Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten zu Qigong
Effect of a qigong exercise programme on elderly with depression.
Tsang HW, Fung KM, Chan AS, Lee G, Chan F.
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVES: This report released findings of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Hong Kong to further our understanding of the psychosocial effects of qigong on elderly persons with depression. DESIGN: Eighty-two participants with a diagnosis of depression or obvious features of depression were recruited and randomly assigned into the intervention and comparison group. The intervention group was given a 16-week period of Qigong practice while the comparison group participated in a newspaper reading group with same duration and frequency. RESULTS: After eight weeks of qigong practice, the intervention group participants outstripped themselves in improvement in mood, self-efficacy and personal well being, and physical and social domains of self-concept when compared with comparison subjects. After 16 weeks of practice, the improvement generalized to the daily task domain of the self-concept. CONCLUSIONS: This report shows that regular qigong practice could relieve depression, improve self-efficacy and personal well being among elderly persons with chronic physical illness and depression. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influences of Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy on complete blood cell counts in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.
Yeh ML, Lee TI, Chen HH, Chao TY.
Graduate Institute of Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Nursing, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC. meiling@mail1.ntcn.edu.tw
After surgery, breast cancer patients are offered adjuvant chemotherapy to avoid cancer cell spread. During chemotherapy process, neutrophils could fall relatively, and side effects could spike to the peak. Therefore, the medical care personnel should prevent the progression of the side effects. This study aimed to examine the effects of Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy on complete blood counts in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. This study used a quasi-experimental design. The experiment group (n = 32) received a 21-day Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy, whereas the control group (n = 35) did not. White blood cells, platelet, and hemoglobin were measured on the day before chemotherapy and on days 8, 15, and 22 during chemotherapy. According to this study, there were significant differences in white blood cells (F = 115.76, P <.001), platelets (F = 25.29, P <.001), and hemoglobin (F = 15.39, P <.001) over the 3-week therapy between the experiment and control groups. Chan-Chuang qi-gong therapy may decrease leukopenia in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. It is recommended conducting more studies on qi-gong and then introducing it in clinical nursing practice at an appropriate time to promote quality of nursing care and quality of patient life.
Qigong exercise for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease: a randomized, controlled pilot study.
Schmitz-Hubsch T, Pyfer D, Kielwein K, Fimmers R, Klockgether T, Wullner U.
Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Germany.
Irrespective of limited evidence, not only traditional physiotherapy, but also a wide array of complementary methods are applied by patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We evaluated the immediate and sustained effects of Qigong on motor and nonmotor symptoms of PD, using an add-on design. Fifty-six patients with different levels of disease severity (mean age/standard deviation [SD], 63.8/7.5 years; disease duration 5.8/4.2 years; 43 men [76%]) were recruited from the outpatient movement disorder clinic of the Department of Neurology, University of Bonn. We compared the progression of motor symptoms assessed by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor part (UPDRS-III) in the Qigong treatment group (n = 32) and a control group receiving no additional intervention (n = 24). Qigong exercises were applied as 90-minute weekly group instructions for 2 months, followed by a 2 months pause and a second 2-month treatment period. Assessments were carried out at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. More patients improved in the Qigong group than in the control group at 3 and 6 months (P = 0.0080 at 3 months and P = 0.0503 at 6 months; Fisher's exact test). At 12 months, there was a sustained difference between groups only when changes in UPDRS-III were related to baseline. Depression scores decreased in both groups, whereas the incidence of several nonmotor symptoms decreased in the treatment group only. Copyright 2005 Movement Disorder Society.
Efficacy of Qi-therapy (external Qigong) for elderly people with chronic pain.
Yang KH, Kim YH, Lee MS.
Department of Nursing, Wonkwang Health Science College, Iksan, Republic of Korea.
To test the efficacy of Qi-therapy (external Qigong) in improving symptoms of pain and mood states in elderly peoples with chronic pain. Forty-three elderly people with chronic pain were randomly assigned either to an intervention or a general care group. The intervention group was given four weeks of Qi-therapy whereas the control group was given standard care. Compared with the control group, Qi-therapy participants experienced improvements in positive mood and psychological variables over the four-week program. Compared with baseline values, pain and psychological benefits remained significantly improved after two weeks of follow-up. These findings suggest that Qi-therapy may help the elderly cope with pain and associated mood disturbances.
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Qi-training (qigong) enhanced immune functions: what is the underlying mechanism?
Lee MS, Kim MK, Ryu H.
Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea. integmed@chol.com
The authors observed that Qi-training enhances immune function and modulates neurohormone concentrations. The exact signal and priming mechanism for enhanced neutrophil function by Qi-training has not yet been demonstrated. This study investigated the effect of Qi-training on intracellular signaling leading to the enhancement of immune function. The growth hormone (GH) concentrations and O2- production by neutrophils (PMNs) was significantly increased after 1 h of Qi-training compared with the basal state. To verify that endogenous GH mediates the priming of PMNs, serum obtained from elderly subjects in the basal state and after Qi-training was incubated with neutrophils isolated from young subjects for 60 min and triggered with N-formyl-1-methionyl-1-leucyl-1-phenylalanine (fMLP). Significant O2- production was observed in the PMNs incubated with serum collected after a Qi-training (p < .05). On the other hand, the priming effect on the PMNs was abolished in Qi-training sera depleted of endogenous GH with anti-human GH polyclonal antibody (p < .01) and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein (p < .01). The authors suggest that the endogenous GH released during and immediately after Qi-training mediates the priming events through tyrosine kinase activation in PMNs.
Qigong for schoolchildren: a pilot study.
Witt C, Becker M, Bandelin K, Soellner R, Willich SN.
Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charite University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. claudia.witt@charite.de
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of qigong lessons on schoolchildren in terms of their achievements at school, social behavior, and general health. DESIGN: A controlled intervention pilot study was conducted with children in two second-grade classes at an elementary school and in two eighth-grade classes at a high school. SETTING/LOCATION AND INTERVENTION: One class from each school received qigong lessons for 20 minutes at least twice weekly over a period of 6 months, while the control class from the same school received no intervention. Two additional classes at two elementary schools participated in the qualitative analysis only. MEASURES: Teachers, parents, and students answered standardized questionnaires at the beginning of the study and after 6 months, covering complaints, concentration, creativity, grades, quality of life (QOL) (assessed by the KINDL questionnaire), and social behavior. In addition to this quantitative study, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with all participating teachers at the end of the project to evaluate individual effects. RESULTS: Of a total of 90 participants in the study (52% boys and 48% girls), 40 students attended elementary school (20 per class, mean age 7.4 +/- 0.5 years) and 50 high school (25 per class, mean age 13 +/- 0.8 years). Factor analysis yielded three scales for the teacher questionnaire (learning process, social behavior, appropriate behavior) and four scales for the parent questionnaire (creativity, concentration, well-being, restlessness). The qigong group showed significantly better results in the teacher questionnaire (especially for appropriate behavior) and in grades in comparison to the control group, but no effect was found in the parent questionnaire, medical complaints, sick days, or in the children's assessment of QOL. Qualitative analyses indicated a relevant decrease of individual complaints for some children in the qigong group. CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility of integrating qigong in school lessons was shown. Six months after starting qigong lessons, schoolchildren improved in social behavior and showed stable grades, while inappropriate behavior decreased, compared to the control. Combining quantitative and qualitative research methods appeared to be useful to detect the effects of qigong in individuals. Due to the limitations of our pilot study, further studies with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are needed.
Cardiac rehabilitation for the elderly: Qi Gong and group discussions.
Stenlund T, Lindstrom B, Granlund M, Burell G.
Heart Centre, University Hospital, SE-901 85 Umea, Sweden. therese.stenlund@vll.se
BACKGROUND: Over the last decade several studies have shown that patients with coronary artery disease even above the age of 70 can be successfully treated with advanced medical and surgical methods. Unfortunately, rehabilitation programmes for this group are rarely offered. It is important to develop forms of rehabilitation that are adapted to the specific needs of this increasing group of elderly patients. The aim of this randomized study was to investigate whether the combination of Qi Gong and group discussions would increase physical ability for elderly patients > or =73 years with coronary artery disease. METHODS: A total of 95 patients (66 men and 29 women), with documented coronary artery disease, were randomized to an intervention group (n=48) mean age 77+/-3 (73-82) or to a control group (n=47) mean age 78+/-3 (73-84). The intervention groups met weekly over 3 months. The control group got usual care. Physical ability was assessed at baseline and after the intervention. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group increased their self-estimated level of physical activity (P=0.011), and their performance in the one-leg stance test for the right leg (P=0.029), co-ordination (P=0.021) and the box-climbing test for right leg (P=0.035). CONCLUSION: A combination of Qi Gong and group discussions appear to be a promising rehabilitation for elderly cardiac patients in terms of improving self-reported physical activity, balance and co-ordination. This could be an option for elderly patients who do not participate in the ordinary cardiac rehabilitation.
