Effects of pulmonary-based Qigong exercise in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized controlled trial


Author: Linhong Jiang#1, Peijun Li#1, Jiacheng Shi1, Yidie Bao1, Zhenwei Wang2, Weibing Wu3, Xiaodan Liu4,5,6

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, P.R. China.

<sup>2</sup> Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, P.R. China.

<sup>3</sup> Department of Sports Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, P.R. China. wwb75@126.com.

<sup>4</sup> School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, P.R. China. hzhp403@126.com.

<sup>5</sup> Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 201203, P.R. China. hzhp403@126.com.

<sup>6</sup> Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, P.R. China. hzhp403@126.com.
Conference/Journal: BMC Complement Med Ther
Date published: 2023 Nov 20
Other:
 Volume ID: 23   ,  Issue ID: 1   ,  Pages: 418   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04238-8.   ,  Word Count: 243  
    Background:

Physical exercise training is the central component of pulmonary rehabilitation. This study aimed to further investigate the rehabilitative effects of pulmonary-based Qigong exercise (PQE) in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).



Methods:

In this randomized, assessor-blinded clinical trial, 44 participants with stable COPD were randomly assigned to 2 groups in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the control group received usual care for 3 months. Participants in the intervention group received usual care combined with PQE (60 min each time, 2 times per day, 7 days per week, for 3 months). The outcome included exercise capacity, lung function test, skeletal muscle strength, dyspnea, and quality of life were measured before and after intervention.



Results:

A total of 37 participants completed the trial. Compared to the control group, after 3 months of PQE, the mean change in exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, and quality of life were statistically significant (P < 0.05, for each), but no significant differences were observed in lung function (except for the forced expiratory volume in one second) and dyspnea (P > 0.05, for each).



Conclusion:

The findings of study suggest that the proposed program of 3 months of PQE intervention has significant improvement in exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, and quality of life of COPD-stable patients.



Trial registration:

This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: ChiCTR-1800017405 on 28 July 2018; available at https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=28343 ).



Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Rehabilitation; Traditional Chinese exercise.



PMID: 37985995 PMCID: PMC10662926 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04238-8