Effect of Reiki treatments on functional recovery in patients in poststroke rehabilitation: a pilot study.

Objectives: The three objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of Reiki as an adjunctive treatment for patients with subacute stroke who were receiving standard rehabilitation as inpatients, (2) to evaluate a double-blinded procedure for training Reiki practitioners, and (3) to determine whether or not double-blinded Reiki and sham practitioners could determine which category they were in.

Design: A modified double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial with an additional historic control condition.

Setting: The stroke unit of a major rehabilitation hospital.