By Alice Moore, RN, BS, Reiki Master
Hartford Hospital Dept.of Integrative Medicine, Hartford, CT
With increasing frequency and confidence, we speak of Energy Medicine (also known as “energy work”) as if it was a new form of therapy for our patients’ ailments. Not so. Thousands of years ago ancient cultures understood intuitively what scientific research and practitioners world-wide are confirming today about the flow (or lack of flow) of energy in the body and, how the use of energy therapies can enhance the healing process. As well known medical surveys report approximately 50% of the American public using some form of complementary or alternative therapy, “energy work” is among the ten most frequently used. Research has shown that these therapies (often called “mind-body-spirit techniques”) can help decrease anxiety, diminish pain, strengthen the immune system, and accelerate healing, whether by simply inducing the “relaxation response” (and reversing the “stress response” and subsequent impacts on the body, illness, and disease) or, by more complex mechanisms. When patients choose these options, there is often a greater sense of participation in healing and restoration of health and, patient satisfaction is often increased in the process.
It was with this understanding that Women’s Health Services at Hartford Hospital (in collaboration with Alice Moore, RN, BS, Reiki Master and Volunteer Services) began to integrate Reiki healing touch (one of the most well known forms of “energy work” ) on the inpatient gynecological surgical unit in 1997. Patients have been very pleased to be offered an option that is so relaxing and helps decrease their anxiety as well as their discomfort. Comments from patient satisfaction questionnaires include “I am so grateful for the pain relief and peacefulness I felt after the Reiki session”, “Reiki was the highlight of my day and I am so thankful to the volunteers”, and “I would highly recommend this program. I feel the Reiki (and guided imagery) helped me recover faster.”
After the tremendous success of this program, the formal Integrative Medicine Program under the direction of Dr. Molly Punzo, M.D. was developed in 2000 incorporating Reiki Pilot Programs (as well as Massage, Guided Imagery, Acupuncture, and Art for Healing) on the Cardiology, Orthopedic, Oncology, and Palliative Care units, as well as in the outpatient Cancer Center. During the pilot phase, outcome measurements were obtained from patients rating their anxiety and pain pre and post Reiki sessions.
This was also in line with JACHO’s recent focus on offering non-medicinal options for relief of anxiety and pain. More formal research is currently being proposed. Reiki has become an integral part of the traditional medical care on these previous “pilot” units utilizing approximately 60 Reiki Volunteers trained and validated by the hospital. As the word spreads, and as the program is being expanded to other areas of the hospital, the Dept. of Integrative Medicine also receives a growing number of special requests daily.
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