Given my history as a former Reiki practitioner and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) sufferer (and my career now as a functional dietitian who specializes in gut health), this article is near and dear to my heart.
While I previously endorsed Reiki as a complementary alternative medicine intervention for indirectly supporting IBS relief (due to its tendency to support nervous system relaxation and pain relief), I no longer recommend or endorse Reiki as an intervention for IBS. Read on to learn why.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a type of light-touch energy healing modality which originated in Japan in the 1920s.
In a Reiki session, the role of the Reiki practitioner is to harness and send a type of energy called “Ki” to the client/patient by following a specific protocol which involves the use of specific symbols and kotodama (“word spirit”) that were channeled and established as part of Reiki as a healing system by Mikao Usui, the founder of Reiki.
What is IBS?
IBS stands for “irritable bowel syndrome”, which is a type of functional digestive disorder affecting tens of millions of people globally.
- According to the American College of Gastroenterology, about 10 to 15% of people worldwide have IBS!
Symptoms of IBS
IBS varies from person to person, but most often IBS will show up as a cluster or combination of any of the following symptoms (usually within a few hours after eating):
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain/cramping
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Gas
- Heartburn/acid reflux
- Indigestion
Causes and triggers of IBS
While many IBS conditions are found to be linked with dysbiosis (an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy gut microbes), IBS is often triggered and amplified by factors such as stress and adverse food reactions (such as food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances).
Potential benefits of Reiki: the science
Reiki is now offered in hospital settings alongside traditional healthcare, to better support patients with cancer, anxiety, depression, pain, nausea, and more.
Reiki for pain and anxiety
- A 2017 study investigated the effectiveness of Reiki for managing symptoms of pain and anxiety among children with cancer receiving palliative care, and found that just two 24-minute Reiki sessions were enough to provide significant improvements in pain and anxiety as well as heart rate and respiratory rate.
- A meta-analysis in 2018 looked at studies from four different databases and “revealed that Reiki is an effective [natural] approach at relieving pain”.
Reiki for stress reduction
- Another study in 2017 found that Reiki drastically improved people’s parasympathetic nervous system response (the opposite of the stress response) as measured by a significant decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and an increase in heart rate variability!
- Even more encouraging was that participants who received a pretend (placebo) Reiki session from someone who was not actually a Reiki practitioner, didn’t show or report any significant improvements in any of those measured outcomes.
Additional Reiki benefits
- A 2019 study in the U.S. concluded that Reiki sessions significantly improved clients’ physical and mental health specific to pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath, nausea, appetite, and “overall wellbeing”!
- A recent study in 2020 was able to repeat consistent findings “suggesting that Reiki can decrease pain, general discomfort, anxiety, insomnia, and nausea.”
Stress and IBS: how they’re connected
When it comes to stress, anxiety, depression and IBS, there’s a bit of a “chicken or the egg” dynamic in that IBS symptoms often trigger or amplify people’s levels of stress and mental health issues, and states of increased stress and depression/anxiety will also tend to worsen people’s digestive discomforts.
Our central nervous system is intimately synced up with the gut, which is why the gut is often referred to as our “second brain!”
- The degree of blood flow to the gut (or not) will directly determine the amount of oxygen and nutrition that our digestive system receives, and the degree to which we are stressed or not will determine how much blood flows to the gut.
- The nerves which direct blood flow to and from the gut are turned off by the sympathetic “fight or flight” stress response, and re-activated by the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system response.
When we’re stressed, our nervous system is in a state of “fight or flight” which means our blood moves away from the gut (towards the legs, heart and lungs) in case we need to run from a bear!
Long story short, stress ultimately cuts off the amount of oxygen and nutrition (via blood flow) supplied to the gut.
However, there’s more to consider before turning to Reiki for IBS relief.
Cons and limitations of Reiki for IBS
In my clinical practice, I have discontinued Reiki – not just because it conflicts with the spiritual guidance I have received.
