The treatment. The patient, lying down or seated, does not need to change position or undress or anything else. The practitioner places his/her hands on or above the patient’s body, remaining in each position for the required time, repeating the action if necessary. Treatment lasts approximately half an hour and is free.

The Reiki practitioner Reiki practitioners working in hospitals are professional figures who, besides having perfect mastery of the technique, have been appropriately trained to interact with the complex reality of the patient. Interestingly, in a number of American centres Reiki is practised by the nursing staff and is part of their professional training.

The benefits of treatment Reiki therapy can help with the psychological aspect of the emotions connected with illness and contributes to improving the patient’s quality of life throughout treatment. Our experience has shown that the benefits of Reiki treatment on the patient’s emotional state can enhance the ability to address pharmacological treatment, pre- and post-operation stages and the relationship with the hospital structure as a whole. In cancer patients, the benefits also extend to the side effects induced by chemotherapy, including nausea and/or vomiting and asthenia, especially if the Reiki session takes place during administration of the drugs.

Who can receive treatment? Reiki is performed on patients with a definite diagnosis as a supplement to therapy based on the conventionl medical system. The hospital staff indicate patients who show signs of anxiety, symptoms of pain and side effects which cannot be controlled by conventional treatment. In some cases the patients themselves ask for treatment, after having heard others talking about it. In the project performed in liaison with the NPO F.A.R.O. Foundation in Turin, in the Sergio Sugliano F.A.R.O. Hospice, the patients are indicated by the doctors and nurses, and sometimes even by their relatives. In the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital project, both the young patients and their parents can receive treatment.

Appreciation of the project The project was widely approved by patients, who frequently asked for treatment following the positive experience of a fellow patient. The nursing staff have always welcomed and collaborated in the work of the Reiki practitioners. Reiki has proved to be particularly suited to hospital and day-hospital environments because it can be practised in any situation without special instruments, simply through the contact of the hands on the patient’s body, whatever position he or she may be in. Furthermore the treatment has no side effects or contraindications and is also practised during the administration of the scheduled therapies

If you are a Reiki practitioner and would like to take part in the project click here.