JOURNAL CRITIQUE 1

A Journal Article Critique

Presented by: Group 4 (A. Nunu, D. Jacdonmi, H. Sorino, S. Ugwuadu)

Panpacific University

Instructor: Rx Jenilyn Farnacio

First paragraph: Introduction

Second paragraph: Summary of the article

Third paragraph: Evaluation

Fourth paragraph: Response to the article

Fifth paragraph: Conclusion

 Article Critique

The use of reiki therapy for managing pain and anxiety among young and older adults

is becoming more popular, and this has led to more research and study about it. In the article

“Effect of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Adults: An In-Depth Literature Review of

Randomized Trials with Effect Size Calculation,” Susan Thrane and Susan M. Cohen (2014)

studied the effect of Reiki therapy for pain and anxiety in randomized clinical trials. Research

was carried out using data obtained from PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, PsychInfo, CINAHL,

Web of Science, Global Health, and Medline databases.(Thrane and Cohen, p. 1). While this

article produced results showing that reiki therapy may be quite effective in treating pain and

anxiety, there are still limitations as a result of lack of proper evidence, low amount of

interviewees on each study and the fact that only a few high-quality studies have been done

regarding Reiki therapy for pain and anxiety.

The authors used data obtained from seven studies that met their requirements after

reviewing a total of 49 articles. Out of the seven, four articles studied cancer patients; one

examined post-surgical patients; and two analyzed community dwelling older adults. Using

Cohen’s ​d s​ tatistics, Thrane and Cohen found evidence that suggested that Reiki therapy may be

effective for pain and anxiety.

Reiki therapy uses guided energy sometimes referred to as “universal energy or a

sacred source” to assist the recipient’s own inner energy and guide it to facilitate self-healing.

Introduced by Dr. Mikau Usui, a spiritual seeker who undertook a 21 day penance and fast on

Mount Kurama in Japan (Miles, 2008). His discovery of the reiki therapy is quite exceptional

and unique , but it may also just be a placebo’s effect that seems to help the various patients
suffering from pain or anxiety. According to the authors, the effect of this therapy may be due

to the electromagnetic waves produced by the body which can be channeled to the patient lying

down on a massage bed, but it is important to note that there is no verified theory that explains

such analysis which is known as biofield energy.

Significant results were obtained from the analysis of various articles in this study, but

there still some limitations to the use of this therapy. First, the articles reviewed were few, only 7

met the requirements out of 49. More research needs to be carried out on this therapy in order for

it to become generally acceptable. Also some religious beliefs may interfere with the practice of

reiki therapy due to lack of proper scientific findings, although the authors never mentioned that.

This article focused on an important aspect of complementary and alternative medicine

yet to be fully understood and utilized in various parts of the world. One of the major barriers is

due to the fact that not much studies concerning it has been done. Further studies and research

with a clear understanding of all the processes of reiki therapy is necessary for this area of CAM

to become fully acceptable.

 References

Thrane, S., & Cohen, M. S. (2014). Effect of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Adults: An

In-Depth Literature Review of Randomized Trials with Effect Size Calculations. ​American

Society

for Pain Management Nursing​, ​15​(4), 1-20. ​http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2013.07.008