Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is one of the worst conditions that could occur to a person or a person’s loved ones. It affects especially to older people. This condition refers to the extreme or abnormal loss of memory in older people that even the names of their close friends and families are forgotten as well as the frequency of misplacing things occurs. Aside from serious memory loss, Alzheimer patients are also prone to disorientation wherein they could lose their sense of time and place. Sometimes, they forget it’s already another time and say things that actually happened years ago already. They also tend to forget a certain place even if they are familiar to it already. This is why most Alzheimer patients cannot easily find their way back home.
Effects are also observed on how they speak as well as they also find it difficult to remember how to do the common tasks they usually do like buttoning their shirt or holding a spoon. Aside from that, they are also prone to personality changes and confusion. This may be a sad condition but this condition does occur. Several treatments have already been tried and tested in order to find what could treat patients with Alzheimer’s totally. And among the treatments studied and researched about is Reiki.
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Reiki is a Japanese technique of keeping a person’s health in good condition and this goes to the overall health of a person. This is a spiritual means of healing a person which is done through the laying on of hands to the person in order to transfer the life force energy to him or her. Reiki is already proven to have positive effects and benefit to the health of a person in terms of fatigue, stress, pain, etc. For this reason, a study was also conducted to find out the possible effects of Reiki in terms of treating patients with dementia.
In this study conducted in 2006 by M Deborah Salach from San Francisco State University, participants were gathered by which all eight participants have Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, the study was inclusive of dementia patients only. The eight patients are from ages 58-89 and come from different race as well as gender. Participants were gathered into two groups. One group consists of the Reiki group or the people who will undergo Reiki. Another group will serve as the control group or the people who won’t be undergoing Reiki treatment.
The participants were made to attend eight 30-minute individual Reiki sessions and the sessions lasted for eight weeks. The study was also measured according to pre-test and post test results. Some of the participants are experiencing depression as well as others are experiencing anxiety. During the Reiki sessions, the Reiki participants were told to lie down and the Reiki provider lays his or her hands on the participants. There is no contact between the hands of the provider and the skin of the participant. It just looks as if the provider is transferring an invisible force to the participant.
After eight weeks of individual sessions, the study came up with a conclusion that Reiki does provide great and positive results when it comes to reducing anxiety and depression for Alzheimer patients. This is great news since as people grow old; exposure to Reiki may help promote good aging and prevent mental disorders such as dementia from occurring.
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Que interesante al ver que se les puede ayudar
Very interesting with special tips.
Thank you very much !
Theres not much insight other than healing depression, anxiety – but no great findings on the Alzhiemers condition itself. Thats a general benefit , anyways Reiki gives.