Fibromyalgia
Frequent and consistent qigong practice may be helpful for people with fibromyalgia in areas like pain, sleep, and physical and mental function. This, however, is based on initial research that includes only a few small studies.
- A 2020 review looked at two small studies of qigong’s effects on people with fibromyalgia. The first study, which included 89 people, found that 6 months of qigong practice helped with pain, sleep quality, and physical and mental function. The second study, which included 57 people, found that 7 weeks of qigong practice resulted in decreased pain, less inconvenience from fibromyalgia, decreased anxiety, and improved quality of life.
- A 2017 review with 4 studies on qigong for fibromyalgia (201 participants) found that the amount of time people practice qigong made a difference. People with fibromyalgia who did diligent qigong practice—30 to 40 minutes daily for 6 to 8 weeks—experienced consistent benefits in pain, sleep, and physical and mental function. These benefits were still seen 4 to 6 months after the studies had completed.
Two small clinical trials (2019, 2020; total of 82 participants) that were not included in the above reviews also found similar positive results of qigong practice in people with fibromyalgia.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
A small amount of research suggests that using qigong as a complementary therapy may help with depression, anxiety, lung function, and physical function in people with COPD.
- A 2020 review of 31 studies (3,045 participants) looked at the effect of adding qigong to a primary treatment, such as drug therapy and respiratory training. The review found that adding qigong to the primary treatment helped improve lung function, quality of life, and ability to exercise in people with COPD.
- A 2019 review of 6 studies (415 participants) found that qigong reduced self-ratings of depression and anxiety in people with COPD when qigong was combined with standard treatment. The qigong programs lasted from 2 to 6 months.
- Another 2019 review found that 3 months of yoga, qigong, or tai chi helped improve lung function and the capacity for walking and physical activity in people with COPD. Twelve of the 18 studies focused on qigong and tai chi, either alone or combined. The programs ranged from 6 weeks to 6 months and included 30- to 90-minute sessions two to seven times a week.
Parkinson’s disease
The amount of research on qigong for Parkinson’s disease is small. A 2020 review of 7 studies (325 participants) suggested that qigong-based exercise helped improve movement, walking ability, and balance in people with Parkinson’s disease (more so in younger adults than older). The amount of improvement seen in movement and walking ability was similar to that seen with other forms of exercise, such as walking and using a stationary exercise bike. Improvements in balance, however, were greater with qigong than with the other types of exercise. The qigong exercise programs ranged from 8 to 48 weeks, with 30- to 120-minute sessions two to seven times per week.
High blood pressure
The amount of research on qigong for high blood pressure is small. Although a 2021 review of 7 studies (370 participants) suggested that qigong may help to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the authors indicated a lack of firm evidence for this beneficial effect. Five of the six studies that compared qigong to no intervention showed that qigong was better. The one study that compared qigong to conventional exercise showed no difference in benefit between the two. Qigong interventions ranged from 8 to 24 weeks and included 30- to 60-minute sessions two to seven times a week.
Chronic heart failure
A 2020 review of 33 studies (2,465 participants) looked at the rehabilitative effects of tai chi and qigong for people with chronic heart failure. Seventeen studies were on tai chi, 14 were on qigong, and 2 were on tai chi plus qigong. Compared to routine management alone (e.g., medicines and advice on diet and exercise), adding tai chi and qigong to routine management led to improvements in peak oxygen consumption (a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness), 6-minute walking distance (a measure of exercise tolerance), and quality of life. When compared to other forms of exercise paired with routine management, people who practiced tai chi or qigong had similar peak oxygen consumption levels and 6-minute walking distances and higher quality-of-life measures.