REIKI IN THE RELIEF OF CHEMOTHERAPY-RELATED BIOPSYCHOEMOTIONAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Abstract

Objective: verify the use of Reiki in the relief of chemotherapy-related biopsychoemotional signs and symptoms.Method: integrative review guided by the question: Can the use of Reiki relieve some chemotherapy-induced signs and symptoms? The search was undertaken in the databases Virtual Health Library (VHL), CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PubMed and Scopus without a restriction period until September 2018. Seven articles complied with the inclusion criteria. Results: four clinical trials, two quasi-experimental studies and one case study were reviewed. The most frequent signs and symptoms mentioned were anxiety, pain, fatigue, stress, depression, mood and well-being. The patients who received Reiki reported improved general well-being, quality of life, pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue and mood in comparison with the control group. Conclusions: the studies presented evidence that Reiki can exert beneficial effects in the relief of the side effects of chemotherapy, contributing with yet another tool to relieve the effects of the chemotherapy.

Keywords

• Nursing Care
• Review
• Oncology
• Therapeutic Touch
• Complementary Therapies