BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Therapeutic exercises are considered effective treatments for ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Current study aimed to evaluate efficacy and safety of Baduanjin qigong, a traditional Chinese exercise, for treatment of AS in a pilot RCT setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:A total of 60 patients were randomly assigned, at a 1:1 ratio, to receive a 12-week Baduanjin qigong training(exercise group) or maintain their current lifestyle(no-treatment group). As primary outcomes, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index(BASDAI) and other AS symptoms were assessed at baseline and end of treatment period.

RESULTS:A total of 46 patients completed the study. At the end of treatment period, although total BASDAI scores were not statistically different, reduced scores were observed in the exercise group, compared to no-treatment group, with respect to fatigue(P = 0.03), intensity(P = 0.04) and duration(P = 0.01) of morning stiffness; exercise group also exhibited higher patient global assessment scores(P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION:Baduanjin qigong exercise appeared to improve AS symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Although qigong is an important part of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) based on a philosophy similar to acupuncture, few studies of qigong exist in the Western medicine literature. To evaluate qigong therapy as a modality in treating chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), we report a pilot trial of 10 women with severe FMS who experienced significant improvement after external qigong therapy (EQT).

DESIGN: Ten patients with FMS completed five to seven sessions of EQT over 3 weeks with pre- and posttreatment assessment and a 3-month follow-up. Each treatment lasted approximately 40 minutes.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Tender point count (TPC) and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were the primary measures. McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), anxiety, and self-efficacy were the secondary outcomes.

RESULTS: Subjects demonstrated improvement in functioning, pain, and other symptoms. The mean TPC was reduced from 136.6 to 59.5 after EQT treatment; mean MPQ decreased from 27.0 to 7.2; mean FIQ from 70.1 to 37.3; and mean BDI from 24.3 to 8.3 (all p < 0.01). Many subjects reported reductions in other FMS symptoms, and two reported they were completely symptom-free. Results from the 3-month follow-up indicated some slight rebound from the post-treatment measures, but still much better than those observed at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with EQT resulting in complete recovery for some FMS patients suggests that TCM may be very effective for treating pain and the multiplicity of symptoms associated with FMS. Larger controlled trials of this promising intervention are urgently needed.

Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are a common complaint in competitive swimmers and can adversely affect performance. No intervention has yet been shown to reduce URI incidence in intensively trained athletes. The University of Virginia varsity swim team received three weeks of training in qigong for the purpose of reducing stress and improving health. Our primary objective was to assess the relationship between qigong practice and symptoms of URI during a time when swimmers would be at high URI risk. Secondary objectives were to assess degree of compliance with a qigong practice regimen, to evaluate differences between qigong practitioners and non-practitioners, and to determine the response-rate and reliability of a newly developed internet-based, self-report survey. The design was observational, cross-sectional, and prospective. Weekly data on cold and flu symptoms, concurrent health problems and medication use, and qigong practice were gathered for seven weeks. Retrospective information on health and qigong training response was also collected. Participants were 27 of the 55 members of the University of Virginia Swim Team in the Virginia Athletic Department. Main outcomes were measures of aggregated cold/flu symptoms and Qigong practice. Survey completion was 100%, with no missing data, and reliability of the instrument was acceptable. Cold and flu symptoms showed a significant non-linear association with frequency of qigong practice (R(2) = 0.33, p<0.01), with a strong, inverse relationship between practice frequency and symptom scores in swimmers who practised qigong at least once per week (R(2) = 0.70, p<0.01). Qigong practitioners did not differ from non-practitioners in demographic or lifestyle characteristics, medical history, supplement or medication use, or belief in qigong. These preliminary findings suggest that qigong practice may be protective against URIs among elite swimmers who practice at least once per week.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia and its associated lower urinary tract symptoms seriously affect both the physical and mental health of older men. In order to determine the efficiency of Chinese Qigong Yi Jin Jing on prostate health in older individuals, thirty participants were randomized into either an Yi Jin Jing group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). After the 6-month intervention, the Yi Jin Jing group showed a significant decrease in international prostate symptom score and a significant increase in maximal urinary flow rate (compared with the control group p = .005, p = .001, respectively). Also, testosterone level increased and estrogen/testosterone ratio decreased in the Yi Jin Jing group (compared with the baseline p = .004, p = .002, respectively); estrogen level and estrogen/testosterone ratio were lower in the Yi Jin Jing group (compared with the control group p = .029, p = .012, respectively). The results showed that Yi Jin Jing is a promising way to reduce the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia-lower urinary tract symptoms in older men.

