Many complementary therapeutic methods have been applied by patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Researchers in Germany examined the immediate and sustained effects of Qigong on motor and nonmotor symptoms of PD (Schmitz-Hubsch et al., 2006). A total of 56 patients with different levels of PD disease severity were involved in the study.
The researchers compared the Qigong treatment group and a control group about the progression of motor symptoms assessed using Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale motor part (UPDRS-III). The Qigong group had trainings of 90-minute weekly for 2 months, followed by a 2 months break, then a second 2-month training period. The study found that at 3 and 6 months, more patients improved in the Qigong group than in the control group. In addition, the incidence of several nonmotor symptoms reduced in the Qigong group only.
This study indicates that Qigong exercise may be helpful for relieving PD. More studies are still needed to confirm this effect and to find out the mechanisms.
Reference:
Schmitz-Hubsch, T., Pyfer, D., et al. (2006) Qigong exercise for the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: a randomized, controlled pilot study. Mov Disord 21, 543-548.
