Reiki can help reduce patients’ anxiety about undergoing a colonoscopy procedure as well as reduce their need for pain medication following the procedure, according to a new study.

The pilot study, published in the January/February issue of Gastroenterology Nursing, was conducted with 21 patients who were undergoing a colonoscopy for the first time.

The researchers found the patients who received Reiki prior to the colonoscopy procedure had lower heart rates, blood pressure and breathing rates than before receiving Reiki. 

The patients that received Reiki therapy also had more pain symptoms prior to the procedure than those patients who did not receive Reiki. However, after receiving Reiki therapy, the patients did not require additional pain medication during the procedure.

The study results indicate that Reiki therapy reduced pain and anxiety for patients undergoing colonoscopy