By Linda Clark, RN, BC, BSN | Main Line Health

After spending the previous 38 years of my nursing career on telemetry units, I received an amazing opportunity in 2023 to work in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Suffering burnout from the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was ready for the change, ready to leave the bedside. But there was one thing holding me back: Would I be able to keep my other job?

I had practiced Reiki at Pennsylvania’s Bryn Mawr Hospital 1-2 times per month during my off shifts for years. Would there be a place for this skill, I worried, after moving from the nursing floor to the facility’s cardiac rehab program? To my relief, my new manager knew exactly what Reiki is and the benefits it can provide. I was encouraged to continue to practice the discipline as it fits into my current work schedule.

A Healing Touch

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a healing energy therapy, based on the Asian concept of “ki” or life force energy, that originated in Japan in the early 20^th century. It is taught by a sensei, who passes the knowledge to the student through “attunement.” This ceremony opens the student's energy channels to facilitate the flow of healing energy and potentially improve the client's health. Once the practitioner has undergone attunement, the energy channels remain accessible to that individual for life.

Reiki therapy, a holistic adjunct to traditional medicine, helps to reduce anxiety and pain. It also helps to increase mental and spiritual wellbeing. Reiki is performed with the patient fully clothed and in a comfortable position. The Reiki practitioner places his or her hands on or above the body in standard positions during the treatment. Patients may feel a sensation of warmth and tingling as the energy passes throughout the entire body, conveying a sense of peace, calm, or relaxation.

Does it really work, you ask? In response, I would share this experience: After completing a Reiki session on an individual in hospice care, I was amazed when the patient subsequently remarked, “Those hot stones you rubbed my feet with felt really good.” I didn't have any hot stones, just my bare hands. Often when I am performing Reiki, I become warm. My colleagues report the same sensation, which emanates from the transfer of energy.

Catering to the Cardiopulmonary Rehab Crowd

Is cardiopulmonary rehab an appropriate setting for a holistic practice like Reiki? We’re all aware that the human touch goes a long way toward alleviating pain or anxiety. As we know, most of our patients report these symptoms at varying levels during their time in rehab.  How can we use Reiki and the healing power of touch to help manage patient recovery? Here are some suggestions for getting started:

1. Identify participants who could potentially benefit from Reiki, starting with those who score 4 or higher on their PHQ-9 assessment (or whichever tool your program uses to evaluate anxiety and stress)
2. Develop an education board to explain the concept of Reiki to candidate patients
3. Create a quiet, dedicated space to perform Reiki services
   1. Does your rehab have a separate space away from the gym floor?
      1. Could a stretcher or small couch fit in this area?
4. Conduct follow-up
   1. After a Reiki session is completed, survey recipients about if and how their pain or anxiety was changed as a result of the treatment

Oh, but WHO is going to perform Reiki? Your own people can do it, with some training. Encourage your staff to become Reiki practitioners and consider incorporating this safe and natural service into your cardiopulmonary rehab program. Offering it could melt away participants’ tension and/or ease their physical hurt, contributing to better outcomes  while promoting continued education for your staff.