Tai Chi Qigong Improves Lung Function in COPD

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Tai Chi Qigong improves lung function in COPD

by Sue Mulley

Last Updated: 2009-12-04 16:15:17 -0400 (Reuters Health)

HONG KONG (Reuters Health) - The traditional Chinese exercise Tai Chi Qigong, combining movement with deep breathing, improves lung function and activity tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to research presented at the Asia Conference on Emerging Issues in Public Health.

COPD patients who practiced Tai Chi Qigong also enjoyed improvements in their quality of life and social support from friends, said study leader Aileen Wai-kiu Chan of the Chinese University.

Chan and her colleagues recruited 206 COPD patients from five outpatient clinics. More men than women suffer from COPD in Hong Kong, so the sample only included 19 women, Chan noted.

In a single-blind, randomized controlled trial, subjects were assigned to one of three groups: Tai Chi Qigong, exercise or control. The groups were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 and 6 months with spirometry, a 6-minute walk test, the St George Respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ), and the multidimensional scale of perceived social support questionnaire.

Subjects in the Tai Chi Qigong group attended 60-minute sessions twice a week for 3 months. Sessions were held at an indoor sports center and led by an experienced master. Subjects in the exercise group walked and practiced breathing techniques. The control group subjects received their usual care.

Tai Chi Qigong reduced the mean number of COPD exacerbations for the preceding 6 weeks from 0.86 at baseline to 0.16 at 6 months.

Improvements were observed in forced vital capacity from 1,973 mL at baseline to 2,161 mL at 6 months (p<0.001) in the Tai Chi Qigong group.

No significant change in lung function occurred in the exercise group, while the control group appeared to have deteriorated, Chan added.

The Tai Chi Qigong group also significantly improved their performance in the 6-minute walk (p<0.0001), while no improvement was recorded in the exercise and control groups.

The Tai Ch Qigong group showed greater improvements in their symptom, activity, impact and total SGRQ scores during the 6-month study period when compared to the exercise and control groups. Similarly, the Tai Chi Qigong group had significant improvement in perceived social support from friends, but no significant changes were observed in the other two groups.

"Even at 6-months follow-up, 3 months after the Tai Chi Qigong program had finished, 92% of subjects continued to practice," Chan said. "Tai Chi Qigong is a cost-effective form of exercise because no special equipment is needed. Once they learn the skills, clients can practice by themselves. It's also a safe and appropriate form of exercise for COPD patients because of its low intensity."