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A study of Reiki therapy on unpleasant symptoms in children with cerebral palsy
Lamara Love1, Avery M Anderson2, Victoria von Sadovszky2
1Comprehensive Cerebral Palsy Program, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Insights
Reiki Therapy (RT) may help reduce pain in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). This study found RT feasible for home use and showed significant pain reduction when lying down.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric medicine
- Complementary and alternative medicine
Background:
- Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) often suffer from pain, anger, and sadness.
- The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS) provides a framework for understanding these experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility and impact of home-based Reiki Therapy (RT) for children with CP.
- To evaluate RT's effect on unpleasant symptoms and stress over an 8-week period.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental study involving 13 children (ages 5-16) with CP.
- Home-based RT administered by a certified therapist for 8 weeks.
- Parental questionnaires and hair cortisol levels measured symptoms and stress.
Main Results:
- Reiki Therapy significantly reduced pain when participants were lying down (p=0.002).
- No significant pain reduction was observed when participants were sitting (p=0.40).
- A trend towards improvement in anger symptoms was noted.
Conclusions:
- Home-based Reiki Therapy is a feasible intervention for children with CP.
- RT shows promise in alleviating specific symptoms like pain in this population.
- Further research is warranted to explore RT's therapeutic potential in pediatric CP.
Abstract:
Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) commonly experience unpleasant symptoms such as pain, anger, and sadness. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study, guided by the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS), was to examine the practicality and impact of delivering Reiki Therapy (RT) in homes over an 8-week intervention phase to children with CP. Thirteen pediatric participants were recruited, ranging in age from 5 to 16 years. Reiki Therapy was administered by a Level 3 Reiki Therapist in the home for 8 consecutive weeks. Parents completed on-line questionnaires addressing their children's unpleasant symptoms. Hair cortisol was measured as an indicator of stress. Nearly all study procedures were completed by the participants, indicating that the methods are feasible for a larger study. Reiki Therapy significantly decreased pain while lying down (3.09 vs. 2.00; p = .002) but not while sitting (2.55 vs. 2.09; p = .40). Anger symptoms showed a trend towards improvement in the participants. These preliminary findings demonstrate that Reiki is a therapeutic modality worthy of further investigation in the CP pediatric population.
