Qigong

Developed nearly 5000 years ago in China, qigong integrates methods of body movement, muscle relaxation, meditation, and respiratory exercise to improve physical, emotional, and psychological health. Traditional Chinese Medicine contend that qigong promotes a balanced flow of “qi”  within the body. When disturbed, qi can produces discomfort and illness; conversely, with a free flow of qi, one is believed to be in better health ^(1) (2). Qi is wildly accepted concept of vital energy  force in Asian culture, although its physical existence has not been demonstrated scientifically.

There are many forms and variations of qigong.  There are some similarity  qigong and tai chi (or taiji), as both are mind–body–spirit integrative exercises ⁽³⁾and they are often practiced together. Traditionally, qigong is used for therapeutic purposes. In “External qigong” a trained master  may transmit  the energy to a recipient with or without touching ⁽⁵⁾. One might also practice “internal qigong” by cultivating qi to heal ailments. However, due to lack of scientific evidence and uniform approaches, qigong is rarely used as a direct treatment of diseases in the Western world.  As a form of exercise, qigong can be classified by the level of motion. Static qigong refers to meditation in sitting, standing, and lying-down postures. Dynamic qigong refers to moving meditation, which can also take on many forms ⁽⁴⁾.  Simplified versions, such as the “Eight Brocades” are developed so they can be taught to and practiced by large number of  people with minimal trainings. These are also used in clinical studies because they have standardized movements with reproducible effects.

In several small studies, regular qigong practice has been shown to provide long-term benefits for patients with hypertension ⁽⁶⁾, fibromyalgia ⁽⁷⁾, chronic fatigue ⁽⁸⁾, tinnitus ⁽⁹⁾, and other chronic medical illnesses ⁽¹⁰⁾. It appears to have “dose-dependent” positive effects on sleep quality and climacteric symptoms in perimenopausal women ⁽¹¹⁾. It may also have specific health-preserving effects, as it improved muscle endurance, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) in middle-aged women ⁽¹²⁾.

Qigong also improves respiratory function and activity tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ⁽¹³⁾, cardiorespiratory function and expiratory capacity in patients with hypertension ⁽¹⁴⁾, and reduced stress levels with improved sleep quality, activity levels, immune response, and balance in older adults ^{(15) (16) (17)}. As a physical activity, qigong along with tai chi can be considered a low-intensity exercise, and as such may be beneficial in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation ^(18) (19). Data on qigong’s effects on depression are inconclusive ⁽³³⁾.

Earlier in vitro and animal studies in China using a form of external qigong suggest it can inhibit cancer cell growth. However, these studies are not reproducible due to variety of methods and practitioners ⁽²³⁾. One study even found qigong to be effective in attenuating lymphoma growth in mice ⁽²⁴⁾. More recent studies also indicate these effects in various cell lines, but the inability to specifically qualify and quantify the delivery of qi in these studies poses some basic challenges when evaluating qigong in this way. ^(25) (26).

Recently, qigong has been found to be an effective complementary therapy for cancer patients. Clinical studies have found that it positively affects psychological and emotional symptoms including anxiety, mood, depression and quality of life ^{(1) (20) (34)}. Qigong has also demonstrated effectiveness in ameliorating physical symptoms experienced by cancer patients such as pain, numbness, dizziness, fatigue, inflammation, and cognitive function ^{(1) (21) (22)}. Preliminary findings suggest that it may help reduce upper limb lymhedema in breast cancer survivors ⁽³⁵⁾.

Further research is needed to not only confirm these findings, but to more fully elucidate the mechanisms by which qigong exerts its positive effects. Patients should be aware that qigong is not a cancer treatment per se, but can be practiced to help alleviate symptoms associated with cancer.

More importantly, patients who are especially weak, particularly due to chemotherapy, should consult a physician before taking on more strenuous forms of qigong ⁽²⁷⁾.