06.28.09
Qigong Can Relieve Chronic Fatigue
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, chronic fatigue is caused by the disharmony and depletion of Qi. Qigong can provide complementary interventions to strengthen and adjust the states of Qi for disease prevention and treatment. Researchers in UK evaluated the effects of Qigong on relieving chronic fatigue (Craske et al., 2008).
A total of 18 Caucasian female participants were involved in the study. The participants had weekly Qigong training classes for 6 months, and practiced daily for 15 minutes. The study found that the Qigong intervention significantly improved factors associated with chronic fatigue. These factors included sleep quality, pain, emotional attitude and general mobility.
The study indicates that Qigong has good effects for the treatment of chronic fatigue. It is a safe method. Further studies with larger-scale trials and longer terms are still needed to confirm such effects. It is also necessary to explore the scientific mechanisms of such interventions.
Reference:
Craske, N. J., Turner, W., et al. (2008) Qigong Ameliorates Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue: A Pilot Uncontrolled Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