PURPOSE:This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Chan-Chuang qigong exercise in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who were undergoing chemotherapy on fatigue intensity and sleep quality.

METHODS:The study was a single-centre, controlled randomized study. One hundred and eight subjects were randomly assigned to the qigong group (n = 54) or control group (n = 54). The qigong group received Chan-Chuang qigong exercise 20-min twice daily for 21 days in the course of the chemotherapy treatment, whereas the control group without special exercise intervention. Outcome measures included fatigue and sleep quality.

RESULTS:After the three-week intervention, participants who were in the qigong group had lower fatigue intensity scores than those in the control group. The results of generalized estimating equations (GEE) analyses showed a significant group-by-time interaction effect in average fatigue, worse fatigue, and overall sleep quality (p < 0.001). The average fatigue, worse fatigue, and overall sleep quality significantly decreased over time in the qigong group.

CONCLUSIONS:Chan-Chuang qigong exercise could be regarded as an adjunct measure in clinical practice. This study cannot completely discount the possible influence of placebo effects, and more objective clinical outcome measures are needed to produce our findings with long-term follow-up in a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND:Qigong and Tai Chi are the two most popular traditional Chinese exercises, known as mind-body movement therapies. Previous studies suggest that Qigong and Tai Chi may be beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms. This was the first study to systematically review and compare the effects of Qigong and Tai Chi on depressive symptoms.

METHODS:A systematic search of six electronic databases was undertaken through to February 2014, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which reported depressive symptoms measured by a depressive symptom rating scale. The standardized mean difference in depressive symptoms score between Qigong or Tai Chi and a control group (at the end of follow-up) was extracted as a primary outcome. The secondary outcome was the standardized mean gain in symptom score (SMG) relative to the baseline from individual arms of the RCTs for various forms of care including Qigong, Tai Chi, usual care, other exercise, education and miscellaneous interventions.

RESULTS:Thirty studies with a total of 2328 participants (823 males and 1505 females) were included. A significant effect was found for the Qigong interventions (Cohen's d -0.48 95% CI -0.48 to -0.12; SMG -0.52, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.26). There was no significant effect seen for Tai Chi for the primary endpoint. No mean change in symptom scores were seen for Tai Chi, usual care, other exercises, education and the 'miscellaneous' group in pre-post assessment in single arms. The Qigong results were found to be robust in sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS:Qigong appears to be beneficial for reducing depressive symptom severity. However, given the low quality of the included studies and the documented evidence of publication bias, these results should be viewed cautiously.

BACKGROUND:Qigong is an ancient form of health maintenance, dating back thousands of years, which is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Numerous physical as well as mental benefits have been classically ascribed to this traditional mind-body method which integrates slow body movements, breathing, and meditation. Albeit we have already reported an immunomodulatory action of qigong in other investigations, measures were then assessed 1 day after the qigong program ended.

PURPOSE:The aim of the present study was to assess the acute effects of Taoist qigong practice on immune cell counts in healthy subjects 1 h after training.

METHOD:Forty-three healthy subjects participated in the study of whom 25 were randomly allocated to the experimental group and 18 to the control group. The experimental subjects underwent daily qigong training for 1 month. Blood samples for the quantification of immune parameters (number and percentage of monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, total lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells) were taken the day before the experiment commenced and 1 h after the last session of the training program ended. As statistical analysis, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed.

RESULTS:Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group showing higher values in the number (p = 0.006) and the percentage (p = 0.04) of B lymphocytes, as well as lower values in the percentage of NK cells (p = 0.05), as compared to control.

