Reduced pain, anxiety, depression, and improved sleep quality are some of the potential benefits of reiki therapy, particularly for people with cancer and other chronic conditions.

Reiki comes from Japanese energy healing traditions. The word means “universal energy,” and the practice is based on the belief that an initiated reiki healer channels this universal energy through their body and hands onto the receiver to facilitate balance and healing.

Reiki is a complementary or alternative health approach. It does not directly cure disease, nor is it a formal medical treatment. However, some research and anecdotal information suggests it may benefit some people without causing side effects.

At a glance, health benefits of reiki may include:

  • reduction of pain and fatigue levels
  • depression, anxiety, and stress relief
  • improved sleep quality
  • pre-surgery anxiety, fear, and pain relief
  • emotional healing
  • blood pressure management

Pain and fatigue relief

A 2024 systematic review of five studies in cancer patients indicated that reiki sessions significantly reduced fatigue, relieved pain and stress, and improved participants’ quality of life. No side effects were reported in any of the five studies.

A 2024 controlled trial in 42 individuals with knee osteoarthritis found that participants who received 39 minutes of face-to-face reiki and 2 distant reiki sessions reported lower pain and higher well-being scores than the control group.

Well-being scales included sadness, perception of sadness, spiritual disruption, cognitive awareness, and general mood.

A small 2021 study with breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy assessed the effects of reiki therapy, specifically on quality of life and fatigue levels. Researchers found that participants reported feeling less tired and experiencing a better quality of life after six reiki sessions than those in the control group.

Another 2021 controlled study in 180 Turkish cancer patients assessed the effects of reiki and guided imagery on fatigue and pain levels.

After 7 months of 3 weekly sessions, researchers found that participants in the reiki and guided imagery groups reported reduced pain and lower fatigue levels than the control group. They also found that those in the reiki group experienced greater benefits than guided imagery participants.

An older 2018 study compared the effects of reiki therapy and physiotherapy for relieving lower back pain in people with herniated disks. Both therapies were equally effective at reducing pain, but researchers concluded that reiki was more cost-effective and, in some cases, resulted in faster outcomes.

Depression and anxiety management

A 2022 systemic review of 14 controlled trials comparing the effects of reiki to those of placebo found that reiki may have a significant therapeutic effect on some mental health symptoms.

Using a tool for grading the quality of existing scientific evidence (very low to high quality), researchers concluded there was high quality evidence of reiki’s benefits for symptoms of clinical stress and depression.

They also concluded there was moderate to high quality evidence of reiki’s benefits for symptoms of clinical anxiety. The quality of evidence for reiki’s benefits on nonclinical levels of stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression was assessed as low to moderate.

A 2021 controlled trial examined reiki’s effects on female primary caregivers of people with cancer. The trial included two groups of caregivers. One group received reiki; the other group was told they were also receiving reiki but were not.

Participants in the reiki group had a 45-minute weekly session for 6 weeks and received reiki at nine points in the body, including the seven main chakras. Participants in the control group also spent 45 minutes per week with a therapist who placed their hands on the same nine points, but unknowingly, no reiki was given to them.

Researchers found that participants who received reiki reported lower stress levels after 6 weeks and reduced physical complaints compared to the placebo group. Reiki also had a measurable relaxing effect on blood pressure and pulse rate.

A 2021 systematic review of 11 studies covering 30 years of research indicated that reiki was consistently effective at reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Sleep regulation

A 2024 controlled trial with 87 people with cancer receiving hormone therapy and experiencing insomnia as a side effect found that 4 weeks of reiki therapy led to a significant improvement in sleep quality.

Similarly, a 2024 small study in people with epilepsy and a 2024 controlled study in people with multiple sclerosis found that reiki significantly improved sleep quality and, therefore, quality of life for participants.

Surgery-related benefits

A 2023 controlled trial of 93 participants awaiting open abdominal surgery reported that reiki therapy led to reduced fear and anxiety about the surgery as well as decreased pain scores compared to a placebo and a control group. Oxygen saturation also improved with reiki sessions.

A 2024 clinical trial with people awaiting heart surgery and a 2023 study in people about to undergo a gastrointestinal endoscopy found that reiki was effective at reducing anxiety and discomfort before these interventions.

Other potential benefits

Research has suggested reiki may offer additional health benefits to some people, including:

Research on the risks and side effects of reiki is limited, but existing evidence suggests reiki is safe for the general population, including children and people with chronic conditions.

Because every body is different and may have unique sensitivities, your experience with reiki may differ from someone else’s. However, there’s no indication that reiki poses a risk to physical or mental health.

Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice with increasing evidence supporting its health benefits. These may include relief from anxiety and depression, pain management, and fatigue reduction, among others.

Research suggests reiki may work for children, pregnant people, and people with cancer and has no known side effects.

Reiki is a noninvasive complementary therapy that doesn’t replace medical advice or treatment.