Medical QiGong Improves Quality of Life With Cancer

Somebody asked me what I would do if I had cancer. Would I try alternative treatments in addition to traditional therapies? Since I haven't walked a mile in those shoes, I can't say, but statistics tell me I would. The majority of people with cancer have considered complementary therapies. How do we know what works?

Thankfully, many alternative treatments are now being given the 3rd degree of well-designed studies. This week, qigong appears to have passed the test as an alternative therapy that can improve quality of life for those living with cancer.

First, what is qigong?

Qigong is a Chinese mind-body medicine practice that uses meditation, breathing control, and movement, to balance the flow of energy (qi) through the body. The theory is that if energy is flowing correctly through our bodies, healing can occur.

How did qigong help?

In the study, qigong was found to significantly improve quality of life - that is, how good someone feels on a day-to-day basis. It also improved the fatigue associated with cancer, something many people consider one of the most annoying symptoms. Mood was improved in those individuals who practiced qigong, and blood tests that look at inflammation in the body were reduced.

What stood out as extremely important to me - someone who has trained and lived in the midst of allopathic medicine or traditional medicine - is that nobody had side effects from qigong.

(It's important to note that the benefits derived from qigong in this study were related to quality of life and not survival. Qigong was not studied as a treatment for cancer, but as a therapy to improve well-being for those living with cancer.)

While most alternative treatments have not been investigated to the degree that they can be placed in the category we call "evidence-based medicine," a few have. Many cancer centers are now offering alternative therapies along with traditional therapies. Check out:

• Alternative Therapies in Lung Cancer - What Works?

Photo: istockphoto.com

_Sources:

_{American Cancer Society. Qigong. 11/01/08. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/eto/content/eto_5_3x_qigong.asp}

_{Oh, B. et al. Impact of Medical Qigong on quality of life, fatigue, mood and inflammation in cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial. Annals of Oncology. Advance Access Published Online October 30, 2009. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp479.}