CONCLUSION:This study demonstrates that Taoist qigong is able to exert acute immunomodulatory effects on components of both innate as well as adaptive immune response.

Qigong is a gentle exercise that promotes health and well-being. This study evaluated the acute physiological and psychological effects of one session of qigong exercise in older practitioners. A total of 45 participants (mean age, 65.14 years) were recruited. Meridian electrical conductance, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), heart rate variability (HRV), and Short Form 36 (SF-36) were evaluated and compared before and after one session of qigong exercise. The results revealed that the electrical conductance of all meridians, except spleen and bladder meridians, increased significantly (<0.05). Compared with baseline values, upper to lower body ratio and sympathetic/vagal index were significantly improved and closer to 1 (= 0.011 and= 0.007, resp.). STAI-S and STAI-T scores decreased significantly (<0.001 and= 0.001, resp.). The RR interval of HRV decreased significantly (= 0.035), a significant positive correlation was observed between kidney meridian electrical conductance and SF-36 physical scores (= 0.74,= 0.018), and a positive correlation was observed between pericardium meridian electrical conductance and SF-36 mental scores (= 0.50,= 0.06). In conclusion, one session of qigong exercise increased meridian electrical conductance, reduced anxiety, and improved body and autonomic nervous system balance. These findings provide scientific evidence for acute physiological and psychological effects of qigong exercise in older practitioners.

Qigong is an ancient form of health maintenance, which is part of Traditional China Medicine. Numerous beneficial mental and physical effects have been classically ascribed to this traditional psychosomatic method. The purpose of this work has been to assess the effects of Taoist qigong practice on several hormonal parameters of the Hipotalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis and specific measures of psychological well-being in healthy subjects. Forty-three healthy volunteers participated in the study, of whom 22 were randomly allocated to the experimental group, and 21 were assigned to the control group. Experimental participants underwent a qigong training program for one month. Blood samples for the quantification of hormonal parameters, and several instruments to assess anxiety and depression symptoms as well as subjective sleep quality, were obtained before and after the program. Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group showing lower blood levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This study shows that Taoist qigong is a psychosomatic method able to exert a modulatory action on ACTH levels in healthy subjects. We consider the need to continue exploring the psychobiological modulation of this qigong method and its possible repercussion for human health care.

BACKGROUND:There is increasing evidence showing the health benefits of various forms of traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) on the glycemic profile in people with type 2 diabetes. However, relatively little is known about the combined clinical effectiveness of these traditional exercises. This study was designed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the overall effect of 3 common TCEs (Tai Ji Quan, Qigong, Ba Duan Jin) on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS:We conducted an extensive database search in Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure on randomized controlled trials published between April 1967 and September 2017 that compared any of the 3 TCEs with a control or comparison group on glycemic control. Data extraction was performed by 2 independent reviewers. Study quality was evaluated using the, which assessed the risk of bias, including sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, completeness of outcome data, and selective outcome reporting. The resulting quality of the reviewed studies was characterized in 3 grades representing the level of bias: low, unclear, and high. All analyses were performed using random effects models and heterogeneity was quantified. Wespecified changes in biomarkers of hemoglobin A1c (in percentage) and fasting blood glucose (mmol/L) as the main outcomes and triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, 2-h plasma glucose, and fasting plasma glucose as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS:A total of 39 randomized, controlled trials (Tai Ji Quan = 11; Qigong = 6; Ba Duan Jin = 22) with 2917 type 2 diabetic patients (aged 41-80 years) were identified. Compared with a control or comparison group, pooled meta-analyses of TCEs showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin A1c (mean difference (MD) = -0.67%; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.86% to -0.48%;<0.00001) and fasting blood glucose (MD = -0.66 mmol/L; 95%CI: -0.95 to -0.37 mmol/L;<0.0001). The observed effect was more pronounced for interventions that were medium range in duration (i.e.,>3-<12 months). TCE interventions also showed improvements in the secondary outcome measures. A high risk of bias was observed in the areas of blinding (i.e., study participants and personnel, and outcome assessment).

