Qigong has been a tool in the Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM] toolbox
for thousands of years. Tai chi is another related tool that is of more recent origin.
Although these two types of moving meditation-type exercises have been widely
known and used in China and other parts of Asia, they have become more popular as
supplementary therapies for a wide range of ailments in the west only more recently.
The present article reviews the results of the application of tai chi and qigong to the
treatment of cancer patients. Several studies have found that the addition of tai chi or
qigong to the treatment of cancer can result in significant improvement in the areas of
depression, fatigue, sleep quality, anxiety, and overall quality of life.
Tai chi is both a Chinese martial art and a form of moving
meditation, a kind of mindfulness exercise. It is considered an
internal martial art, as compared to kung fu, which is mostly
an external martial art. Whereas kung fu focuses on external
movements, tai chi focuses more on breathing and mindfulness.
Qigong is a close relative of tai chi. Although not a martial art, it
is also a form of moving meditation. They both are gentle forms of
exercise that activate the body’s natural energy, awaken the immune
system, and provide a vast array of health benefits. Including tai
chi or qigong as a supplement to the treatment of a wide range of
ailments has been shown to often be significantly effective [1-17].
Numerous studies have found that including tai chi or qigong into a
cancer treatment program can produce significant benefits [7,10].
This brief article summarizes a few of those studies.
Wayne, et al. [18] summarized and critically evaluated the
effects of qigong and tai chi on quality of life and symptoms of
cancer survivors. They analyzed the results of 22 clinical studies on
lymphoma, breast, lung and prostate cancer and the effect that the
addition of tai chi or qigong had on the treatment of various cancer
symptoms. Treatment ranged from 3 to 12 weeks, depending on the
study. The studies found significant improvement in depression (p
= 0.001), fatigue (p < 0.001), sleep difficulty (p = 0.018) and overall
quality of life (p = 0.004). Although the degree of pain declined,
the change was not quite significant (p = 0.136). Zeng, et al. [19]
published an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of the
effects of tai chi and qigong on the treatment of cancer symptoms
and found that their inclusion into a cancer treatment program
produced significant improvement in the symptoms of fatigue and
sleep quality. There were also positive but nonsignificant trends for
anxiety, depression, and overall quality of life. Deng [20] found that
the introduction of qigong can relieve anxiety and mood changes in
cancer patients, although it did not necessarily have a significant
effect on pain reduction. Maindet, et al. [21] found that the addition
of tai chi or qigong into a post-cancer treatment program can
be efficient in reducing the severity of pain as well as anxiety,
depression, mood disturbances and stress. Kuo, et al. [22] examined
the effects of baduanjin, perhaps the most popular qigong exercise,
on cancer patient symptoms.
They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of
10 studies using randomized controlled trials to determine
the effects this exercise set had on a range of symptoms. Those
studies found that including baduanjin in the patients’ cancer treatment regimen produced significant results in fatigue, sleep
quality and overall quality of life. Lu, et al. [23] Examined the
effects of including baduanjin into the treatment of cancer-related
fatigue in patients having colorectal cancer who were undergoing
chemotherapy. There were no significant differences in cancerrelated
fatigue (CRF) between the two groups at baseline and after
12 weeks. However, after 24 weeks, the percentage of patients in
the baduanjin group who experienced moderate to severe CRF
was significantly smaller than for those in the control group. They
concluded that the introduction of baduanjin exercises can relieve
CRF in patients having colorectal cancer who are undergoing
chemotherapy. It can also improve their physical activity level and
sleep quality. Many more studies have been conducted in recent
years on the effectiveness of qigong and tai chi in the treatment
of cancer symptoms. The studies discussed above are merely a
representative sample [24-61].
ISSN: 2574 -1241
Abstract
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