Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared reiki (alone or as adjunctive treatment) with any control group for pain relief.
Included RCTs were conducted in the UK, USA and Canada. Most included trials used a parallel group design; one adopted a cross-over design. Details of the age and gender of included populations were not reported. Included participants had various pain conditions including postoperative pain, cancer and diabetic neuropathy. Reiki was given in sessions which lasted between 30 and 45 minutes (where reported), total sessions received varied from two to 14 across the trials. Outcomes reported included the McGill pain questionnaire, Likert and visual analogue pain scales, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.
The author did not state how papers were selected for this review, or how many reviewers performed the study selection.