Yeh, M.L., & Chung, Y.C. (2016). A randomized controlled trial of qigong on fatigue and sleep quality for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 23, 81–86.
To evaluate a method of Chan-Chuang qigong to manage fatigue and sleep disturbance in individuals undergoing chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Participants randomly assigned to the intervention group received qigong guidance booklets that introduced qigong and provided illustrations of qigong procedures and precautions, as well as daily monitoring guidelines. Study participants were individually trained by qigong practitioners who followed a set study protocol. Initial training of study participants was completed during their two-day hospital stay for first cycle of treatment. The study nurse observed the participant’s qigong practice until his or her form/movement was satisfactory. After discharging patients, the study nurse called them weekly to confirm they were practicing qigong at home. The study recommended two to three (but no more than five) sessions a day of qigoing practice equally spaced in time. This study followed participants for three weeks (21 days).
PHASE OF CARE: Active antitumor treatment
This was a randomized, controlled trial with a two-group design (intervention and control). No blinding was used in this study.
Participants assigned to the intervention (qigong) group reported significantly lower levels of fatigue and improved sleep quality compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Participants reported a near 100% adherence to intervention and completed on average two sessions for a mean time of 47 minutes total. No adverse effects were reported from this intervention.
No side effects were reported by the intervention group. The results suggested that qigong may mitigate fatigue and sleep disturbance. However, the high adherence rate may be related to culture belief.