How Reiki Can Ease the Pain of Cancer Treatment

January 28, 2026

A woman receiving reiki healing therapy for relaxation

Reiki is an ancient Japanese practice that focuses on energy to help with healing. The integrative health therapy may help reduce symptoms associated with cancer infusion treatments, according to a recent study led by Natalie Dyer, PhD, a research scientist at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health.

“We found that patients reported clinically and statistically significant improvements in pain, anxiety, nausea, fatigue and overall well-being immediately after one reiki session,” says Dr. Dyer.

What Is Reiki?

In a reiki session, a trained practitioner (also known as a “master”) places their hands on or over your limbs, torso and head to release any blocked energy and help energy flow better throughout your body. The treatment is designed to be relaxing and typically takes place in a peaceful environment.

Reiki can play a supporting role as an integrative health therapy alongside standard medical treatments. It’s offered in many medical facilities to help support people living with conditions like depression, anxiety, chronic pain and cancer, as well as those recovering from surgery or receiving end-of-life care.

How Does Reiki Work?

“There are many factors at play with reiki, and the truth is, we don’t know exactly what’s happening,” says Dr. Dyer. “But we can easily explain how it physically works to make people feel more relaxed.”

Being touched gently, cared for and present in the moment are all factors that contribute to a feeling of relaxation, says Dr. Dyer. This state of relaxation occurs when the vagus nerve is stimulated, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system. “There are many benefits to that, including reducing inflammation and pain and improving one’s emotional state.”

The interaction between the practitioner and patient may also play a role in how reiki helps improve symptoms, says Dr. Dyer. Reiki is categorized as a biofield therapy by the National Institutes of Health. With this type of therapy, the idea is that biofields (fields of energy and information that are connected to health) are responsive to the field of the practitioner. “The resonance that occurs between a reiki practitioner and patient may help the practitioner bring the patient into a deep state of relaxation.”

Reiki and Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment isn’t just about treating the disease. It’s also important to manage the side effects of treatments like radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. Common symptoms either during, immediately after or in the days following an infusion can include:

Nausea
Dizziness
Fatigue
Digestive issues
Memory problems
Nerve pain

Evidence-based integrative therapies like massage, mindfulness meditation, yoga, acupuncture and reiki can help patients cope with the physical and emotional challenges of cancer treatment. These therapies may help improve feelings of stress, anxiety and depression, and other symptoms. They may also help reduce the need for additional treatments and medications to manage symptoms.

What to Expect From a Session

Reiki sessions can last up to 90 minutes, but Dr. Dyer says that sessions during cancer infusion treatments tend to run a little shorter. “Reiki can easily be delivered for 20 to 30 minutes during infusions,” she says. The treatment can also be done before or after the infusion.

You can remain fully clothed, and you can either lie down or sit for the treatment. “If you are in a chair for an infusion, that’s totally fine for receiving reiki,” she says.

The practitioner will tailor the treatment to your personal needs. Before the reiki session begins, they will ask if you prefer a non-touch approach or if there are any areas of your body that you do not want touched. “Sensitive areas such as the chest, lower abdomen and pelvis are not touched by the practitioner,” she says. “You can expect a variety of sensations, including a sense of calm, positive emotions, warmth, tingling or sensations of energy in or on the body.”

The Benefits of Reiki

“Reiki is one of the least invasive and simplest integrative interventions that can be delivered to a patient in any hospital setting,” says Dr. Dyer.

There are several reasons why it’s a good option during infusion treatments, including:

It’s safe. “As far as we know, reiki is safe for all patients,” says Dr. Dyer.
No equipment is required.
All you need is one person to deliver the therapy
It’s easier than meditating or doing yoga, since you just stay still. “Meditation requires the patient to focus in some way and yoga requires the same, often with the addition of body movements,” she says.
Reiki is very gentle and non-invasive. “It can even be completed with hands off or hovering above the body, making it quite different from massage, which requires tissue manipulation, or acupuncture, which involves needle insertion.” she says.

Several studies of reiki for patients undergoing cancer treatment have reported improvements in sleep quality, decreased pain, anxiety and fatigue, and increased relaxation, says Dr. Dyer. “Most of that data comes from scales or surveys in which patients rank the severity of their symptoms.”

In Dr. Dyer’s study, patients described in their own words the effects they felt from reiki therapy during infusions. “They wrote that they felt calm and relaxed, and that they noticed symptom reduction, including neuropathic pain,” she says. “They also reported sensations of energy and warmth, and a positive feeling overall.”