Reply #25: As a side note, there are indeed questions about those being harmful. [View All]

[trotsky]

Acupuncture (http://www.thehealthpages.com/articles/ar-acupn.html):

As with any medical procedure, acupuncture is not risk-free, but problems are pretty uncommon. The biggest concern is infection. According to one study, improperly sterilized needles are used by about 35 percent of practitioners. To minimize your risk, insist on disposable surgical steel needles. Other potential problems include pain, drowsiness and a worsening of the disorder from incorrect diagnosis.

In addition, some isolated lung and bladder punctures, broken needles, and allergic reactions to needles made of materials other than surgical steel have been reported. Acupuncture may also stimulate production of hormones in pregnant women that help initiate labor and can be harmful to the fetus in early pregnancy. However, in the hands of a good acupuncturist, the risk of such complications is extremely low.

Sounds like a pretty low risk, but the risk is there for some serious problems. Certainly not any better than the low risk of most science-based treatments that are regularly bashed in this forum.

As far as reiki goes, well technically when practiced "correctly" there is no way a practitioner could directly cause harm. But the risk of indirect harm is significant, stemming primarily from the discontinuance of science-based treatment in favor of reiki. But reiki practitioners acknowledge concerns, too (http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8513/34968/360056.html?d=dmtContent):

Some Reiki practitioners believe that Reiki should be used cautiously in individuals with psychiatric illnesses.