OBJECTIVES: The object of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Qigong-based stress management program in patients with anxiety disorder. METHODS: An 8-week controlled clinical trial compared 24 patients with anxiety disorder assigned to a Qigong-based stress management program with 22 patients with anxiety disorder assigned to an education control program. Beck depression inventory (BDI), Spielberger trait state anxiety inventory (STAI), Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A), and Symptom checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) were used to assess the effectiveness of Qigong-based stress management program. RESULTS: Qigong-based stress management group showed significant improvement compared to the education control group on anxiety symptoms and hostility, but Qigong group showed inconsistent findings on depressive symptoms. Qigong-based stress management group did not show significant improvement on somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, or phobic anxiety subscale of SCL-90-R compared to the education control group. CONCLUSION: This study showed that Qigong-based stress management program can be an effective method for patients with anxiety disorder in relieving anxiety symptoms. However, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed before these kind of interventions.
Anxiety Disorders* ; Anxiety* ; Depression ; Education ; Hostility ; Humans ; Qigong

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of QiGong gymnastics exercise program in the physiopsychological parameter inessential hypertension. The design of the research was a one group pretest-posttest design. A total of 20 patients with hypertension who were from forty to sixty-five years old participated in the study. The Qi Gong gymnastics program was carried out twice a week for thirty minutes or forty minutes for six weeks from 22, Sep. to 31, Oct. in 1997. In order to evaluate the effect of the QiGong gymnastics program physiological parameter(blood pressure, pulse rate, FVC, FEV1, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Cortisol) and psychological parameter(self-efficacy, Life satisfaction) were measured before and after the exercise program. Collected data was analyzed by the paired t-test with SAS package. The result are as follows: 1) There were significant decrease in systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure, but there was no significant change in pulse rate. 2) There were no significant difference in FVC and FEV1. 3) There were significant decrease in epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. 4) There were significant improved in general self-efficacy and life satisfaction. 5) The effect of QiGong gymnastics program by measurement time on blood pressure and pulse rate were as follows: In a systolic blood pressure was gradually significant decreased from 1 week to 6 weeks and diastolic blood pressure was significantly decreased after 4 weeks. But there was no significant in pulse rate. This results suggest that QiGong gymnastics are an appropriate nursing intervention for clients with hypertension. For further research is necessary to reevaluate the effect with a letter experimental design and longer period than 8 weeks for the QiGong gymnastics program.
Blood Pressure ; Epinephrine ; Gymnastics* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypertension* ; Norepinephrine ; Nursing ; Qi* ; Qigong* ; Research Design

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of the Qigong training program on the anxiety and labor pains of primipara. METHOD: The research subjects were a total of 60 primipara who consulted a doctor regularly concerning their antenatal care. Among them, 30 people were the experimental group, and the other 30 people were the control group, and were selected as homogeneous with the experimental group. The degree of anxiety and labor pains were measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) and Graphic Rating Scale(GRS). SPSS WIN 11.0 was used for data analysis. Obstetric and general characteristics between experimental and control groups, and a homogeneity test of state and trait anxiety were done by both X2 test and t-test. The hypothesis testing was analyzed by ANCOVA with a covariate of pretest value. RESULT: The first hypothesis, 'Primipara who join the Qigong training program have lower anxiety than those who do not join' was supported (F=28.8, p<.000). The second hypothesis, 'Primipara who join the Qigong training program have lower labor pain than those who do not join' was unsupported. CONCLUSION: It was verified that the Qigong training program was effective in alleviating anxiety; however it did not have any effect on relieving labor pain, so more in-depth research is needed later on.
Anxiety* ; Education* ; Female ; Humans ; Labor Pain* ; Pregnancy ; Qigong* ; Research Subjects ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of a Qigong prenatal education program on anxiety, depression and physical symptoms in pregnant women. METHOD: The subjects were a total of 40 pregnant women who received regular prenatal care at S hospital. Twenty people were enrolled in the Qigong prenatal education program and were assigned to the experimental group. The other 20 people who received regular prenatal care only were the control group. The Qigong prenatal education program was given to the experimental group once a week and 2 hours per session for 4 weeks. Anxiety, depression and physical symptoms were collected by a self-administered study questionnaire at the pre- and post test. RESULT: There were no significant differences in subjects' general characteristics or pretest scores of study variables at the pretest indicating both groups were homogeneous. Differential t-tests were used to test the effects of the Qigong prenatal education program on study variables. Pregnant women who received the Qigong prenatal education program had a lower level of depression than those who did not attend(t=2.23, p=.03). There were no significant differences on anxiety and physical symptoms. CONCLUSION: The Qigong prenatal education program was effective in alleviating depression during pregnancy. However, further study is needed to replicate the results with a greater sample size and to investigate the long term effects of the program on the labor and delivery process.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Prenatal Education* ; Qigong* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sample Size

