THE EFFECT OF REIKI APPLIED DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD ON THE QUALITY OF POSTPARTUM RECOVERY, COMFORT AND MOOD.

NCT07654881 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: HRÜ/25.14.38
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The postpartum period, also defined as the fourth trimester of pregnancy, encompasses the approximately 6-8 week period following childbirth, during which the organs that underwent changes during pregnancy return to their previous state. This period is of great importance in terms of protecting the health of both mother and baby, meeting their care needs, and increasing their comfort. During the postpartum period, women experience physiological, psychological, and social changes; hormonal changes, assuming parental roles, changes in family dynamics, and increased responsibilities related to infant care can lead to adjustment difficulties. This can cause problems for the mother in both her own care and infant care. In the postpartum period, mothers may experience various health problems such as pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, infections, breastfeeding problems, hemorrhoids, constipation, urinary incontinence, depressive symptoms, and mood swings. Pain, in particular, arises due to uterine contractions, breast engorgement, nipple tenderness, and other complications, negatively affecting the mother's mobility, sleep patterns, social interaction, and quality of life. Furthermore, stress and adjustment problems experienced during the postpartum period can lead to serious psychological problems such as delayed maternal bonding, postpartum blues, postpartum depression, psychosis, and communication problems between couples. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are used in the management of these problems. However, due to the negative effects that pharmacological methods may have during breastfeeding, interest in complementary and alternative medicine practices has increased. Reflexology, aromatherapy, music therapy, acupressure, and Reiki are among these methods. Reiki is an energy therapy method that aims to balance an individual's life energy and support the natural healing process, applied through touch or the placement of hands on specific points. Reiki application is reported to have positive effects on pain, stress, anxiety, sleep quality, and coping skills. Although it is one of the preferred methods for adapting to changes and reducing problems experienced in the postpartum period, studies directly examining the effects of Reiki application on postpartum recovery quality, comfort, and mood are quite limited. Due to its low cost, ease of application, and lack of side effects, Reiki is considered an important complementary care approach that can be used in the postpartum period. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of face-to-face Reiki treatment on the quality of postpartum healing, comfort level, and mood in women who have had cesarean deliveries, on days 1, 2, and 7 of the postpartum period.

Conditions

Postpartum Period; Reiki Therapy; Mood; Comfort

Keywords

Reiki Therapy, Postpartum Period, Mood, Comfort, Recovery of Function

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postpartum recovery

  Postpartum recovery level will be assessed on postpartum days 1, 2, and 7. Postpartum recovery will be evaluated using the Postpartum Recovery Quality Scale and the REEDA Scale. The Postpartum Recovery Quality Scale is a 11-item, 10-point Likert-type scale measuring physical, psychological, and functional recovery, with higher scores indicating better recovery. The REEDA Scale assesses wound healing through redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation of wound edges, with scores ranging from 0 to 15; higher scores indicate poorer healing. The combined use of these instruments will serve as the primary indicator of postpartum recovery outcomes.

  1 year

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Comfort

  1 year

• Mood

  1 year

Study Arms (2)

routine care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the control group will receive routine postpartum care provided in the clinic. This includes standard monitoring of the mother and newborn in accordance with hospital protocols, assessment of maternal postpartum recovery, monitoring of vital signs, and provision of nursing and medical care interventions when necessary.

Other: routine care

Reiki healing / Reiki therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Reiki is a complementary and holistic therapy method of Japanese origin, derived from the words "Rei" (universal) and "Ki" (life energy), meaning "universal life energy." In Reiki practice, the aim is to balance life energy and support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the individual by gently touching or placing hands on specific areas of the body. As a non-invasive, low-risk complementary care approach, Reiki is used in various clinical settings to help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and alleviate symptoms such as pain and anxiety.

Other: Reiki healing / Reiki therapy

Interventions

Reiki healing / Reiki therapy OTHER

Participants in the experimental group will receive Reiki intervention in addition to standard care practices. Reiki sessions will be performed by a trained and certified Reiki practitioner in a quiet and suitable environment. Each session will last approximately 35 minutes and will be applied a total of 3 times: on the 1st, 2nd, and 7th days postpartum. During the intervention, the practitioner will gently touch or place their hands on designated energy points on the participant's body, in accordance with Reiki principles. The aim of the intervention is to support the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of the participants and to contribute to reducing stress and symptom burden. All applications will be conducted according to a standardized protocol.

Reiki healing / Reiki therapy

routine care OTHER

Participants in the control group will receive only standard postpartum care and monitoring during the study period. These participants will be evaluated on days 1, 2, and 7 postpartum at the same time as the experimental group; however, no Reiki intervention will be applied. Participants will continue to receive routine clinical care services, and all data collection will be carried out under the same conditions as the experimental group. This approach will allow for the evaluation of whether the observed outcomes are attributable to Reiki intervention.

routine care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Ages 19-35
• Literate and able to communicate
• Those who gave birth after 37 weeks of gestation
• Those who had a single or intrauterine delivery
• Those residing within the central district of Gaziantep province
• Those who received spinal/epidural anesthesia

You may not qualify if:

• Having an infectious skin disease
• Having a chronic illness (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, etc.)
• Having complications related to the birth process
• The baby not being present for any reason
• Using sedative agents for any reason
• Mothers with disabled babies
• Having experienced an acute psychiatric attack

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Gaziantep: lead

Related Publications (1)

• Aydemir H, Sogukpinar N, Kara M. The impact of Reiki practice on episiotomy recovery and perineal pain: A randomized controlled study. Afr J Reprod Health. 2024 Jul 31;28(7):35-46. doi: 10.29063/ajrh2024/v28i7.4.

  PMID: 39097970 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Therapeutic Touch

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Spiritual Therapies

Study Officials

• Simge ZEYNELOĞLU

  University of Gaziantep

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Beyhan Şimşek

CONTACT

+90 539 244 27 19; hembeyhan123@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: LECTURER

Model Details: This research is an experimental study designed as a randomized controlled trial.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 12, 2026
• First Posted: June 17, 2026
• Study Start: June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Last Updated: June 17, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share