“The Power of Reiki” – or perhaps the failures of pseudo-science?

This study aimed to determine the effects of Reiki on pain and biochemical parameters in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. This investigation was designed as a “single-blind, repeated measures, randomized prospective controlled study”. It was conducted between August 2022 and April 2023 with patients who underwent autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

• In the Reiki group (n = 21), Reiki therapy was applied directly to the energy centers for 30 min on the 0th and 1st day of BMT, and from a distance for 30 min on the 2nd day.
• No intervention was performed on the control group (n = 21).

Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and biochemical parameters. Pain and biochemical parameters were evaluated on days 0, 1, 2, and 10 before the Reiki application.

There were no statistically significant differences in pain scores between the groups before the intervention (p > .005). The Reiki group showed a significant improvement in the mean VAS score compared with the control group on days 1 and 2 (p = .002; p < .001, respectively). The measurement of procalcitonin showed a decrease in the Reiki group and an increase in the control group (p = .026, p = .001, p < .001, respectively). Although the Reiki group had better absolute neutrophil, thrombocyte, and C-reactive protein values than the control group, no significant difference was observed between the groups (p > .05).

The authors concluded that Reiki is effective for pain control and enhancing the immune system response.

For the following reasons, I beg to differ:

• The patients of the verum group were fully aware of receiving the therapy; thus they were expecting/hoping to benefit from it.
• The patients of the control group received no therapy; thus they were disappointed which may have influenced thie VAS ratings.
• The procalcitonin levels are of doubtful relevance; they changed only within the group which, in a controlled clinical trial that is supposed to compare groups is meaningless and most likely a chance finding.
• The only people who could have been blinded in this ‘single blind’ study were the evaluators of the results (even though the authors state that “patients were blinded to the group assignments”) which is meaningless if patients and therapists are not blinded.

Because of all this, I feel that the conclusions should be re-written:

Reiki is known to cause a placebo effect which most likely caused the observed outcomes.