New Reiki Research: Reiki, Feiki, and Mindfulness
June 19, 2026 by Lisa Guyman
Filed under Newsletter
Research on Reiki and Chronic Knee Pain
In this study, they were researching chronic knee pain and the impact of Reiki, Fake Reiki, Mindfulness, and being on the waitlist!
The rest of this post is summarized by ChatGPT
I recently came across a newer research study that made me smile.
Not only because it explored Reiki and mindfulness, but because the researchers created a sham version of Reiki and called it “Feiki.”
Yes, really.
The study, published in 2024 in the journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, included 164 adults with chronic knee osteoarthritis.
Participants were assigned to one of four groups:
- Reiki
- Feiki (a sham version of Reiki)
- Mindfulness meditation
- A wait-list control group
The Feiki practitioners learned the same hand positions used in Reiki. However, instead of practicing Reiki, using symbols, or setting Reiki intentions, they counted backward from 1,000 during their sessions.
All active groups received four weekly 30-minute sessions.
One of the findings that especially caught my attention was this:
More than half of the participants in both the Reiki and mindfulness groups experienced what researchers called “clinically meaningful improvement,” meaning their symptoms improved by more than 30%.
Specifically:
- Reiki: 55% of participants experienced clinically meaningful improvement.
- Mindfulness: 55%
- Feiki: 20%Wait-list: 13%
I also found it interesting that even the Feiki group experienced some benefit.
Honestly, that doesn’t surprise me.
Slowing down, receiving caring attention, and simply giving ourselves permission to rest can be therapeutic experiences in their own right.
Another aspect of the study that intrigued me was that the improvements weren’t limited to what people felt during the sessions themselves. Researchers continued to observe benefits when participants were reassessed one and two months later.
The authors concluded that:
“Reiki and mindfulness demonstrated superior efficacy over the waitlist and Feiki groups.”
Personal note from Lisa:
As someone who has practiced and taught Reiki for nearly three decades, I don’t need a research study to tell me that Reiki can be meaningful. I’ve witnessed amazing experiences in my students and clients over the years.
At the same time, I genuinely enjoy seeing thoughtful researchers bring curiosity and open-minded inquiry to practices that so many people have found helpful.
And admittedly…
I still can’t get over the name.
Feiki, LOL
In the 28+ years that I’ve practiced and taught Reiki, I’ve watched it change lives.
There is an inexplicable power in Reiki, and to me, some of that comes from the state of profound relaxation that Reiki can facilitate in the receiver (and surprisingly in the practitioner, too).
>> Click here for additional Reiki research and articles about Reiki
Lisa
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