I’ve also found that other types of nervous system regulation practices can work just as effectively (if not moreso) when it comes to vagus nerve stimulation and creating safety in the body on a more consistent daily basis.
No research directly evaluating Reiki for IBS
There are currently no formal research studies directly investigating the effectiveness of Reiki for IBS symptoms. However, some practitioners incorporate Reiki into a holistic IBS treatment plan due to its potential for reducing stress and pain, relieving nausea and lowering symptoms of anxiety and depression as noted above.
There are other complementary alternative interventions such as Nerva (a gut-directed hypnotherapy) which have been studied more extensively, specifically for their effectiveness in reducing IBS symptoms as noted in a 2024 study on Nerva for IBS.
Less economical and more transient compared to alternative options
Another disadvantage of Reiki for IBS is I find it to be more transient and less cost-effective compared to the alternative gut-brain therapies mentioned above.
- For example, in my personal life and in my clinical practice, I observed that once Reiki sessions are discontinued, previous symptoms have the tendency to return. So, Reiki could be considered a natural version of “symptom management” in these cases.
A Reiki session can cost anywhere from $100 to $150 per hour. Given the transient nature of Reiki treatments (comparable to a holistic “band-aid” IMO), I’ve stopped offering and recommending Reiki for IBS since there are so many more effective and more cost-effective alternative options available (such as Nerva).
May go against the will of God
For my fellow Christians (and anyone else who desires to live in alignment with the will of God), it was recently revealed to me by the Holy Spirit that Reiki is considered (in God’s eyes) a counterfeit to the traditional laying-on-of-hands healing that Jesus performed in the Bible – and that all Christian believers have access to, through our authority from Jesus.
While Reiki is not specifically mentioned in the Bible (since it was founded and established as a healing system in the 1920’s), my understanding is that the Reiki symbols may serve as an “open door” contract with dark forces, which can allow for demonic infiltration to enter or persist in certain areas of our life.
(Feel free to read more about why I’m no longer a Reiki practitioner, here.)
Can Reiki replace other medical interventions for IBS?
No; Reiki should not be used as a stand-alone treatment for people with IBS.
Your first line of treatment should be medical diagnostic testing (with a doctor), to rule out any possible underlying issues masquerading as IBS (such as celiac disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), inflammatory bowel disease, bowel cancer, diverticulitis, sucrase-isomaltase deficiency, etc.).
The next level of intervention should be a combination of medical nutrition therapy (as needed, depending on your bio-individuality) and integrative/functional nutrition interventions which can be with a functional gut health dietitian.
Conclusions
I no longer recommend incorporating Reiki into IBS treatment, due to the alternative options availbale which I find to be more well researched, more effective, and more economical than Reiki.
While you may experience some benefits from Reiki sessions such as reduced pain, improved nausea, and increased relaxation, these benefits are transient in nature and would require more Reiki on a regular basis.
You may opt to become certified and attuned as a Reiki practitioner so you can practice self-healing on a daily basis (this is what I had done on my journey); however, I encourage you to be wary of deception and the possibility of opening doors to strongholds and demonic infiltration. (This is a conversation for another time, and I’ll link to any future articles once I’m more experienced and settled into my spiritual warfare practice!)
However, nervous system regulation and stress reduction are still integral and foundational components of an IBS treatment plan!
Alternative options and next steps
If you’re looking for gut health-specific nervous system interventions that are more effective and more economical/efficient than Reiki, I encourage you to check out the following options (vetted by me and/or my gut health nutrtition clients):
- Nerva
- Truvaga (expensive up-front cost, but DIY and only 2 to 4 minutes daily)
- Primal Trust
Thanks for taking the time to read my two cents on Reiki for IBS! I hope you feel empowered to make informed choices on your IBS healing journey (or to share this information with your clients, if you’re a healthcare provider).
If you’d like to learn more about holistic and evidence-based interventions for IBS, make sure to check out the IBS blog arhive on my “sister” website, Whole-istic Living!
XX – Jenna