PURPOSE: This study was done to investigate the effect of Tai Chi Qigong exercise program on insulin resistance and blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHOD: This was a quasi-experimental study used a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Participants included 39 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (ages between 40-70)(experimental group, 19, control group, 20). The Tai Chi Qigong exercise program consisted of 5 minute warming up, 30-minute main exercise, and 5 minute cooling down, and was conducted twice a week for 10 weeks. The outcome variables were insulin resistance (proinsulin, C-peptide, insulin, insulin sensitivity index) and blood glucose (fasting, post prandial 2hr, HbA1c). Data was analyzed using ANCOVA, with pre-test values as covariates, to examine difference between pre and post measures between the two groups. RESULTS: The Tai Chi Qigong was effective in lowering postprandial 2hr blood glucose. CONCLUSION: Twice a week 10 week-Tai Chi Qigong exercise seems to be too short to improve insulin excretion or resistance, and fasting blood sugar and HbA1C in patients with type 2 DM. A Tai Chi Qigong program at least 3 times per week or longer is recommended.
Blood Glucose* ; C-Peptide ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Qigong ; Tai Ji

This study looks at the various alternative therapy methods used in day to day life by elderly, over 60 years of age. The elderly have come to know and practice these methods for the following reasons : it is good for the health ; it is the method used in the olden days when there wesn't modern medicine ; it has been passed down from generations ; it can be done at home without having the need to go to the hospital ; acupuncture or poulticing can be used ; it can be done at home, which was an important factor in rural areas where hospitals are few and far between ; and [herbal] medicine could be prepared at home at no cast ; it derives from experience ; it is impossible to ignore tradition passed down through the generations. Diet control and plants(herbs) are methods most often used, as they are easy to find and can be readily used in critical situations. Other methods include oriental medicine practices of moxibustion with moxa cone, negative therapy, hand and finger acupunture, finger press method, ordinary acupunture, finger press method, ordinary acupunture, manual healing methods of massage, diaphoretic therapy and meditation to reach a state of calm, and qigong dirigation. The reasons for its use are as follows : it has been used before ; it is effective ; there is some improvement after the treatment ; it is not harmful to the body ; medicine cannot be obtained and it is the only thing available ; it is not good for an old person to go to the hospital everyday, the symptoms are not serious enough to go to a hospital ; and acupuncture is for these things. The means that the elderly have come to practice these methods are ; it has been used since the past ; it has been told by the elders ; they have been told by friends ; it was part of their knowledge ; and they have come to know by watching their mother. Further, to regain vitality lost through old age, the elderly have relied on hot soup, a hearty meal, brewed honey water, pumpkin, or ginseng. Humans, by instinct, would rub or massage the areas that caused pain. These actions, combined with a breathing technique have been recognized in Tong-Eui-Bo-Gam(the essential of eastern medicine), the complete work of early modern medicine, are a useful means to revive chi. This knowledge is thought to have greatly affected our healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, though the demand for medical services would increase with age, the elderly have not always been able to tend to their needs at the hospital for reasons economic or other. Hence, these alternative therapy methods seem to have been practiced as a temporary means of relief. The excellence of our traditional therapeutic custom has not received full recognition due to the argument relating to its scientific merits. As a result, it has become vital to prove their effectiveness through scientific and other experimental means. The potency of moxibustion with moxa cone and hand and finger acupunture have been proven scientifically, but diet and herbal methods appear to be practiced as a result of customs passed down from generations. In addition, it is submitted that the effectiveness of the traditional methods of disease control and our heathy lifestyle that are easily found in the nursing field must be verified.
Acupuncture ; Aged ; Cucurbita ; Diet ; Family Characteristics ; Fingers ; Friends ; Hand ; History, Early Modern 1451-1600 ; History, Modern 1601- ; Honey ; Humans ; Instinct ; Life Style ; Massage ; Meals ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Meditation ; Mothers ; Moxibustion ; Nursing ; Panax ; Qigong ; Respiration ; Water

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Health Qigong Baduanjin on the related indexes of obese middle aged women with diabetes and to provide new ideas for the intervention treatment of diabetes. METHODS: A total of 40 middle-aged female obese diabetic patients were randomly divided into the control group and the exercise group(=20), the age was(57.2±5.4) years old. Fitness training group performed eight new Baduanjin exercises for 24 weeks of intervention, the control group did not exercise, body weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), fasting blood glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc), triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and serum retinol binding protein 4(RBP4) index were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: After exercise, the waist, WHR, FPG, TG, HbAlc, HDL and RBP4 levels of the the patients in the experimental group were decreased significantly compared with those of before exercise and those of the patients in the experimental control group before and after exercise (<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Health Qigong Baduanjin can reduce the blood sugar of obese female patients with diabetes, and has some improvement effect on the body part of obesity and blood lipid indicators.
Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Body Mass Index ; Diabetes Mellitus ; therapy ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; complications ; therapy ; Qigong ; Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma ; analysis ; Waist Circumference ; Waist-Hip Ratio