Publication Types:
Effects of Qi-training (Qigong) on forearm blood gas concentrations.
Lee MS, Ryu H, Song J, Moon SR.
Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea.
Using an ABA' design, the authors investigated the effects of Qi-training on blood gas concentrations with a 20 min control rest period (A), 1 h of Qi-training (B), and a 20-min rest period (A'). The blood partial pressures of oxygen (PO2) and carbon dioxide (PCO2), and oxygen content, oxygen saturation, and pH were significantly altered. The mean PO2 value increased significantly during Qi-training by 14 mmHg (about 24%, p < .01) compared with control A. During Qi-training, the mean decrease in PCO2 was 3 mmHg (about 10%). These results suggest that the practical application of Qi-training may exert a positive regulatory function on physiological status.
Effect of qi training on neutrophil function in young and elderly males.
Lee MS, Kang CW, Ryu H.
Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea. qimed@wonkwang.ac.kr
OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of qi training on neutrophil bactericidal function (superoxide generation and adhesion). METHODS: We studied the effects of one session of qi training on superoxide generation and adhesion of neutrophils immediately after (Post I), and 2 hours after qi training (Post II), in nine young and nine elderly male subjects. RESULTS: The qi training significantly enhanced the superoxide generation and adhesion of neutrophils, and there were significant differences at Post I compared to before qi training (Pre) in both groups. CONCLUSION: Our current observations show that qi training enhances superoxide generation and adhesion of neutrophils. It is supposed that qi training may increase the resistance of trained individuals against common infection and inflammation.
Br J Sports Med. 2008 Oct 16.
A preliminary study of the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong medical exercise on indicators of metabolic syndrome, glycaemic control, health related quality of life, and psychological health in adults with elevated blood glucose.
Liu X, Miller YD, Burton NW, Brown WJ.
University of Queensland, Australia.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effects of a Tai Chi and Qigong exercise program in adults with elevated blood glucose. Design, Setting, and PARTICIPANTS: A single group pre-post feasibility trial with 11 participants (3 male and 8 female; aged 42-65 years) with elevated blood glucose. Invervention: Participants attended Tai Chi and Qigong exercise training for 1 to 1.5 hours, 3 times per week for 12 weeks, and were encouraged to practice the exercises at home. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Indicators of metabolic syndrome (body mass index[BMI], waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol), glucose control (HbA1c, fasting insulin and insulin resistance [HOMA]), health-related quality of life; stress and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: There was good adherence and high acceptability. There were significant improvements in four of the seven indicators of metabolic syndrome including BMI (mean difference -1.05, p<0.001), waist circumference (-2.80 cm, p<0.05), and systolic (-11.64 mm Hg, p<0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (-9.73 mm Hg , p<0.001), as well as in HbA1c (-0.32 %, p<0.01), insulin resistance (-0.53, p<0.05), stress (-2.27, p<0.05), depressive symptoms (-3.60, p<0.05), and the SF-36 mental health summary score (5.13, p<0.05) and sub-scales for general health (19.00, p<0.01), mental health (10.55, p<0.01) and vitality (23.18, p<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The program was feasible and acceptable and participants showed improvements in metabolic and psychological variables. A larger controlled trial is now needed to confirm these promising preliminary results.
PMID: 18927159 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Related Articles
· A preliminary study of the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong medical exercise on indicators of metabolic syndrome and glycaemic control in adults with elevated blood glucose. [Br J Sports Med. 2008]
· Tai chi and self-rated quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. [J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004]
· The beneficial effects of Tai Chi Chuan on blood pressure and lipid profile and anxiety status in a randomized controlled trial. [J Altern Complement Med. 2003]
· Effects of Tai Chi on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in older adults with type 2 diabetes: a randomised double-blind sham-exercise-controlled trial. [Age Ageing. 2008]
· ReviewThe Birmingham Rehabilitation Uptake Maximisation Study (BRUM). Home-based compared with hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation in a multi-ethnic population: cost-effectiveness and patient adherence. [Health Technol Assess. 2007]
· ReviewQigong-induced mental disorders: a review. [Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 1999]
· ReviewExternal qigong for pain conditions: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. [J Pain. 2007]
· ReviewQigong for cancer treatment: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. [Acta Oncol. 2007]
· ReviewA qualitative review of the role of qigong in the management of diabetes. [J Altern Complement Med. 2007]
· ReviewQigong for hypertension: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. [J Hypertens. 2007]
Am J Chin Med. 2008;36(4):647-54
Effects of 14-week Tai Ji Quan exercise on metabolic control in women with type 2 diabetes.
