Improvement of psychological adjustment and pain reduction in fibromyalgia after a qigong training program.

BACKGROUND

Qigong is a traditional Chinese psychosomatic exercise that has been reported to induce remarkable physical and psychological benefits. However, qigong has rarely been studied in fibromyalgia, and the effects of Taoist qigong on the psychological adjustment and pain reduction of individuals with this syndrome are unknown. Since the treatment of fibromyalgia remains a serious challenge, shedding light on the possible therapeutic action of Taoist qigong in these individuals is essential. Therefore, the present study was designed to explore whether this method of qigong could improve psychological adjustment and reduce pain in fibromyalgia individuals after a short period of training.

METHODS

Forty-two individuals with fibromyalgia participated in the study, 18 of whom were allocated to the experimental group and 24 to the control group. The experimental subjects were submitted to a 4-week Taoist qigong training program. To assess psychological adjustment and pain, several instruments were employed before and after the experiment concluded. The questionnaires used were the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS), the Negative and Positive Affect Scale (NAPAS), the Spanish Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (S-FIQ), and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). ANCOVA was used as statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The experimental group displayed significant improvements in anxiety, stress, and distress, as well as in mental health problems. Likewise, a significant reduction in negative affect and the affective component of pain was also observed. No changes were found in the rest of the variables.

CONCLUSION

The practice of Taoist qigong for a short period of one month induced a noteworthy improvement in psychological adjustment, including a reduction in a specific component of pain, in individuals with fibromyalgia. Qigong, therefore, appears to be an effective therapeutic tool for this complex syndrome.