The following reiki research and articles which have been collected over the years are provided as a resource to clients and fellow therapists. Please click on the titles to link to any of the articles or research below.
Articles
All about reiki: How this type of energy healing works and its health benefits | Everyday Health
Complementary medicine: What is it, types and health benefits | Cleveland Clinic
Does reiki have side effects or risks? | Healthline
Integrative medicine outcomes | Hartford HealthCare
Reiki and pain management | Human Frequencies
Reiki is reaching the top hospitals | Human Frequencies
Types of complementary and alternative medicine | John Hopkins Medicine
Types of complementary and alternative medicine | Merck & Company
What is reiki, and does it actually work? | Cleveland Clinic
Research
Adomat, R., & Killingworth, A. (1994). Care of the critically ill patient: The impact of stress on the use of touch in intensive therapy units. Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Anderson, J., & Taylor, A. (2011). The metabolic syndrome and mind-body therapies: A systematic review. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
Astin, J. (1998). Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national study. JAMA.
Baldwin, A., Fullmer, K., & Schwartz, G. (2013). Comparison of physical therapy with energy healing for improving range of motion in subjects with restricted shoulder mobility. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Baldwin, A., Vitale, A., Brownell, E., et al. (2017). Effects of reiki on pain anxiety and blood pressure in patients undergoing knee replacement: A pilot study. Holistic Nursing Practice.
Bat, N. (2021). The effects of reiki on heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and stress levels: A pilot randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.
Bowden, D., Goddard, L., & Gruzelier, J. (2011). A randomised controlled single-blind trial of the efficacy of reiki at benefitting mood and well-being. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Dyer, N., Ali, A., Baldwin, A., et al. (2016). An evaluation of the subjective experience of receiving reiki – Qualitative Results from a pragmatic effectiveness study. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine.
Dyer, N., Baldwin, A., & Rand, W. (2019). A large-scale effectiveness trial of reiki for physical and psychological health. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine.
Ferraresi, M., Clari, R., Moro, I., et al. (2013). Reiki and related therapies in the dialysis ward: An evidence-based and ethical discussion to debate if these complementary and alternative medicines are welcomed or banned. BMC Nephrology.
Fleisher, K., Mackenzie, E., Frankel, E., et al. (2013). Integrative reiki for cancer patients: A program evaluation. Integrative Cancer Therapies.
Gagne, D., & Toye, R. (1994). The effects of therapeutic touch and relaxation therapy in reducing anxiety. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing.
Guo, X., Long, Y., Qin, Z., et al. (2024). Therapeutic effects of Reiki on interventions for anxiety: A meta-analysis. BMC Palliative Care.
Heidt, P. (1981). Effect of therapeutic touch on anxiety level of hospitalized patients. Nursing Research.
Houldin, A., Lev, E., Prystowsky, M., et al. (1991). Psychoneuroimmunology. Holistic Nursing Practice.
Jahantiqh, F., Abdollahimohammad, A., Firouzkouhi, M., et al. (2018). Effects of reiki versus physiotherapy on relieving lower back pain and improving activities of daily living in patients with intervertebral disc hernia. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine.
Jain, S., Hammerschlag, R., Mills, P., et al. (2015). Clinical studies of biofield therapies: Summary, methodological challenges, and recommendations. Global Advances in Health and Medicine.
Kirshbaum, M. (2016). An exploratory study of reiki experiences in women who have cancer. International Journal of Palliative Nursing.
Krieger, D. (1975). Therapeutic touch: The imprimatur of nursing. The American Journal of Nursing.
Lee, M., Pittler, M., & Ernst, E. (2008). Effects of reiki in clinical practice: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials. International Journal of Clinical Practice.
Lipinski, K., & Van De Velde, J. (2020). Reiki: Defining a healing practice for nursing. Nursing Clinics.
McManus, D. (2017). Reiki is better than placebo and has broad potential as a complementary health therapy. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine.
Mansour, A., Laing, G., Leis, A., et al. (1998). The experience of Reiki. Alternative and Complementary Therapies.
