| Author: | Lee, Chi Kwong |
| Title: | An investigation of the effect of a qigong-based wellness program on the symptoms of chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness |
| Advisors: | Tsang, Hector (RS) Chan, Sunny (RS) |
| Degree: | DHSc |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Subject: | Chronic fatigue syndrome Fatigue Qi gong -- Therapeutic use Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Health and Social Sciences |
| Pages: | vii, 95 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Introduction: Chronic fatigue (CF) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are debilitating symptoms which affect 10.7% of Hong Kong’s population and 3% of patients in primary healthcare. Several qigong studies have demonstrated their effect on improving the symptoms of CF/CFS; however, the effect of training through a live online mode and its efficacy are not well-established. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an 8-week live online qigong program on people with CF or CFS-like illness. Method: This was a two-arm randomized waiting-list controlled study. A total of 37 subjects completed the study. The treatment group (N=18) attended a weekly two-hour live online qigong training class for 8 weeks while the waiting-list control group (N=17) did not receive any intervention. Fatigue, mood, and sleep were measured by the Chinese version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ), the Chinese version of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales_21 (DASS), and the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) using an online platform before and after the qigong intervention. In addition, 15 (81%) subjects in the treatment group attended the laboratory test for assessing the instant change of heart rate variability (HRV) indices during the practice of static qigong and change of trunk flexibility before and after the 8-week program. Result: The attribution rate was similar between the treatment group (N=18, 82%) and the control group (N=17, 85%). The treatment group had significantly greater improvement than the control group in CFQ_fatigue score (p=.006), CFQ_mental score (p=0.033), CFQ_energy score (p=0.006), PSQI_global sleep score (p=.033) and borderline significant improvement in anxiety (p=.054). In the laboratory test, the participants showed significant instant changes in breathing rate (p<.001), SDNN (p=.001), RMSSD (p=.032), LF power (p=.000), HF power (p=.0004) and HRV amplitude (p=.0004) during the practice of static qigong when compared with the data in the resting period. The participants also underwent significant improvement in trunk bending in the forward direction (mean difference 9.3 cm, p=.01, Cohen’s d= .947) and trunk bending laterally to the right (mean difference -4.6 cm, p=.001, Cohen’s d=.909). Moreover, 82% and 47% of participants (N=17) rated the use of App/audio instructions and the use of a pan-tilt-zoom camera were very important in live online learning. Conclusion: The result might support the effect of the live online qigong program on improving fatigue and sleep in people with CF/CFS-like illnesses by subjective rating scales and physiological parameters. The result of the laboratory test also provides preliminary support that the improvement of symptoms might be attributed to the modulation of the parasympathetic nervous system during the practice of static qigong. Our program is promising to be regarded as a safe and effective alternative for people with chronic fatigue symptoms who have difficulties in attending in-person treatment. Limitation: The result might be biased by the small sample size, high attrition rates, use of non-parametric statistical tests, marginal significant change in anxiety, non-medical diagnostic methods of CF/CFS, lack of a control group in the laboratory test, and lack of data to support the improvement of HRV indices post 8-week intervention. Further study should examine the long-term effect of this program with a large sample size and control group in the laboratory test. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
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| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8002.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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