Reiki Effects on Pain, Functional Status and Holistic Well-Being in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

The Effect of Reiki Therapy on Pain, Functional Status and Holistic Well-being in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Study

This study aimed to examine the effect of Reiki therapy on pain, functional status and holistic well-being in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease that causes pain in individuals and negatively affects their functional status and overall well-being. Patients often benefit from non-pharmacological methods in pain control. Reiki, expressed as "universal life energy", is a kind of energy therapy that creates the appropriate conditions required by the body's natural healing system in rebalancing and recharging human energy fields. Although Reiki studies in the field of orthopedics are limited, it is revealed that Reiki improves physical function, reduces fatigue and increases emotional well-being in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of Reiki in patients undergoing total knee replacement have evaluated that Reiki is effective in controlling postoperative pain, reducing blood pressure, respiratory rate, and state anxiety.

The study was conducted with patients with knee osteoarthritis who applied to the orthopedic outpatient clinic of a training and research hospital between June 24, 2022 and December 31, 2022. The data of the study was collected using "Patient Information Form (PIF)", "Visual Analog Scale (VAS)", "Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)" and "Holistic Well-Being Scale (HWS).

PIF, VAS, WOMAC and HWS were applied to the patients who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study. Patients were randomized 1:1 into groups by a single therapist according to the block randomization method. There were two arms in the study; Reiki treatment (n=21) and control group (n=21). A second-degree Reiki practitioner applied Reiki to the patients for 40 minutes. On the second day and the third day, 30 minutes distant Reiki were applied to the patients. In the control group, nothing was done. Post-tests were applied to all patients 3 days and 10 days after they were included in the study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Grade 2-3 osteoarthritis according to the Kellgren Lawrence scale,
• Patients aged 40 and over

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who have difficulty in responding to the data collection form to be used in the research and have problems in understanding and communicating Turkish,
• Those who refuse to answer the Reiki application and data collection tools,
• Those who want to leave at any stage of the research or cannot be reached by phone,
• Those who underwent an application such as physical therapy, intraarticular injection or prolotherapy during the research process,
• Those who used any Complementary and Alternative Method (CAM) in the last 6 months were excluded from the study.