Reiki and Therapeutic Touch for symptom burden and quality of life in palliative settings: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Reiki and Therapeutic Touch are complementary therapies sometimes used in palliative and end-of-life care. AIM: To examine the available evidence regarding the effects of Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, compared to usual care, in palliative and end-of-life care. DESIGN: Systematic review registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251059364; May 23, 2025). DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for English-language studies published between 2013 and 2024. Eligible studies included patients receiving palliative care who underwent Reiki and/or Therapeutic Touch compared with usual care. Any primary study design was eligible. Risk of bias was assessed and findings synthesized narratively. Cancer was the predominant diagnosis. Risk of bias raised some concerns in randomized trials and was moderate to high in qualitative and non-randomized designs. Some studies reported improvements in symptoms (pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and stress), and in quality-of-life domains (sleep, relaxation, energy, hope, and emotional well-being). Qualitative findings described perceived relaxation, comfort, and emotional support. Reporting of harms was limited; only one study monitored adverse events and reported one serious event considered potentially related to the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence regarding Reiki and Therapeutic Touch in palliative and end-of-life care remains limited and heterogeneous. The very low certainty of evidence precludes firm conclusions regarding their effectiveness. Further well-designed studies are needed to clarify their potential role in palliative care.