ENERGY HEALING. What is it and does it work?

If by now you haven’t yourself had an energy healing, you would most definitely have heard of the term and most likely have listened by now to somebody’s retelling of their experience as it becomes more main stream and even somewhat trendy.

In the 21st Century it is now well accepted as a form of complimentary therapy and is often included in integrative medicine, so what is it and what evidence is there, if any, that it actually works?

My analytical and somewhat sceptical nature prompted me to find that out prior to walking the path of an energy healer in order to be able to properly explain to people why it was more than just woo-woo if you like. This is what I learnt;

Modern day energy healing seems to have many different modalities all falling under the umbrella term for example; Reiki, acupuncture, sound healing or sound baths, meditation, different types of massage, breath work, yoga and some even consider aromatherapy a form of energy healing. What they have in common is the belief that that the body has an invisible energy field – a life force, and that when this energy flow is blocked or unbalanced, you can become sick. Unblocking this energy can help promote healing and wellbeing.

This is not a new concept. It has been around for centuries with its roots in Eastern culture. Qi, Ki, Chi from East Asia or Prana in ayurvedic medicine – an ancient Indian medical system, all refer to this life force energy.

Reiki for example is thought to date back 2500 years and was rediscovered in the early 20th Century by Dr. Mikaeo Usui which is why the method of Usui Reiki is well recognised as the oldest and most traditional form. The seven Chakras known as energy transmission centres for the body were first described in ancient Hindu texts dating back to 6000BC and the Meridians, the pathways through which Chi flows through the body helped Chinese medicine practitioners develop acupuncture thought to be 3000 years old.

At the core principle is not only the understanding of energy but the knowing that everything happens because of energy.

Scientifically, this concept has been known, written and spoken about by many of the greats throughout history; such names include Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727), Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772), Lord Kelvin (1824 – 1907), William J. M. Rankine (1820 – 1872) and of course the well-known Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955).

Add to that list Serbian-American engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), who once said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”

If we can appreciate what science now proves, that everything is made of energy with humans being no exception, then we must also appreciate the concept of energy healing which assumes that physical and emotional impairments are linked to abnormalities or blockages of a person's energy or bio fields.

As already mentioned, in ancient Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for example, the belief is that if the energy isn't flowing well, we get sick.

So what is the actual definition?

Well there seems to be many and there are many variations, here are a few of them;

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in the U.S (NCCIH), the definition for energy healing is “A technique that involves channelling healing energy through the hands of a practitioner into the client’s body to restore a normal energy balance and, therefore, health.”

The Science Direct website states that energy medicine is a method to transmit healing energy to patient's body through the hands of a practitioner to restore or balance the body's energy field.

These definitions however seem to be focused on the more traditional hands-on methods of energy healing and don’t seem to cover the sensory based practices such as aromatherapy as well as the use of crystals and sound.

My favourite definition doesn’t come from an organisation or science or medical journal but from the popular wellness website mindbodygreen.com;

“Energy healing is a holistic practice that activates the body's subtle energy systems to remove blocks. By breaking through these energetic blocks, the body's inherent ability to heal itself is stimulated.”

So is there any evidence that it works and what does it show?

With many modalities now falling under the term of energy healing it is difficult to find studies which encompass them all or fall under the general term but search for them independently and you find a plethora of scientific studies and evidence of positive outcomes.

Here are just a few which I hope will also guide you to where you can continue your own research should you feel inclined to do so;

For energy healing in general covering several different modalities;

• Energy Healing
  “Energy medicine is a method to transmit healing energy to patient's body through the hands of a practitioner to restore or balance the body's energy field for better health. Energy healing therapy has been used to treat various health conditions. There are several approaches to energy medicine, such as hands-on, hands-off, and distant healing, where the healer and patient are in different locations. Interestingly, 57% of trials with distant healing intervention showed a positive treatment effect on any medical condition. There are nine different schools of energy medicine: bio field energy healing, spiritual healing, contact healing, distant healing, qi do, therapeutic touch, Reiki, polarity therapy, and qi gong. Fatigue is a common side effect of cancer treatment. Bio field therapies, such as polarity therapy, Reiki, and therapeutic touch, are often used as adjuvant therapy for cancer-related fatigue. Clinical trials have confirmed the impact of both polarity therapy and Reiki intervention in mitigating cancer-related fatigue. Reiki intervention was further found to improve quality of life. It is a spiritual and vibrational healing intervention that maintains physiological homeostasis through a subtle vibrational field, without the involvement of physical manipulation or the ingestion or application of any substances. This spiritual form of healing not only tends to the physical ailment but also addresses spiritual growth. A small, qualitative study demonstrated the positive influence of spiritual healing on the survivorship experiences of breast cancer patients who were in long-term therapy.
  
  Qi gong is an old Chinese art that combines gentle physical movement, mental focus, and deep breathing, each focused on specific area of the body. It is an economical, effective, and nonaggressive intervention that balances mind, body, and spirit. Qi gong has been shown to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. It has proven useful in treating conditions, such as leukopenia; however, it did not show significant effect in the platelet and haemoglobin levels. It is suggested that additional scientific studies on qi gong intervention are needed before it can be implemented in clinical practice as a complementary therapy for cancer.”

For Reiki;

• Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy
  PubMed study
  “Reiki is better than placebo in activating the parasympathetic nervous system, as measured by reduced heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and increased heart rate variability. For patients with chronic health conditions, Reiki has been found to be more effective than placebo for reducing pain, anxiety, and depression, and for improving self-esteem and quality of life.”

