Reiki promotes good health through relaxation, stress relief, and chronic pain management. In reiki, “universal life-force energy” is transmitted through the hands of a therapist from the vast pool of energy that abounds in the universe. Also called “palm healing” and “energy medicine,” reiki is made up of two Japanese words; “rei,” meaning universal spirit or spiritual wisdom, and “ki,” meaning energy or life-force energy. In CAM, energy therapies are based on the assumption that illness and pain are caused by disturbances in a person’s energy. Reiki practitioners seek to improve the flow and balance of positive energy and reduce negative energy in a way that is beneficial to clients. The energy flows wherever it is needed and often is reported as a tingling in the body. Most report being extremely relaxed after a reiki treatment. Reiki treatments have been used to reduce chronic pain, help with recovery from anesthesia and surgery, improve immunity, improve mental clarity, and lower a person’s heart rate. Reiki practitioners often report clients experiencing a “cleansing crisis” after a session, in which they have feelings of nausea, tiredness, or weakness because of the release of energy toxins. This blog post is an excerpt from Pain Recovery – How to Find Balance and Reduce Suffering from Chronic Pain by Mel Pohl, MD, FASAM, Frank Szabo, LADC, Daniel Shiode, PhD, Robert Hunter, PhD; Published by Central Recovery Press (CRP).