Case Study: Osteogenesis Imperfecta and Reiki

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disease that affects collagen type 1 in the body. It is technically a connective tissue disease but is known commonly as “brittle bone” disease. Osteo means bone, genesis means creation and Imperfecta means imperfect. So: Imperfect Bone Creation. The end result of this disease is similar to osteoporosis but for a different reason. With osteoporosis it’s the body not depositing minerals onto the bones to make them rigid enough, whereas with OI it’s the flexible scaffolding of the bone that’s faulty.

My mother was born with this disease as a natural mutation, and both me and my brother inherited it from her. I’ve had about 12 broken bones over my 47 years, whereas my brother has had closer to 23. The worst for him was when he slipped on some black ice and fractured his pelvis in six places. He had to be flown to UC Davis med center in Sacramento, CA, and his injury required a six hour surgery to bolt his pelvis back together again. As you can imagine, it can be a horrible existence to live with this disease. Every moment and every movement comes with the thought, ‘am I going to trip and fall and break a bone?’ Going up and down steep stairs is sometimes a psychological nightmare.

I was trained in Reiki back in 1991 at the age of 15, and I started using it immediately to help myself with physical problems. I used it on areas I’d broken, prior to becoming a channel, to strengthen them and release the trauma that might still be present, but I also hoped that my bones would become more resilient, over time. A year later I took level 2 and about three months afterward broke my right foot in dance class. When it happened my first priority was not to pass out from the pain. My second priority was getting to the bench to hold my foot so I could Reiki it. I hobbled over to the observation room and sat down. I sat sideways so that I could hold my foot and laid down a CKR and Reikied it for the remainder of the class (about 1 ½ hours). As the clock ticked I could feel the pain grow less and less until eventually the pain disappeared completely and I no longer felt faint. It was the first broken bone that I had to endure that didn’t hurt for weeks and weeks. It didn’t heal any faster than normal, but I was pain free for the whole three months I was in a cast.

I later went on to college and didn’t have any fractures for its duration. I used a strict regimen of surrounding myself with power symbols for protection, and constant Reiki to strengthen my body. Later I moved down to Santa Cruz CA and after several years had a tibial plateau fracture which I Reikied. I had minimal pain and a reasonably quick healing time. After that, I started taking mineral supplements as well as a daily multivitamin to give me every advantage. Since then, and it’s been about 15 years, I’ve managed to not break anything. I worked for a while in a restaurant, and we had a walk-in freezer that was extremely dangerous to traverse. I would never go in there without activating Reiki and all my symbols, and I walked in an incremental shuffle. Somehow, I managed to avoid falling, tripping, or slipping, which I always felt was a minor miracle. We had at least three accidents in that room but it was always other people, never me, and I felt incredibly lucky.

I had always been told you shouldn’t Reiki a broken bone until it’s set, otherwise it might start healing improperly. However, perhaps because I’m a naturally slow healer, I’ve never had a problem with that. And the reality of many fractures is that they often require orthopedic surgery and they might leave you in pain for days before the surgery was completed. So, my philosophy about Reiking fractures is to treat it immediately until the pain stops and then leave off and wait for setting.

With Holy Fire® Reiki I’ve also been able to delve into the more spiritual aspects of the disease. One of the things I’ve noticed is that whenever I broke a bone in the past I emotionally felt as if my life was coming to an end (even though other people would have breaks and not bat an eyelash). Last year I was focusing on healing past-life issues, and I was shown a life where I was a priest in an underground temple which worshiped some gods that were carved into the wall. One day as I was praying there was an earthquake and it brought the whole edifice down. The first thing that happened was it broke my leg, but the deities we worshiped were destroyed, and my world, quite literally came to an end, and since healing that lifetime, my feelings about having another fracture have lessened considerably.

• Visualize the Harth symbol and let it fill your skeleton with rose/white light
• Activate a Rama in the lower half of your body to fill the aura with bright white light.

It’s a quick meditation but makes me feel happier, safer, and stronger. Reiki itself makes me happier, feel safer and feel stronger in general because it’s something I always have with me, I can activate it proactively, and I know will support me if I ever break another bone. I’m crossing my fingers that never happens again. Wish me luck!

Article by Colin Johnson

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Colin Johnson is a Usui/HolyFire III Master, an Animal Reiki Master, and a HolyFire III Karuna Reiki Master. He has been practicing Reiki since 1991. He can be reached at: susurantvespers@hotmail.com or Reiki Pure and Simple.