• Effect of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Adults: An In-Depth Literature Review of Randomized Trials with Effect Size Calculations PubMed study
  “Reiki therapy is a non-invasive, often comforting and relaxing intervention that is within nursing scope of practice in most states. Nurses may easily learn Reiki therapy and use this intervention with patients in day-to-day practice (Whelan & Wishnia, 2003). Additionally, Reiki therapy may be a good self-care tool as suggested by more than one study (Cuneo et al., 2011; Diaz-Rodriguez et al., 2011; Vitale, 2009). Based on this review, there is enough evidence to continue researching Reiki therapy as an intervention for pain and anxiety.”

According to Pamela Miles, author of Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide and leading US expert on the integration of Reiki into mainstream healthcare facilities;

‘Studies that have been done so far have shown promising results for using Reiki to reduce stress, anxiety and pain. The data include objective measures (decreased stress hormones, improved immune indicators, decreased heart rate and improved blood pressure) as well as subjective improvements in anxiety and pain.’

For Acupuncture;

• Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  This systematic review included 5 studies of which 4 were included in the meta-analysis. Acupuncture as an adjunct to standard therapy had clinically meaningful reduction in self-reported pain at post-treatment (mean difference = -1.04 [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.59 to -0.49], P < 0.001, I 2 = 46.1%) and at intermediate term (mean difference = -0.82 [95% CI, -1.13 to -0.50], P < 0.001, I 2 = 0%), compared with standard care. Levels of disability showed similar clinically meaningful reduction at post-treatment and intermediate term.

• Acupuncture: What You Need To Know
  Research has shown that acupuncture may be helpful for several pain conditions, including back or neck pain, knee pain associated with osteoarthritis, and postoperative pain. It may also help relieve joint pain associated with the use of aromatase inhibitors, which are drugs used in people with breast cancer. 
  
  An analysis of data from 20 studies (6,376 participants) of people with painful conditions (back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, or headaches) showed that the beneficial effects of acupuncture continued for a year after the end of treatment for all conditions except neck pain.
  
  In addition to pain conditions, acupuncture has also been studied for at least 50 other health problems. There is evidence that acupuncture may help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms, stress incontinence in women, and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer treatment. It may also help relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life in people with asthma, but it has not been shown to improve lung function.

For Crystals in healing;

• The science behind crystals explained
  “According to experts, crystals act as a power hold for healing as they allow positive, fruitful energy to flow into the body and do away with the negative, toxic energy. Like other forms of alternative therapy, crystals work by channelizing your energy levels, thereby, focus on healing your body from the inside.
  
  Crystals also carry the power to induce a placebo effect in the body, which is scientifically proven to help medical treatment.
  
  These healing rocks and crystals have their particular vibration and frequency, which arise from their molecular composition. From the way they move and interact, these vibrations and energies work in benefiting and uplifting our mood, mind, and health in a considerable manner, often in the way essential oils and aromatherapy work. Acting like a magnet, it can absorb the negative energies and welcome fresh vibes.
  
  Since they are all naturally extracted, they harness the energies of the sun, moon, and oceans (all-natural healing energies) to improve our state. When you place or hold a crystal over the body, it interacts with the body's chakras and promotes physical and mental wellness. Used in a certain way, it can also improve your concentration and creativity. It can also promote physical, emotional and spiritual cleansing.
  
  Crystals vibrate at the same pitch as humans and maximize the healing abilities we already have. Because of this comforting feeling, when you place a crystal on the body, it helps you connect better and feel at ease. Balancing crystals can also help match the misaligned energy levels.”

• Crystal Healing: Stone-cold facts about gemstone treatments

• Healing Crystals: What They Can and Can’t Do

For music / sound therapy

• Music therapy in a comprehensive cancer center
  The use of music as a therapeutic tool in health and medicine dates back to ancient times. In modern Western medicine, music therapy has been available since the 1950s and is now often incorporated into conventional medicine care. Music therapy is a common modality that is used in hospital settings as part of complementary and integrative medicine programs. It is also a key therapeutic tool used within most integrative medicine programs at large cancer centres in the United States. When used in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments, music therapy has been found to help patients promote a better quality of life; better communicate their fear, sadness, or other feelings; and better manage stress, while alleviating physical pain and discomfort.

• Scientific research on why to consider sound for healing
  A cranial nerve connects the eardrum to every organ in the human body, minus the spleen, so externally generated sounds can have profound and direct effects on internal systems. By subjecting patients to various frequencies, healers harmonize cells, organs, and biological systems which may have been disrupted, blocked, or out of sync with the remainder of the body and its environment.

Like I said, there is an abundance of information readily available to those who are curious and wish to know more.

What I now know for sure is that energy healing is growing in momentum and for that reason it is prompting more and more research in this field. The U.S seems to be leading the way in research at the moment but with 2 out of 3 Australians now having tried an alternative healing modality I anticipate that more of our own research in this field will soon follow and hopefully, as in the U.S, we will see it start being offered in Hospitals and medical centres as part of an integrative medicine approach.

The Cancer Council Australia seems to be leading the way at the moment with several pages on their website dedicated to complimentary therapies including Energy therapies, as well as offering an 88 page PDF on the topic.

These are just some of the articles, research papers and medical journals available to you.

Personally, I dove into energy healing and all things holistic and alternative without doing any reading or research first. I much prefer to try things and then draw my own conclusions.

I have used Reiki, meditation, breath work, yoga, sound healing, and more as part of my healing journey both physical and emotional and saw improvements almost immediately.

These methods helped me to heal in a way that many western, modern day medical specialists said I never could and as a bonus side effect, they helped me to connect back to myself whom I had lost along the way.

It is due to my own profound experience that I wish to raise awareness of the alternative options available, share them with the world and help others to heal themselves.

With love,
Sunchi xx