy it needs to meet the challenges of cancer treatment. We do this because we know that healing can take many forms, and sometimes the gentlest touch can be the best medicine."
The St. Charles Center also studied the "Effect of Reiki Treatments on Pain, Anxiety and Well-Being". In its study of 79 patients from Jan. 7 through Sept. 13, 2010, Reiki practitioners gave 312 treatments to 68 female and 11 male patients. The patients were asked to provide information on their level of pain, anxiety and well-being both before and after their Reiki treatments on a scale of 0-10 (10 being the highest level). The data collected showed that pain, anxiety and well-being all responded positively to Reiki treatments by approximately 3 points.