Randomized Controlled Trial of the Psychological and Clinical Outcomes of Reiki Plus Manual Therapy After Open Heart Surgery

BACKGROUND: Reiki plus manual therapy are utilized to improve relaxation, sleep, emotional state, and pain. Evidence within hospital settings was limited, and previous studies had weak designs. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Reiki plus manual therapy on depression, anxiety, sleep, postoperative pain, atrial fibrillation, hospital length of stay, and 30‐day rehospitalization after open heart surgery. METHODS: Using a 2‐group randomized controlled trial design, patients were randomized to 20 minutes of nurse‐delivered Reiki to 5 body areas plus manual therapy to the head and feet or quiet time for 3 consecutive days. Analyses included analysis of covariance, Poisson regression and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 272 patients (136/group), the mean (SD) age was 62.2 (12.2) years, and 75.4% were male. After adjusting for having a coronary artery bypass graft procedure, there were no between‐group differences in change in depression, anxiety, or sleep (P = .21; P = .13; or P = .20, respectively), mean postoperative pain (P = .91), hospital length of stay (P = .92), intensive care length of stay (P = .67), and new onset atrial fibrillation (P = .59). There was no difference in the odds (95% confidence interval) of 30‐day rehospitalization after Reiki plus manual therapy compared with usual care (0.31 [0.10, 1.01], P = .051); however, adjusted probabilities were low in both groups: Reiki plus manual therapy: 0.02 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01‐0.06) and usual care: 0.06 (95% CI: 0.03‐0.13). CONCLUSIONS: When compared with 20 minutes of quiet time, postoperative Reiki plus manual therapy did not change clinical outcomes. Future research with different intervention steps and methods is needed to understand Reiki plus manual therapy effects on postoperative depression, anxiety, pain, and other clinical outcomes.