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Effects of Reiki on Stress

NCT00346671 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE1 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 257

Last updated 2012-09-24

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Complementary therapies such as Reiki are becoming popular. Reiki is a practice used for relaxation and pain management that involves physical touch and social contact with a trained, empathetic practitioner. Unlike many relaxation therapies, Reiki requires no participation by the patient, a feature that makes Reiki particularly attractive in the hospital setting, where patients are often extremely anxious, depressed, in pain, or sedated. Our primary research questions are to determine whether physiological changes are induced during a Reiki session and whether a Reiki session affects responses to a subsequent acute stressor. Secondary research questions include assessing which benefits result from placebo or unique abilities of "attuned" Reiki practitioners and assessing background characteristics of recipients that are associated with acceptance and responsiveness. Based on its use to reduce pain and anxiety, we will study potential mechanisms by which Reiki decreases activity of the sympathetic nervous system and other stress pathways. Comparison of the responses in a Reiki group with those in supine-control and sham groups will allow us to gain insights into mechanisms by which Reiki effects are mediated. Information obtained from the proposed studies will provide detailed information on physiological pathways affected by Reiki. Should Reiki decrease stress pathways or reduce physiological responses to stressful situations, it could be a useful adjunct to traditional medicine and have significant health and economic benefits.

Conditions

  • Stress

Interventions

OTHER

Rest

30 min supine rest

OTHER

Sham

30 min session with Sham practitioner

OTHER

Reiki

30 min session with Reiki practitioner

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

    collaborator NIH

  • The Cleveland Clinic

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Joan E. Fox, PhD · The Cleveland Clinic

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2006-01-31
Primary Completion
2009-10-31
Completion
2010-06-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00346671 on ClinicalTrials.gov