Recruiting

Reiki

Sponsor:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Code:

NCT06524895

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Medical Reiki

Sham Reiki

Study Details

Brief summary:

This pilot study will examine the impact of pre-operative Medical Reiki© on the psychosocial well-being and recovery of underserved women undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Conditions

Breast Cancer

Study ID

NCT06524895

Start date

Nov 9, 2022

Status verified date

Mar, 2026

Completion date

Nov, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Nov, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ages 18-99
  • Breast Cancer Diagnosis Stage 0-III
  • Undergoing unilateral or bilateral mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) within 2 weeks of recruitment
  • English Speaking
  • From within 50 miles of Bronx County, NY

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current, uncontrolled psychiatric co-morbidities
  • Pregnant women

Study Design

Enrollment

32 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Supportive Care

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Group A- Medical Reiki

The energy medicine will be delivered to the study participant immediately pre-op. The Reiki practitioner will hold the participant's hand for 10 minutes. This will be followed by touching the participant's upper arm along with shoulder for 20 minutes. Clinical staff will ask standard questions to assess mood while receiving the energy medicine. Because this is a medical study, the practitioner will mainly be silent for the 30 minute session.

sham comparator: Group B- Sham Reiki

Patients will be recruited to receive "Sham" Reiki before surgery. The non-Reiki healer will hold the participant's hand for 10 minutes. This will be followed by touching the participant's upper arm along with shoulder for 20 minutes. Clinical staff will ask standard questions to assess mood while receiving the energy medicine. Because this is a medical study, the non-Reiki healer will mainly be silent for the 30 minute session.

Interventions

Medical Reiki

Reiki is a form of energy therapy involving the facilitation of healing through the manipulation of biofields utilizing light touch. It is a process of targeting the energy fields around the patient's body is believed to stimulate the patient's natural ability to heal itself.

Sham Reiki

Sham Reiki involves a non-Reiki healer who mimics the treatment of a Reiki healer. Sham Reiki providers will be medical students who are not interested and without prior knowledge or experience with Reiki Medicine.The medical students will not have any prior experience in Reiki healing or associated energy healing modalities. It is better for this project if the medical student has no interest so there is true placebo effect being monitored.

Primary outcome measure

  • Feasibility based on Number Screened for Inclusion [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who met Inclusion Criteria [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Assented for Informed Consent [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Completed the Informed Consent Procedure [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Agreed and Refused to Participate [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Completed Baseline Assessments [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who were Randomly Allocated as per allocation list to Treatment Arm [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Received Intended Intervention [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Dropped out during Follow-up Visits [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who Completed all End Line Assessments [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Percentage of Patients who were Unmasked during End Line Assessments [ Time Frame: 2 months ]
  • Feasibility - Retention Rate [ Time Frame: 2 months post-operatively ]
  • Provider Fidelity [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention (before surgery), up to 1 hour ]
  • Patient Fidelity [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention (before surgery), up to 1 hour ]
  • Change in Mood States (Quality of Life) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 1 month post-operatively, 2 month post-operatively ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Alyson Moadel, PhD

(718)430-2696Alyson.moadel-robblee@einsteinmed.edu

Camille Garrett, MPH

818 903 1451camille.garrett@einsteinmed.edu

Locations

Montefiore Medical Center

Recruiting

The Bronx, New York, United States, 10461

Contacts

Alyson Moadel, PhD

718-430-2696alyson.moadel-robblee@einsteinmed.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Last update posted

Mar 4, 2026

Last verified

Mar, 2026

Keywords

  • Reiki

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Albert Einstein College of Medicine on 2026-03-04.