Reiki Hand Syndrome

Article by Reiki Master Supriya Nair

Have you ever had episodes of arm pains after giving Reiki treatments? Many Reiki practitioners complain of painful arms after attending to their clients. Ironic, isn’t it? The modality which is used to cease pain can lead to pain! This is especially true for practitioners who engage in back-to-back sessions or daily prolonged treatments on clients.

What Is Reiki Hand Syndrome?

Reiki Hand Syndrome (RHS) is the occurrence of pain in the hands extending to arms, shoulders and at times on the sides of the neck of an energy healer or practitioner who engages in prolonged or repeated hands-on healing. The pain can persist for a few minutes to days to even months together. However, this pain is not caused due to an underlying pathology or disease but because of the straining of the hand muscles and tissues caused by extended hours of healing with the hands. The pain can vary between sharp cramping, deep shooting, periodic burning, steady stabbing or tingling sensation which may be continuous or sporadic.

When Does Reiki Hand Syndrome Occur?

Not everyone who practices Reiki gets Reiki Hand Syndrome. There are specific conditions which lead to this syndrome. That’s the reason why some practitioners are more prone to it than others.

Let us look at some of the many causes of Reiki Hand Syndrome

1. When the Practitioner is a Beginner/ Newbie
   It is usually observed that newly attuned students who prematurely engage in healing others without devoting adequate time for self-healing are racked with pain in their arms. This is because they have not allowed their physical vessel the preparation time required to hold the higher magnitude of energy that Reiki brings along. Hence it is advisable that a student commit to 21-days self-healing practice and allow the cleansing process to complete before partaking any healing involving others.
2. When the Practitioners Physical Vessel is Inadequate to Handle Excessive Energy Demand
   This occurs when the client’s demand for healing is far more than what the practitioner can handle at a given point of time. People with severe burns, critical accidents, acute illnesses, sudden traumas, or the ones admitted in intensive care units who still yearn to live a long and healthy life tend to draw healing energies from all available sources. In case of such urgent requests, if the practitioner is unable to hold the excessive flow of universal energy, they might have a tendency to develop Reiki Hand Syndrome. It is recommended that the practitioner does regular self-healing to strengthen their physical vessel before participating in emergency healing.
3. When the Client is in Dire Need of Healing
   Whenever a client is in a grim and distressing state, he/she tends to draw excessive energy. Since the practitioner is the channel for the universal energy which mainly flows through the practitioner’s hands, the excessive flow of energy may lead to strain in the tissues of the hands and shoulders from where the energy is flowing, leading to pain in the area. A daily dose of self-healing will make the tissues of the channelling arms stronger and keep away undue pain.
4. Prolonged Healing Extending for Several Hours/ Days
   Certain chronic conditions which has run its course for months or years together like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, etc. need longer healing sessions. Practitioners who either devote a longer period of time or heal for extended days without taking requisite breaks may develop painful arms. It’s essential for a practitioner to understand that it’s not required to hasten the process of the clients’ healing by engaging in repeated or prolonged sessions. Each condition runs its course before coming to a state of equilibrium. Our trying to hasten the pace can backfire at times.
5. Hygiene is Not Followed Diligently
   This happens when the practitioner has forgotten to detach his/her energy from that of the client or has not done energy clearing exercise between sessions. The energy in such cases keeps flowing to the client without the knowledge of the practitioner. Whenever you feel an inexplicable pain in the arms, it is always a good idea to shield and detach yourself from any external influences especially a recently conducted healing session.
6. Calamity or Disaster Healing
   Many advanced Reiki practitioners undertake healing on a larger scale including healing calamities-struck regions, riot and war-prone areas or countries as a part of their greater purpose on Earth. However, many novices also invest their time in these pursuits. In such cases, especially those healers who use a paper method to heal with their hands tend to get Reiki Hand Syndrome when done for a longer duration. Invest your time and energy diligently when engaging in mass undertakings.

How Should One Prevent Reiki Hand Syndrome?

Since Reiki Hand Syndrome is not a pathology but a transitory experience which lasts only until the stimulus is removed, it can be prevented by avoiding the distress in the first place.

Here are some of the ways to nip Reiki Hand Syndrome in the bud

1. Beginner’s Creed
   For a beginner, it is recommended to wait until they have completed their own 21-days clearing and cleansing process, and have done plenty of self-treatments.
2. Physician, Heal Thyself!
   Self-healing is our responsibility wherein we respond to our body’s needs and requirements by listening to them and adjusting or changing our course of action accordingly. Regular self-healing will not only make our energies vibrate at a higher frequency but also prepare our body containers to hold more light for ourselves, our families, friends and clients.
3. Preparedness
   Before giving a Reiki treatment to anyone, it is important to prepare oneself holistically–mind, body and spirit–for the same.
4. Insulation
   Shielding has many virtues and hence forms an important protocol for every Reiki practitioner. Protecting our auras from external influences keeps our energies from spilling without our knowledge.
5. Disentanglement
   Detaching our cords from the client is a significant way of avoiding any energy leakages in oblivion.
6. Earth Healing
   It is interesting to note that practitioners, who engage in healing Earth or Earthing (grounding) before healing, do not fall prey to Reiki Hand Syndrome. The Earth’s electromagnetic energy forms a protective layer around them while at the same time purging excessive energies from their physical bodies.
7. Listen to Your Body
   Pain is an indicator and motivator for us to withdraw from damaging situations; a red flag to alert us from straining further. While you listen to your soul and contribute to the larger good, remember to also listen to your body when it tells you to stop!

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Dr. Supriya Nair, IMD, PhD has been a Reiki and Kriya Yoga practitioner since 2008. A conduit between the scientific and spiritual worlds, Dr. Supriya has a profound fascination for the healing arts. Apart from holding the title of Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Dr. Supriya is a certified Health Coach and proficient in various integrative medicine modalities. She is also the author of "Train Your Brain to Unchain Your Pain."
To get in touch with Dr. Supriya, you can reach out via email at suprianair@gmail.com or connect with her on Facebook at facebook.com/supriyanair111 and on Instagram at instagram.com/proconscious.cafe.