Knowledgeable sources are of the opinion that it is the man himself who gives birth to illness. An illness is a repressed need in man appearing in an I area most easily accessible to him at a particular point of time. If that repressed need finds a new area easily accessible, it will manifest there. To cite an example: A fellow desires to gain love of his fellow beings and if he does not allow himself to accept it, he would choose illness as a justification to get love.
If the patient is willing to explore new areas of experience and shows his win to live, there would be no difficulty in findings meaningful course of treatment
But, Reiki, it must be understood, has its own limitations. It is one's own attitude that counts. And if the attitude is negative, nothing, not even valuable methods, could work. It is the method of self realization that ultimately counts.