Reiki: What It Is and What Research Shows

What Reiki is

NCCIH describes Reiki as a complementary health approach in which practitioners place their hands lightly on or just above a person, with the goal of directing energy to help facilitate the person's own healing response. [1] It is based on a belief in an energy that supports the body's natural healing abilities. [1] A 2022 systematic review says Reiki was developed in Japan at the end of the 19th century by Mikao Usui. [2]

Reiki is also called energy healing or biofield therapy. Pranic healing is a separate practice with its own explanation; we did not find a source we could read on it, so we do not describe it here.

How it is traditionally explained, and what is proposed

In the Reiki framework, the practitioner channels an energy to the client. This is a traditional and spiritual explanation, not an established biological mechanism. NCCIH states plainly that there is no scientific evidence supporting the existence of the energy field thought to play a role in Reiki. [1] Any benefit seen in trials may come from relaxation, attention, touch, expectation or other non-specific factors; research has not separated these.

What a session involves

In line with NCCIH's description, hands are placed lightly on or just above the person. [1] We give no technique or training instructions. The meta-analyses above found that the number of sessions varied, and one reported that the amount of Reiki given affected results. [3]

What research shows

The evidence is mixed, and reputable summaries disagree. The table shows each source and how it should be read. Reiki has been tested against sham (pretend) Reiki in some trials, which is the better design, and against no treatment or usual care in others, where expectation can account for part of the result.

1. NCCIH (page last updated December 2018)

   Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose; most research was not high quality and results were inconsistent [1]

   Reading it: Cautious, and older

2. Systematic review of placebo-controlled trials, 14 studies (2022)

   Reiki showed a greater effect than placebo for some mental health symptoms; the GRADE rating was high for clinically relevant stress and depression, and moderate to high for anxiety. The authors called findings inconclusive, with few studies in each area and most at some risk of bias [2]

   Reading it: Promising but limited

3. Meta-analysis on anxiety, 824 participants (2024)

   Significant reduction in anxiety (SMD -0.82); less consistent for pre-surgery and cancer-related anxiety; the authors attribute the inconsistency to patients' condition, psychological state and treatment expectations [3]

   Reading it: Includes quasi-experimental designs

4. Meta-analysis in surgical care, 15 randomized trials (2026)

   Moderate to low certainty that perioperative Reiki reduced postoperative pain, anxiety and blood pressure; the authors say larger, more rigorous trials are needed [4]

   Reading it: Promising but limited

5. Cochrane review of touch therapies for pain (reviewed 2008)

   24 studies, only three on Reiki; pain was on average 0.83 points lower on a 0 to 10 scale; the authors concluded touch therapies may have a modest effect and that more Reiki studies are needed [5]

   Reading it: Old, and mostly not Reiki

6. Systematic review in cancer care, 21 publications (2023)

   Studies with high quality found no difference between bioenergy therapies (including Reiki) and active or passive controls; only low-quality studies showed significant effects [6]

   Reading it: No good evidence of benefit when well controlled

7. Palliative care, 9 studies (2026)

   Some improvements in symptoms and quality of life were reported, but the very low certainty of evidence precludes firm conclusions [7]

   Reading it: Insufficient evidence

Overall label: mixed. There is some evidence of short-term relief of anxiety and distress in some settings, much of it low quality, and none of it shows Reiki treats any disease. A trial cannot confirm an energy field. Because the earlier NCCIH page dates from 2018, newer reviews above carry more recent trials, but their authors still call for better research.

Benefits and limits

If you find Reiki relaxing, that feeling is real and the evidence suggests it may help some people with short-term anxiety or discomfort. It is not shown to cure, prevent or shrink any illness, and it should not replace medical or mental health treatment.

Who should take extra care

Anyone with a serious illness, a new or unexplained symptom, or a mental health crisis should get medical care first and treat Reiki as, at most, an optional extra. In the United States call 911 in an emergency or 988 in a mental health crisis. If you are receiving cancer care, tell your team and ask whether the hospital offers it within the care plan.

Related pages

Therapeutic Touch and biofield therapies, relaxation techniques and understanding evidence.