Qigong Reduces Depression in Women with Breast Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy

• Published in: Integrative medicine alert Vol. 16; no. 5
• Main Author: Quick, Melissa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta Relias Learning 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Chinese medicine; Mental depression; Systematic review; Womens health
• ISSN: 2325-2812; 2325-2820

In brief, the endpoints were: symptoms of depression, assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); fatigue, assessed using the 9-item Brief Fatigue Intervention (BFI); sleep disturbances, assessed via the 18-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); overall quality of life (QOL), evaluated by the 28-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G); and cortisol rhythm, evaluated via four saliva samples (waking, 45 minutes later, 8 hours later, and at bedtime) per day for 2 consecutive days. 1 A modern offspring of ancient healing and medical practices in Asia, qigong now exists as one of the pillars of contemporary traditional Chinese medicine.2 Though there are thousands of variations of qigong practice, this study looked at the form most commonly tested in health research — a blend of generally repetitive flowing movements and postures, a focused state of relaxed calmness, and accompanying breathing techniques.3 Stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation, progressive relaxation, guided imagery, yoga, and qigong, are emerging as modalities that may improve QOL and reduce physiological stress in cancer patients.4 Recent review articles analyzing the effects of qigong have pointed to promising results for patients struggling with depression and psychological well-being.5,6 Breast cancer patients, specifically, comprise a large population that undergoes significant psychological and physical stress — both from the cancer itself and from side effects of multimodal treatments. [...]careful analysis of the data related to both of the study’s main outcomes demonstrates that both qigong and WLC groups improved over the course of the 3-month study. Additionally, because this study, and the majority of research examining the effects of qigong takes place in China, its applicability to a more diverse, North American population may be limited. Since qigong originated in China, it would be beneficial to study the effects of non-Western modalities in a more diverse patient population.