CONCLUSION:Among patients with type 2 diabetes, TCEs were associated with significantly lower hemoglobin A1c and fasting blood glucose. Further studies to better understand the dose and duration of exposure to TCEs are warranted.

OBJECTIVES:Fibromyalgia is a chronic debilitating pain syndrome. There has been growing interest in the development of non-pharmacological therapies. Ba-Duan-Jin is an ancient Chinese exercise for health promotion, yet easy to learn. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Ba-Duan-Jin in managing fibromyalgia symptoms experienced by Chinese patients.

METHODS:In this randomised, usual therapy-controlled study, patients with fibromyalgia practiced Ba-Duan-Jin for one hour, twice a week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in the Visual Analogue Scale for pain (pain VAS). Secondary outcomes included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Tender Point Count (TPC). These measures were assessed at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) was collected at week 12. The Mann-Whitney U-test was performed using the intention-to-treat population.

RESULTS:A total of 62 fibromyalgia patients were randomised to the Ba-Duan-Jin or the control groups. For the Ba-Duan-Jin group, significant improvement in pain VAS, FIQ, MAF, PSQI, and TPC were documented at weeks 4 (p≤0.046) and continued at week 8 (p≤0.003). At week 12, all of the outcome measures including BDI and PSS exhibited significant improvement (p≤0.004), and PGIC ratings were significantly better (p<0.001). No significant changes in the control group were observed.

CONCLUSIONS:This study suggests that Ba-Duan-Jin exercise has the potential to be a valuable non-pharmacological intervention among Chinese fibromyalgia patients.

OBJECTIVE: To exclude possible psychological effects of qigong therapy in the treatment of addiction effectively, morphine-dependence models need to be established in mice and rats.

METHOD: The effects of external qi on withdrawal syndrome were examined in naloxone-precipitated mice and rats in three randomized control experiments: naloxone-precipitated test in morphine-dependent mice (n = 100 in 5 groups, 20 mice each group); conditioned position preference test in morphine-abstinent mice (n = 30 for 3 groups, 10 each); and naloxone-precipitated test with paired box in morphine-dependent rats (n = 40 for 4 groups, 10 each).

RESULTS: These experiments showed that morphine-dependent mice, after external qigong (EQ) therapy, had decreased incidence of jumping and lower jumping frequencies, and attenuated loss of body weight. After EQ therapy, morphine-dependent rats had reduced withdrawal scores and body weight loss was inhibited. In the conditioned place preference test, the time spent in the drug-paired box was significantly shorter for the qigong group than for the morphine group.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that qigong might have an inhibitory effect on withdrawal syndrome, and reduce the dependence potential in mice. Three different designs confirm that the impact of qigong therapy on morphine-abstinent mice and rats is reliable and substantial. Further research on the effectiveness and the mechanism of qigong therapy on addiction is warranted.

CONTEXT:Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) or vascular dementia is widely considered to be the second-most-common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 20% of cases. Little is known about the effectiveness of breath qigong for seniors suffering from VCI or dementia.

OBJECTIVES:For seniors with VCI, the study aimed to compare the benefits of qigong practice, cognitive training, and qigong practice + cognitive training in improving cognitive function, memory, executive function, and daily problem-solving ability.

DESIGN:The study was a randomized, controlled pilot study that used a prospective design with repeated measures.

SETTING:The study took place at the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital (Tianjin, China).

PARTICIPANTS:Participants were 93 patients with VCI at a clinic at the hospital.

INTERVENTION:The participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) qigong practice, an intervention group; (2) cognitive training, a positive control group; or (3) a combination of qigong practice and cognitive training, an intervention group. Participants received the treatments for 3 mo.

OUTCOME MEASURES:All outcome measures were undertaken at baseline and postintervention. The measures included (1) the Montreal cognitive assessment, (2) the Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment, and (3) the Barthel activities of daily living index.

RESULTS:All 3 groups showed significant improvements in general cognitive function, memory, executive function, and daily problem-solving ability (P<.05).

CONCLUSION:Qigong practice is an easy and convenient exercise performed at no cost and has the potential to improve the cognitive functions of older adults with mild VCI.

