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A study conducted by researchers at Brown University (United States) reveals that the practice of qigong would be more effective than other methods in significantly relieving the fatigue felt by many cancer patients.
A common symptom in patients
Fatigue is a common symptom in cancer patients. It is linked to the disease itself but also to the treatments. It is disabling on a daily basis because patients feel weak and this state tends to last over time.
Researchers at Brown University have shown that the practice of qigong, a Chinese gymnastics based on breathing associated with slow movements, can significantly relieve cancer-related fatigue. The study was conducted for 10 weeks on 24 women treated for cancer (surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy). All had reported feeling very tired from illness and treatment.
Reduce fatigue without too much effort
American researchers analyzed the effects of regular qigong practice on cancer-related fatigue and compared them to the effects of other techniques used to reduce this type of fatigue (physical exercises, nutritional programs, etc.). They found that qijong was as effective as other techniques in reducing cancer-related fatigue.
“Our study is important because it is the first randomized clinical trial to have compared the practice of qigong to standard fatigue reduction techniques. Nobody would have thought that light movements would have allowed the same improvement in the state of fatigue as physical exercises at moderate intensity. And yet it is”, welcome the authors of the study. It would therefore be possible to reduce cancer-related fatigue without making too much effort.
Stephanie R. Jones, professor of neuroscience and co-author of the study, clarified in an article that this work was carried out on a small cohort (24 women) and that these results must be deepened through studies involving a greater number of participants.
This study shows that the disciplines that give pride of place to the body-mind relationship (qigong, yoga, tai-chi, mindfulness meditation, etc.) have not finished surprising us thanks to their powerful positive effects on our physical state. , emotional and cognitive.
Slide: My Qi Gong session, the 15 key postures