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The study of Baduanjin Qigong in the treatment of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): the first Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in Hong Kong

08 Aug 2011

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition characterized by persistent sever fatigue lasting for at least 6 months with unknown cause. It is a common health problem which will not only undermine the health and well-being of an individual, but will also increase the cost of healthcare and have an impact on the economy as a whole. However, the definition of chronic fatigue remains unclear among experts and there has been no proven or reliable cure for the illness. Only graded exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy have shown some degree of efficacy so far.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long been used in the treatment of chronic fatigue. From TCM's point of view, the illness is caused by blood stasis due to Qi (氣) deficiency, and therefore the core treatment relies on stimulating blood and Qi circulations (行氣活血) in the body. Qigong therapies are believed to be able to bring about the designated effect.

Since 2009, the Centre on Behavioral Health of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has undergone studies to explore how Qigong practices help ease CFS symptoms. The results have been very remarkable.

In this study, Baduanjin, a popular qigong which places an emphasis on the regulation of body, mind and breath and is easy to learn with only eight simple forms and physically not demanding, will be adopted for treating the chronic illness. Small samples of blood and saliva will be collected from programme participants, who will also be asked to fill in a questionnaire to give an account of their fatigue conditions for analysis. The impact of qigong exercise on the stress hormone level and cell activities will also be studied.

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition characterized by persistent sever fatigue lasting for at least 6 months with unknown cause. It is associated with constellation of physical and mental symptoms including:

Recurrent sore throat, painful lymph nodes
Muscle weakness, muscle pain
Pain in joints, headache
Forgetfulness
Anxiety
Depression
Sleep disturbance (hypersomnia or insomnia)
Impaired memory or poor concentration

A participant is diagnosed to have CFS if he or she meets the following two criteria:

1. Unexplained, persistent fatigue that's not due to ongoing exertion, cannot be relieved by rest, is of new onset (not lifelong) and results in a significant reduction in previous levels of activity.

2. Four or more of the following symptoms are present for six months or more:

1). Impaired memory or concentration;
2). Postexertional malaise (extreme, prolonged exhaustion following physical or mental activity);
3). Unrefreshing sleep;
4). Muscle pain;
5). Multi-joint pain;
6). Headaches of a new type;
7). Sore throat;
8). Tender lymph nodes

(According to: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)).

For media enquiries, please contact Centre on Behavioral Health tel: 2589 0500 or Ms Melanie Wan (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 email: melwkwan@hku.hk.

The study of Baduanjin Qigong

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