BACKGROUND:Evidence-based research has shown the effects of traditional Chinese exercise on exercise capacity, depression, and quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of Chan-Chuang qigong on the physical and psychological status and on the quality of life of these patients are unknown.

PURPOSE:To investigate the effects of Chan-Chuang qigong on exercise capacity, depression, and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

METHODS:A randomized controlled study with repeated measures was conducted. One hundred participants with heart failure were recruited from a teaching medical center in Taiwan. Permuted block randomization was used to randomly assign the participants to either the Chan-Chuang qigong group, which received Chan-Chuang qigong intervention for three-months, or the control group. The outcome variables included six-minute walk distance, depression, and quality of life.

RESULTS:Generalized estimating equation analyses showed that the Chan-Chuang qigong group achieved significantly greater improvements than the control group in terms of six-minute walk distance (p = .001, p<.001, p<.001, respectively) and quality of life (p = .016, p<.001, p<.001, respectively) at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the intervention and depression at 12 weeks after the intervention (p = .016).

CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:The results of this study indicate that Chan-Chuang qigong improves exercise capacity, depression, and quality of life in patients with heart failure without imposing harmful side effects.

Many people with depression or anxiety turn to nonpharmacologic and nonconventional interventions, including exercise, yoga, meditation, tai chi, or qi gong. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have shown that these interventions can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. As an adjunctive treatment, exercise seems most helpful for treatment-resistant depression, unipolar depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Yoga as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy shows positive effects, particularly for depression. As an adjunctive therapy, it facilitates treatment of anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder. Tai chi and qi gong may be helpful as adjunctive therapies for depression, but effects are inconsistent. As monotherapy or an adjunctive therapy, mindfulness-based meditation has positive effects on depression, and its effects can last for six months or more. Although positive findings are less common in people with anxiety disorders, the evidence supports adjunctive use. There are no apparent negative effects of mindfulness-based interventions, and their general health benefits justify their use as adjunctive therapy for patients with depression and anxiety disorders.

External gigong emitted by a quartz crystal upon application of electric current was evaluated by its biological effects, such as changes in frequency-analyzed electroencephalograms (EEG) in rabbits and spontaneous electrical activity of the rat pineal gland. Physical properties of this external gigong cannot be evaluated by currently available physical means. Three types of EEG changes were produced depending on the intensity of current applied to the crystal. These changes corresponded fairly well to the dose-dependent EEG changes after intravenous administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan. A gigong-containing medal also produced similar EEG changes depending on threshold to gigong. Human gigong similarly influenced EEG. All EEG changes disappeared after pinealectomy or after application of methysergide (10 mg/kg), a serotonin antagonist. The rate of spontaneous electrical activity of the pineal gland was depressed by reorientation of the rat to the north or to the south, by gigong emitted by a quartz crystal, or by application of a gigong-containing medal. Human gigong also depressed this electrical activity. The EEG changes produced by external gigong might be caused by increased serotonin concentration in the pineal gland, since the pineal gland is responsive to gigong as well as the earth's magnetic field, which is known to inhibit N-acetyltransferase by increasing serotonin concentration in the pineal gland. Hence, the finding that current-intensity-dependent EEG changes induced by quartz crystal-emitted gigong were analogous to dose-dependent EEG changes produced by 5-hydroxytryptophan might be attributed to increased serotonin levels by current-intensity-dependent inhibition of N-acetyltransferase by external gigong.

BACKGROUND:Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most troubling symptoms of cancer patients during chemotherapy, and no gold standard for the treatment of CRF has been established.

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to examine the effects of the Baduanjin qigong on patients with colorectal cancer and CRF, and to explore its intervention effects.

METHODS:This was an open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial. Ninety patients with chemotherapy-treated colorectal cancer and CRF were randomized to a Baduanjin exercise group or a routine care group. The primary outcome was the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) score at 24 weeks. The secondary outcomes were the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores at 24 weeks.

