ARTICLE 3 - USING REIKI FOR PAIN RELIEF

Over the years, I have used Reiki as a means of pain relief for myself, often finding it more effective than resorting to painkillers. I have also used it on animals with great success.

However, as my experiences demonstrate, it is essential to exercise caution—by treating the pain and not the underlying condition, an animal may not receive the medical attention it truly needs.

So yes, Reiki can be given with the intention of reducing pain, but it is crucial to remain mindful that it may temporarily mask symptoms of a condition requiring veterinary care.

The following two stories illustrate both the benefits and the necessary caution needed when using Reiki for pain relief in horses.

STORY 1 – PAIN RELIEF FOR A FRACTURED SPLINT BONE

When my horse Jazz was 17, we arrived at the field one day to find her back leg badly swollen. Taking no chances, we called the vet, who conducted a thorough examination. Jazz was only slightly lame, and the vet suspected a minor knock or a kick from another horse. We were advised to monitor her closely, cold hose the leg regularly, and, if all seemed well, bring her back into work in about a week.

Alongside following the vet’s advice, I gave her daily Reiki sessions. The swelling subsided, leaving only a small hard lump. As Jazz remained completely comfortable with no signs of lameness, we gradually brought her back into work, and for three months, she remained sound. My daughter, who was training to be a vet, found no indications of any ongoing issues.

Then, during a heatwave, the yard decided to bring the horses in for a few hours during the day. Suddenly, Jazz’s back leg swelled up significantly. Although the swelling reduced once she was turned back out, I decided to have it x-rayed.

I still recall the vet’s shock upon seeing the x-ray. Jazz had a significant splint fracture. He was astounded that she had shown no signs of lameness and stated that, under normal circumstances, she should have been in considerable pain. His surprise only grew when I explained that she had been in full work, including light jumping, and had shown no discomfort.

I continued giving Jazz Reiki, and she remained sound. However, we decided to give her three months off work, bringing her back slowly—much slower than the vet had suggested, guided by my intuition. Four years on, the injury has caused her no further issues.

Nine months after the splint fracture was discovered, Jazz became critically ill with a viral infection and had to be hospitalized for ten days. I sent her Reiki from a distance, as did many others who were offering healing energy and prayers. Among the many remarkable responses to this healing, one of the most incredible was that the lump on her leg disappeared completely. I will share that story in a future article.

STORY 2 – PAIN RELIEF FOR COLIC

Silver, a beautiful Connemara pony, had been with us on loan for five years before my daughter Lauren went to university. We had become close friends with his owner and remained in contact, visiting Silver regularly.

One evening, we received devastating news—Silver had developed impaction colic with a displacement. His prognosis was not good.

Lauren went to see him after work, while I, ill with Covid, stayed home and sent him distance Reiki with the intention that, whatever the outcome, it would help him in some way.

The next morning, we received an emotional call from his owner. Despite appearing bright, with his head over the stable door and ears pricked, an examination revealed that Silver’s small intestine was twisted. The vet was utterly astonished—horses with this condition are typically in excruciating pain, rolling and thrashing in distress. Yet, Silver showed no such signs. She admitted that in all her years of practice, she had never encountered a pony so seemingly unaffected by such a serious condition. His owner, too, had believed Silver was on the mend.

We truly believe that Reiki provided him with powerful pain relief.

Tragically, there was no alternative but to put Silver to sleep. It was heart breaking for all of us!

These stories highlight both the incredible pain relief that Reiki can provide and the caution that must be exercised. While Reiki is a valuable tool, it should always be used alongside veterinary care to ensure that any underlying conditions are properly diagnosed and treated.

In future Articles, I will share many other ways where reiki can benefit our animals.

If this has interested you, then you may be interested in my book, “Walking a Soulful Path: A healing journey with animals.” You can find this on amazon. This is the link:-

WALKING A SOULFUL PATH: A healing journey with animals: Amazon.co.uk: Sutton, Fiona: 9798334905573: Books