Institute of Human Sports Science, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China. zhyi9256@yahoo.com.
The present study investigated the effects of 14 weeks of practicing Tai Ji Quan (TJQ) on metabolic control and lipid metabolism in women with type 2 diabetes. Twenty Beijing female residents (57.4 +/- 6.2 years) were recruited and were randomly assigned to either the TJQ training or the control group. In the TJQ group, the exercise duration was 1 hour per day and 5 days a week for 14 weeks. FPG, GSP, FPI, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, resting blood pressures and heart rate were measured before and after the 14 weeks in the 2 groups. It was found that after 14 weeks, the TJQ group had significantly lower FPG, GSP, TG and higher FPI concentration, whereas there were no significant differences in TC, HDL-C and LDL-C. It was concluded that TJQ exercise could be used as an intervention tool to improve glycaemic control and serum TG level in the elderly people. Future research with TJQ of different styles and exercise of different intensities were recommended.
Exp Brain Res. 2008 Jun;188(2):317-22. Epub 2008 May 30.
Tactile acuity in experienced Tai Chi practitioners: evidence for use dependent plasticity as an effect of sensory-attentional training.
Kerr CE, Shaw JR, Wasserman RH, Chen VW, Kanojia A, Bayer T, Kelley JM.
Harvard Osher Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA. catherine_kerr@hms.harvard.edu
The scientific discovery of novel training paradigms has yielded better understanding of basic mechanisms underlying cortical plasticity, learning and development. This study is a first step in evaluating Tai Chi (TC), the Chinese slow-motion meditative exercise, as a training paradigm that, while not engaging in direct tactile stimulus training, elicits enhanced tactile acuity in long-term practitioners. The rationale for this study comes from the fact that, unlike previously studied direct-touch tactile training paradigms, TC practitioners focus specific mental attention on the body's extremities including the fingertips and hands as they perform their slow routine. To determine whether TC is associated with enhanced tactile acuity, experienced adult TC practitioners were recruited and compared to age-gender matched controls. A blinded assessor used a validated method (Van Boven et al. in Neurology 54(12): 2230-2236, 2000) to compare TC practitioners' and controls' ability to discriminate between two different orientations (parallel and horizontal) across different grating widths at the fingertip. Study results showed that TC practitioners' tactile spatial acuity was superior to that of the matched controls (P < 0.04). There was a trend showing TC may have an enhanced effect on older practitioners (P < 0.066), suggesting that TC may slow age related decline in this measure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate a long-term attentional practice's effects on a perceptual measure. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine whether TC initiates or is merely correlated with perceptual changes and whether it elicits long-term plasticity in primary sensory cortical maps. Further studies should also assess whether related somatosensory attentional practices (such as Yoga, mindfulness meditation and Qigong) achieve similar effects.
J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2008 Feb;41(1):88-95.
Tai Chi Chuan training improves the pulmonary function of asthmatic children.
Chang YF, Yang YH, Chen CC, Chiang BL.
Department of Pediatrics, Hsin Chu General Hospital, Hsin Chu, Taiwan.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tai Chi Chuan, a traditional Chinese exercise, is thought to improve cardiopulmonary function in patients with chronic disease. This study investigated the effect of Tai Chi Chuan on the pulmonary function and daily symptoms of asthmatic children. METHODS: Thirty asthmatic children were enrolled into the study. Fifteen of the 30 children participated in a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan program and the remaining 15 constituted the control group. Prior to study participation, the pulmonary function of all enrolled children was assessed at rest, after exercise, and after exercise plus iced water. A 3-day symptoms questionnaire was also completed and a score obtained after each pulmonary function test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in baseline pulmonary function and severity of asthmatic symptoms before study commencement, at rest, after exercise, or after exercise plus iced water. However, after the 12-week program, children in the Tai Chi Chuan group had a significant improvement in pulmonary function compared to the control group. Although there were no significant differences in post-training symptom scores at rest and after exercise between the two groups, under the stronger challenge of exercise plus iced water, children in the Tai Chi Chuan group had milder symptoms than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our data show that Tai Chi Chuan can improve the pulmonary function of asthmatic children. However, long-term follow-up is required to determine the impact of Tai Chi Chuan on the severity of asthmatic symptoms.