Qigong is often used by cancer patients to help manage their symptoms.

Researchers at The University of Hong Kong, in China, evaluated the effectiveness of qigong exercise in cancer care. (more…)

Past studies have been criticized because of poor study design, according to Prof. Ernst.

Researchers from Bastyr University tighten up the design and report their results. (more…)

There’s concern that the use of complementary and alternative medications (CAM) may replace recommended preventive health practices.

Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Pennsylvania conducted a survey to learn more. (more…)

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas, looked for evidence that external qigong treatment could shrink breast cancer tumors and improve quality of life in women with breast cancer awaiting surgery. (more…)

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence. (more…)

An external qigong healer uses gentle touch or non-contact treatment to reach the client’s life energy (qi) and bring it to balance.

It was used along with pharmacotherapy by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. (more…)

Researchers at Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok, Thailand, reviewed research on exercise options to prevent and cure nonspecific neck pain. (more…)

Back pain is the second most common reason patients seek ambulatory medical care in the United States.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston surveyed the nation about CAM use for back pain. (more…)

Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the evidence and found it insufficient. (more…)

Researchers from the State University of New York, at Binghamton studied the response to kiko (video here), to prevent headaches.

Here are the results of the first study of this Japanese practice of qigong that uses repetitive coordinated breathing and movement. (more…)

Anxiety and depression are among the most common conditions cited by those seeking treatment with complementary and alternative therapies.

Researchers from The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Qigong is an internal martial art in which one learns to sense the Qi (the circulating life energy) moving in their body.

Prof. Ernst reviewed the research on qigong to treat pain. (more…)

Researchers from the University of Sydney, in Concord, Australia compared qigong to usual care. (more…)

There were “no significant differences for pain, neck pain, disability, and quality of life,” according to researchers at Charité University Medical Center in Berlin, Germany. (more…)

Medscape has published a review written by clinicians from around the US.

Let’s focus on 6 supportive care options for chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, aka chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis. (more…)

The benefit depends on the therapist, according to this study from the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey. (more…)

An article published on Medscape discusses the impact of stress on insomnia. In addition to a brief mention of mindfulness, the author limits the discussion to benzodiazepines or ramelteon (Rozerem), which acts on melatonin receptors.

There are so many other options that the author fails to even mention. So, I’ll mention them here. (more…)

This study suggests, “Qigong [chee-kung] exercise may reduce stress [associated with] computerized work.” (more…)

The results of this study show that regular qigong practice could relieve depression and improve self-efficacy and personal well being among elderly persons with chronic physical illness and depression.

The real message is that active seniors have better quality of life than their sedentary neighbors. (more…)

Qigong (pronounced chee-gung) is a Chinese system of postures, exercises, breathing techniques, and meditations used to improve one’s chi/qi (energy field). It’s also called chi kung, chi gong, chi gung, daoyin.

Researchers from The University of Queensland in Australia reviewed the literature on qigong and diabetes.

Here’s what they found. (more…)