Menopause is a natural passage in every woman's life: the term designates the end of the menstrual cycle and the female reproductive life.1 Menopause is a process experienced by women that involves physiological, psychological, and hormonal changes. Estrogen and progesterone production starts to decline with menopause and stops during menopause. Menopause generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years.1,2 Approximately 1.2 billion women worldwide will be menopausal or postmenopausal by the year 2030, with 47 million new entrants each year. 2

Women experience vasomotor, urogenital, psychosomatic, and physiological changes with menopause.3 Vasomotor symptoms; hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disorders, joint and muscle disorders. The psychological symptoms; nervousness, malaise, anxiety, panic, depression, physical and mental fatigue, and difficulty in concentration. The genitourinary symptoms of menopause may include dryness of the vagina and dyspareunia. 84% of women experience hot flushes and 80% have night sweats, with 60% of these being severe symptoms.1,4 Vasomotor complaints most affected daily life activities, followed by mood, sleep and concentration, and physical and mental exhaustion.5,6

Hormone therapy has been the primary treatment for menopausal symptoms. However, the health risks associated with hormone therapy, many women cannot or choose not to use hormone therapy. 2,7 Approximately 51% of women use CAM and more than 60% perceive it to be effective for menopausal symptoms.7 During menopause, women seeking alternative treatment methods usually prefer treatment modalities compatible with their cultural backgrounds. Complementary and alternative medicine interventions for menopause fall into 2 broad categories: mind-body practices (eg, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation, biofeedback, meditation, and aromatherapy), and natural products (eg, herbs, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements). In addition, there are several whole-system alternative medicine approaches (eg, traditional Chinese medicine, Reiki, reflexology, acupuncture, and homeopathy) that do not fit neatly into the above categories that incorporate both mind-body practices and natural products. 8

Reiki is one of the independent functions of nurses and a part of nursing care.9 Reiki is a holistic health care practice and an energy therapy that strikes a balance between mind-body and spirit. Reiki is a form of energy-based therapy that helps one rebalance the natural energy flow circulating in one's body and increase one's self-healing ability.10,11 Reiki has effects such as reducing anxiety, depression and stress, reaching normal levels of vital signs such as pain, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate, and providing relaxation/comfort. The biggest advantage of Reiki; it is a method that is easy to apply and cost-effective, providing the individual to restore the balance between body, mind and spirit, has no side effects, and has no negative effects on behavior and attitudes.11, 12, 13, 14, 15

In the literature, there are not studies examining the effects of Reiki on menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor, psychological and urogenital symptoms. It necessitated a study on this subject.

The present study aimed to assess the effects of Distant Reiki on the somatic, psychological and urogenital symptom levels of women with menopause.

H1: Distant Reiki reduces the level of vasomotor symptoms in women with menopause.

H2: Distant Reiki reduces the level of psychological symptoms in women with menopause.

H3: Distant Reiki reduces the level of urogenital symptoms in women with menopause.