Midilli, T., & Eser, I. (2015). Effects of reiki on post-cesarean delivery pain anxiety and hemodynamic parameters: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Pain Management Nursing.
Midilli, T., & Gunduzoglu, N. (2016). Effects of Reiki on pain and vital signs when applied to the incision area of the body after Cesarean section surgery: A single-blinded, randomized, double-controlled study. Holistic Nursing Practice.
Morse, M., & Beem, L. (2011). Benefits of reiki therapy for a severely neutropenic patient with associated influences on a true random number generator. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Notte, B., Fazzini, C., & Mooney, R. (2016). Reiki’s effect on patients with total knee arthroplasty: A pilot study. Nursing.
O’Mathuna, D., & Ashford, R. (2012). Therapeutic touch for healing acute wounds. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Peck, S. (1997). The effectiveness of therapeutic touch for decreasing pain in elders with degenerative arthritis. Journal of Holistic Nursing.
Prasad, K., Dyer, N., St. Sauver, J., et al. (2025). Effect of Reiki on measures of well-being in low-income patients with mental health diagnoses. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.
Quinn, J. (1989). Therapeutic touch as energy exchange: Replication and extension. Nursing Science Quarterly.
Randolph, G. (1984). Therapeutic and physical touch. Nursing Research.
Peters, R. (1999). The effectiveness of therapeutic touch: A meta-analytic review. Nursing Science Quarterly.
Richeson, N., Spross, J., Lutz, K., et al. (2010). Effects of reiki on anxiety depression pain and physiological factors in community-dwelling older adults. Research in Gerontological Nursing.
Siegel, P., da Motta, P., da Silva, L., et al. (2016). Reiki for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a Brazilian hospital: A pilot study. Holistic Nursing Practice.
Simington, J., & Laing, G. (1993). Effects of therapeutic touch on anxiety in the institutionalized elderly. Clinical Nursing Research.
Singg, S. (2015). Use of reiki as a biofield therapy: An adjunct to conventional medical care. Clinical Case Reports and Reviews.
Tabatabaee, A., Tafreshi, M., Rassouli, M., et al. (2016). Effect of therapeutic touch in patients with cancer: A literature review. Medical Archives.
Tsang, K., Carlson, L., & Olson, K. (2007). Pilot crossover trial of reiki versus rest for treating cancer-related fatigue. Integrative Cancer Therapies.
Vitale, A. (2007). An integrative review of Reiki touch therapy research. Holistic Nursing Practice.
Wardell, D., & Engebretson, J. (2001). Biological correlates of Reiki Touch healing. Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Wetzel, W. (1989). Reiki healing: A physiologic perspective. Journal of Holistic Nursing.
Wirth, D. (1990). The effect of non-contact therapeutic touch on the healing rate of full thickness dermal wounds. Subtle Energies.
Wirth, D., Barrett, M., & Eidelman, W. (1994). Non-contact therapeutic touch and wound re-epithelialization: An extension of previous research. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Wirth, D., Richardson, J., Eidelman, W., et al. (1993). Full thickness dermal wounds treated with non-contact therapeutic touch: a replication and extension. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Wirth, D., Richardson, J., Martinez, R., et al. (1996). Non-contact therapeutic touch intervention and full-thickness cutaneous wounds: a replication. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Witte, D., & Dundes, L. (2001). Harnessing life energy or wishful thinking? Reiki, placebo Reiki, meditation, and music. Alternative and Complementary Therapies.
Zadro, S., & Stapleton, P. (2022). Does Reiki benefit mental health symptoms above placebo? Frontiers in Psychology.
Zins, S., Hooke, M., & Gross, C. (2018). Reiki for pain during hemodialysis: A feasibility and instrument evaluation study. Journal of Holistic Nursing.
Additional Research
Acupressure Research
Auriculotherapy Research
Grounding Research
Lymphatic Research
Massage Research
Phototherapy Research
Reflexology Research
Reiki Research