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Examining Preliminary Efficacy of a Qigong Intervention in Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized
Cheryl A Krause-Parello1, Juyoung Park2, David Newman3
1Division of Research, Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH), C-P.A.W.W. Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors(Ⓡ) Health Research Initiative for Veterans, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL.
Purpose:
The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the preliminary efficacy of an 8-week qigong intervention in managing biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic low back pain (CLBP).
Design:
The study design was a longitudinal randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Methods:
Multimodal assessments (e.g., biomarkers and psychological and social measures) over multiple time points to assess the preliminary efficacy of an 8-week qigong intervention versus wait-list control group in veterans with CLBP.
Results:
Participants in the qigong intervention group showed greater improvement in pain intensity (p = .047), pain interference (p = .040), pain-related disability (p = .027), and sleep disturbance (p = .002). Other psychosocial outcomes were nonsignificant. A statistically significant relationship between biological outcomes (pro-inflammatory cytokines) and psychosocial outcomes was identified (e.g., tumor necrosis factor [TNF] and physical function [p < .001], pain-related disability and IL 8 [p = .049], and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and IL 8 [p = .043]).
Conclusions:
The results indicated that all pain-related outcomes (pain intensity, low back pain-related disability, and pain interference) and sleep disturbance decreased significantly in the qigong group compared to the control group.
Clinical Implications:
The combination of gentle, slow-paced movements, along with the focused mindfulness of qigong, may improve physiological and psychosocial health. Charged with this information, healthcare providers (e.g., nurses, physical therapists) should consider non-pharmacological interventions such as qigong for veterans with CLBP.
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