What constitutes bioenergetic therapy?
Bioenergetic therapies aim to balance the energy of the body through a mixture of exercise, energy manipulation, and diet based on the teachings of TCM, Western medical practices, and Ayurveda. Some methods involve practitioners directly manipulating the energy of their patients, such as therapeutic touch, which transfers energy from caregiver to patient without direct contact. Another bioenergy manipulation therapy is Reiki, developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui, which has practitioners send energy through their palms to patients over different targets on their body. A 2008 analysis of nine randomized clinical trials for Reiki’s efficacy for different medical conditions failed to demonstrate any effects for diabetic neuropathy or recovery from ischaemic stroke, but one trial showed differences between Reiki and sham treatment for pain and anxiety. The analysis found evidence insufficient to support Reiki as a treatment for any condition used in the trials, due to issues such as poor study designs and small study populations.
