http://rosannacrogacion.suite101.com/reiki-as-complimentary-and-alternative-medicine-a31527

http://northfield.patch.com/articles/a-look-at-northfield-medicine-is-reiki-right-for-you

“There’s a quiet revolution going on in medicine, and southeast Minnesota is at its epicenter. While  a national debate rages over health care options and costs, many here are quietly turning to what is    often  called alternative medicine to supplement, if not supplant,  more   conventional therapies….”

http://www.wildhoofbeats.com/news/wild-horses-the-quite-war-against-wyomings-wild-horses

(James Thurber)

“…love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”

(Kabil Gibran)

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

(Saint Francis of Assisi)

“It is a fearful thing to love what death can touch.”

(Anonymous)

“The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man’s.”

(Mark Twain)

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”

(Will Rogers)

“If there is a heaven, it’s certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them.”

(Pam Brown)

“If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness.”

(Marjorie Garber)

“A good dog never dies. He always stays. He walks besides you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter’s drawing near. His head is within our hand in his old way.”

(Mary Carolyn Davies)

* Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.  – Oprah Winfrey

* Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head. – Ann Landers

* People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.  - Thich Nhat Hanh

* Some think it’s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it’s letting go.  - Sylvia Robinson

* We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us. - Joseph Campbell

* When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. - Lao Tzu

Here is an interesting article about a study done by Dr. Shamini Jain, from the UCLA Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, and Dr. Paul Mills, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, and the Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Diego, US.

They have published their review1 of the science behind biofield therapies (REIKI, HEALING TOUCH, THERAPEUTIC TOUCH) online recently in Springer’s International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

My Two Cents:

Some people will wonder why I would put this on my blog since it does not paint a perfect picture for Reiki’s success.  Here’s why:

There are few western medicine clinical studies of this nature on CAMs (complimentary alternative medicines) or Biofield modalities.  The fact 88 studies were looked at, and 66 used in the final results says that 1) there are a lot of studies happening, 2) the results are more promising than I think a lot of the skeptical community thought they would find, and 3) it calls for more studies, which we absolutely need.

CAMs and energy medicine are just getting started in western medicine.  We can’t expect that a medical community built on scientific evidence, controlled studies, and the belief that physical ailments can be cured by treating the body without the mind and soul, to accept these alternative treatments with open arms and open minds.  I like evidence as well, and I am not a “blind believer” in all alternative modalities jus because they are considered “alternative.”  I think there are a lot of alternative healing modalities that don’t work well, or don’t work at all.  There are a lot of western healing options that don’t work well or at all either.

The main problem I see, and I am by no means an expert in conducting clinical studies, is that we are taking the criteria for methods that lookk to treat the symptoms and find a cure for the cause, purely on the physical body level. Most eastern medicine, CAMS, biofield, etc healing look at healing the person from a wholistic perspective, meaning we must incorporate the mind and soul in the journey of health.  These methods tend to be slower and more subtle, which may not meet the success of the criteria set forth by western clinical studies.

So yes, we DO need more studies, but we may need to look at how those are managed, researched, and interpreted.

THE STUDY:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/can-reiki-help-your-chronic-pain.aspx

Summary:

scale of 1-4 for evidence of biofield modalities being effective for diseases and syndromes where pain management is often needed.

Level 1. Strong evidence as indexed by findings.

Level 2. Moderate evidence as indexed.

Level 3. Limited evidence as indexed.

Level 4. Conflicting evidence as indexed.

Results:

Biofield therapies show strong evidence (level 1) for reducing pain intensity in pain populations, and moderate evidence for reducing pain intensity hospitalized and cancer populations.

There is moderate evidence (level 2) for decreasing negative behavioral symptoms in dementia and moderate evidence for decreasing anxiety for hospitalized populations.

There is equivocal evidence for biofield therapies’ effects on fatigue and quality of life for cancer patients, as well as for comprehensive pain outcomes and affect in pain patients, and for decreasing anxiety in cardiovascular patients.

Conclusion:

There is a need for further high quality studies in this area. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Filed under: Healing for Humans, News & Updates Tagged: biofield, chronic pain, clinical studies, Reiki, Springer ]]> http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/reiki-and-chronic-pain/feed/ 0 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 cjdemarest http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/courage/ http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/courage/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:59:26 +0000 cjdemarest http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/?p=1020 ]]> Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use.
– Ruth Gordon
Filed under: Quotes ]]> http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/courage/feed/ 0 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 cjdemarest blueyellowbutterfly http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/an-inspiring-fun-free-gift-to-give-someone-from-the-angels/ http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/an-inspiring-fun-free-gift-to-give-someone-from-the-angels/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:16:10 +0000 cjdemarest http://clairejdemarest.wordpress.com/?p=1016 ]]>

Create this loving message by personalizing the “To” and “From” and print for someone special.  It looks great on high quality paper, and the message is great for anyone.

http://www.messagesfromtheangels.com/personal/angelblessing2.htm

Tom Kenyon

R. Brian Caldwell

Mark Watson

Corciolli

HeartInspired , Randall Leonard