RESULTS:There were no significant differences between the two groups in CRF level at baseline and 12 weeks. At 24 weeks, the proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe CRF was significantly smaller in the exercise group than in the control group (23.2 vs. 59.1%, p<0.01). The KPS and PSQI scores were similar in the two groups at baseline and 12 weeks, but they were significantly higher and lower, respectively, at 24 weeks in the exercise group compared with the control group (KPS score: 89.3± 8.3 vs. 75.2 ± 11.5, p<0.01; PSQI score: 4.1± 1.1 vs. 6.9 ± 2.0, p<0.01). Significant time-group interactions were observed for all three scores (all p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:Baduanjin qigong exercise can relieve CRF in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy and can improve their physical activity level and their quality of sleep.

OBJECTIVE:To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Qigong in reducing the self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS:We searched CNKI, Wan fang, Chongqing VIP, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for studies published as of Dec 31, 2018. All randomized controlled trials of Qigong in COPD patients, which met the inclusion criteria were included. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used for literature evaluation. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.

RESULTS:Six studies (combined n = 415 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Compared with conventional therapy alone, Qigong in combination with conventional therapy significantly improved the following outcome measures: SDS score [mean difference (MD) -3.99, 95% CI (-6.17, -1.82), P < .001, I = 69%]; SAS score[MD -4.57, 95% CI (-5.67, -3.48), P < .001, I = 15%]; forced expiratory volume in one second/prediction (FEV1% pred) [MD 3.77, 95% CI (0.97,6.58), P < .01, I = 0]; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) [MD 0.21, 95% CI (0.13, 0.30), P < .001, I = 0%]; forced vital capacity (FVC) [MD 0.28, 95% CI (0.16, 0.40), P < .001, I = 0]; 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance [MD 39.31, 95% CI (18.27, 60.34), P < .001, I = 32%]; and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score [MD -11.42, 95% CI (-21.80, -1.03), P < .05, I = 72%].

CONCLUSION:Qigong can improve the SDS and SAS scores of COPD patients, and has auxiliary effects on improving lung function, 6MWT distance, and SGRQ score.

BACKGROUND:Fatigue is a debilitating symptom in haemodialysis patients. Qigong presents a potentially safe modality of treatment for chronic fatigue patients but has not yet been evaluated in haemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to investigate whether qigong exercise affects fatigue in haemodialysis patients.

DESIGN:A 6-month non-randomized control trial with six measurement periods was conducted. The qigong group was taught to practice qigong three times per week for six months. The control group received usual routine care. Main outcome measure Fatigue, as measured by the"Haemodialysis Patients Fatigue Scale".

RESULTS:A total of 172 patients participated in this study, with 71 patients in the qigong group and 101 patients in the control group. The results indicated that all patients experienced mild to moderate fatigue. There was no difference between the qigong and control groups in fatigue at baseline. However, fatigue was lower in the qigong group than in the control group at 8 weeks (43.5 vs. 53.9), 12 weeks (44.7 vs. 53.6), 16 weeks (43.2 vs. 50.8), 20 weeks (42 vs. 50.2), and 24 weeks (41.4 vs. 48.4). The results, based on the generalized estimating equation method, showed that fatigue was significantly lower in the qigong group than in the control group (odds ratio=0.004, p=0.005).

CONCLUSION:Fatigue in the qigong group showed a continuous decrease, which was maintained until the end of data collection at 24 weeks. Thus, qigong presents a potentially effective and safe method to reduce fatigue in haemodialysis patients.

The authors investigated the effect of external Qi-therapy (EQT) on changes in encephalograms (EEGs) and circulating cortisol concentrations. Ten college students participated in crossover sessions, receiving EQT or placebo treatment with their eyes open. Subjects reported improved emotions of satisfaction, relaxation, and calmness during EQT as compared to levels reported during placebo treatments. There were significant differences in the proportions of alpha and beta EEG waves between the two sessions, and the relative strengths of alpha waves were higher during EQT than during control sessions (p<.05). Plasma cortisol concentrations during EQT were significantly lower than during control sessions p<.05). Thus, Qi-therapy was more effective in inducing relaxation than placebo treatment.