By Max Bowen/Staff Writer Billerica Minuteman Billerica, Mass. — When Gen Lopez was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, she, like many others, turned to chemotherapy and surgery to battle the disease.
Though successful, the medical procedures left her weak and nauseous. That changed when she discovered Reiki, a method of therapy that helped her lessen the pain, and live a more normal life while undergoing her treatment.
Reiki is a method of healing developed in Japan in 1922. Through this technique, practitioners channel healing energy through their hands. It is not a religious practice, and Lopez said belief in its effectiveness doesn’t influence the treatment.
Chemotherapy, which she underwent every two weeks, left Lopez very ill, unable to sleep or relax. she attended a Reiki session and was amazed at how she felt afterwards. While the technique was no miracle cure for the side effects, she said it allowed her to return to work the next day.
“It absolutely decreases the pain,” Lopez said. “It helps to heal faster.”
Lopez said the effectiveness of Reiki differs from person to person, that some feel more relaxed, while others say they feel waves of energy coursing through their body. As a nurse, Lopez knows that traditional medicine is effective, but believes that alternatives like Reiki can offer something more.
“If there is something that can make it easier, why not?” Lopez said.
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