Renata Lob has the special touch that can soothe what troubles you.

Since 1997, Mrs. Lob has been practicing Reiki, a therapeutic touch technique for stress reduction and relaxation that taps into an "unlimited supply of life force energy."

Mrs. Lob was hired as a Reiki therapist by Primary Health Network in June 2001 and practices Reiki out of UPMC Horizon's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Center in Farrell. Before that, she practiced Reiki out of her Greenville home for people she knew.

Reiki was re-discovered by Dr. Mikao Usui in the 1800s in Japan, where he had a mystical experience on the top of Mt. Qurama outside of Kyoto. There, he received the symbols of Reiki, Mrs. Lob said.

"The way Reiki works is the belief that energy comes from the universal life force, and this energy will come to the top of the head to the practitioner and will come out through their hands," Mrs. Lob said.

The person who receives Reiki treatment feels "a great sense of well-being, peace, and will feel very relaxed."

"The Reiki energy affects not only the physical body but also the emotional and spiritual," Mrs. Lob said.

Mrs. Lob sees about six to eight patients a week. Many of her patients receive Reiki for chronic pain or weight management. They are often referred to her from their physicians.

"When they first come to me, I make myself clear that Reiki is not a magical pill," she said. "The patient is totally in charge of drawing that energy. I'm just a vehicle."

Reiki also works well for people in psychotherapy. Mrs. Lob said these patients feel Reiki accentuates their progress.

She said it's important for patients not to expect their diseases to be cured with the Reiki sessions. Sometimes the effects of Reiki do not show until later and will affect not only the physical body but also the emotional state of mind.

"All I ask for them is to come with an open mind and to open their hearts," she said.

The pain levels of patients are always checked before and after their Reiki sessions. Mrs. Lob said that "99.9 percent of the time," a patient's pain level decreases or disappears after the Reiki session.

Most health insurance covers Reiki treatments as long as they take place in an office setting, although HMOs don't cover it, Mrs. Lob said.

During a session, which takes about an hour, the patient remains fully clothed and lies down on a table. Mrs. Lob dims the lights, plays relaxing music and uses aromatherapy to set a calming mood. Blankets are also available so the patient can get comfortable.

Some patients get so comfortable, Mrs. Lob said, they actually fall asleep on the table and the session is over before they realize it.

Reiki recipients feel either heat or cold coming out of the Reiki practitioner's hands, although Mrs. Lob said most patients feel the heat.

After treatment, Mrs. Lob asks patients to drink plenty of water to wash away released toxins.

Mrs. Lob recommends three Reiki sessions to patients: one for the body, one for the mind and one for the spirit. After that, she said, it's up to them.

"They're the best ones to judge," she said. "It does affect the emotional state of mind. Things trapped inside come out. They're allowing themselves to release from problems or issues they have within."

"Reiki can do no harm. It's not a religion and it has been proven to help people in many different ways," she said. "I'm very thankful for the Primary Health Network and UPMC Horizon for giving me the opportunity to help others with applying Reiki ... This has been a very interesting journey for me and I feel that I have also learned a lot from the patients."