Reiki and fibromyalgia

According to the Mayo Clinic, it's not clear what causes fibromyalgia, but experts believe repeated nerve stimulation causes people's brains to change. The changes include higher-than-normal levels of certain chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters that signal pain. It's also believed that the pain receptors in the brains of people with fibromyalgia become more sensitive and react more strongly to pain signals.

People with fibromyalgia have pain in the connective tissue, and it can be debilitating. The benefit of Reiki is that you don't have to get undressed as that is often painful in itself.

The patient's comfort is priority number one for me. Even though Reiki's touch is very gentle, patients in extreme pain may not want to be touched. In "no-touch" Reiki, the practitioner will keep their hands a few inches or centimetres above your body at the standard hand positions. If you decide to get a reiki treatment, let your practitioner know if you wish to light touch or no touch before the session begins.

When clients have Reiki done, they don't necessarily go to sleep, but they often get tired and very relaxed. That feeling often produces stress relief and pain control.

A study published in December 2019 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine examined the effect of just a single 45- to 90-minute session of Reiki on physical and psychological health. Although the study was conducted on people without any specific medical condition, many of the items measured were symptoms that people with fibromyalgia often experience.

Subjects were assessed before and after the Reiki session. They showed improvement in multiple areas, including pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, leading the authors to conclude that Reiki has "therapeutic potential" for various medical conditions that have physical and psychological symptoms.