Irvin Sammons

In the beginning of August I was approached by Emily Walsh who offered to write up an article on the benefits of Reiki and other holistic modalities for my site. Well, I was overjoyed and am ever so thankful to her for such a wonderful article to share with everyone. Emily runs a FANTASTIC blog, called EM-Musings, which is incredibly informative.

Holistic Approach Lends a Hand to Cancer Patients by Emily Walsh

Among the things that nobody wants to hear from the doctor is the dreaded “C” word: cancer. It overwhelms its victims with a new vocabulary that may have big words such as chemotherapy, mesothelioma, radiation, prognosis or dozens of drug names or types of cancers. Although there have been many positive advances in modern medical technology to treat various cancers and its symptoms, there are often side effects from these treatments that can be just as bad or even worse than the disease itself.

Several oncologists in the West are starting to integrate Eastern medical practices that have been used for hundreds of years in the East. These holistic therapies have often been successful to ease side effects when used with traditional Western therapies. Reiki is among one of the alternative therapies that have been used. According to the official site of the American Cancer Society, several individuals have reported that they suffered less nausea and other side effects from taking chemotherapy and/or radiation. One small study revealed patients who reported having less pain while dealing with end-stage cancer. One of the downsides was that there were no reports of reduced pain medication for these patients in the test.

Although the society’s website is careful to note that Reiki practitioners make no claims to diagnosis or cure cancer, it does report that there are many testimonies from cancer patients who experience feelings of well-being and calm after a Reiki session. There have been no reported side effects or precautions for those who take Reiki therapy. Therefore, it is reasonable for doctors to consider Reiki as a palliative therapy for their patients undergoing traditional cancer treatments.

According to an article, there has been a group of people with a mesothelioma prognosis who have reported positive results from Reiki therapy. Since there have been many studies suggesting correlations between cancer and stress, oncologists from several leading cancer treatment and research hospitals are integrating Reiki with other treatments. The anecdotal reports of reduced stress, better sleep and less pain can only be seen as positive. Proponents of Reiki and other alternative treatments continue to do studies to find more evidence for cancer patients’ benefits.