Rosenbaum, M.S., & Velde, J. (2016). The effects of yoga, massage, and reiki on patient well-being at a cancer resource center [Online exclusive]. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 20, E77–E81. 

To evaluate the effects of yoga, massage, and Reiki therapies on stress, pain, anxiety, mood, overall health, and quality of life (QOL)

Data were collected from patients who self-enrolled in yoga, Reiki, and massage services during a six-month period. Patients completed study questionnaires before and after participating in one of these services, within one to three minutes before and after participation.

• N = 150   
• AGE = Not provided
• MALES: 9%, FEMALES: 91%
• CURRENT TREATMENT: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, other
• KEY DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Patients involved were at varied points in the care trajectory, and 75% were either newly diagnosed or had completed initial treatment. Disease types were not reported.

• SITE: Single site   
• SETTING TYPE: Other    
• LOCATION: Community center in Illinois

• PHASE OF CARE: Multiple phases of care
• APPLICATIONS: Palliative care 

• Quasi-experimental

• 10-point rating scales for all outcome measures

The time patients had been participating in the service ranges from one month to more than three years. Significant changes in pain levels pre- and postservice provision were reported (p < 0.001). Individuals receiving Reiki had higher preservice pain levels. Center staff encouraged patients with pain to enroll in Reiki. No significant postservice differences in pain across the intervention types were reported. All patients reported lower anxiety scores after receiving the service (p < 0.001) with no differences between groups.

Integrative therapies such as Reiki, massage, and yoga may be helpful for management of symptoms such as pain and anxiety.

• Risk of bias (no control group)
• Risk of bias (no blinding)
• Risk of bias (no random assignment) 
• Risk of bias (no appropriate attentional control condition)  
• Risk of bias (sample characteristics)
• Measurement/methods not well described
• Measurement validity/reliability questionable
• Author states that this was a repeated measures design and used repeated measures ANOVA, but description of methods looks as if each patient completed study assessment only immediately pre and post a single service. 
• Measurements were at a time point immediately before and after a service—it is unclear how meaningful this timing is in terms of looking at ongoing symptom management.
• Validity of the instrument for measurement and interpretation of anxiety and mood is questionable.
• Pain levels overall were low,suggesting potential floor effects in measurement in non-Reiki patients.
• No information is provided about chronicity, type, etc., for pain, or any other interventions being used for pain.

This study has numerous limitations and high risk of bias, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about the actual efficacy of the interventions being evaluated.