Reiki and Therapeutic Touch for symptom burden and quality of life in palliative settings: A systematic review

Reiki and Therapeutic Touch are complementary therapies sometimes used in palliative and end-of-life care.

To examine the available evidence regarding the effects of Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, compared to usual care, in palliative and end-of-life care.

Systematic review registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251059364; May 23, 2025).

MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for English-language studies published between 2013 and 2024. Eligible studies included patients receiving palliative care who underwent Reiki and/or Therapeutic Touch compared with usual care. Any primary study design was eligible. Risk of bias was assessed and findings synthesized narratively.

Nine studies involving 415 participants were included: five mixed-methods studies, three randomized controlled trials, and one qualitative cross-sectional study conducted in North America (n = 6) and Europe (n = 3). Cancer was the predominant diagnosis. Risk of bias raised some concerns in randomized trials and was moderate to high in qualitative and non-randomized designs. Some studies reported improvements in symptoms (pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and stress), and in quality-of-life domains (sleep, relaxation, energy, hope, and emotional well-being). Qualitative findings described perceived relaxation, comfort, and emotional support. Reporting of harms was limited; only one study monitored adverse events and reported one serious event considered potentially related to the intervention.

Evidence regarding Reiki and Therapeutic Touch in palliative and end-of-life care remains limited and heterogeneous. The very low certainty of evidence precludes firm conclusions regarding their effectiveness. Further well-designed studies are needed to clarify their potential role in palliative care.