ReviewMedicines (Basel, Switzerland)2017
Qigong and Fibromyalgia circa 2017.
Review in Medicines (Basel, Switzerland), 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of non-pharmacological traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional therapy in treating fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Pooled it
- Benefits of Qigong as an integrative and complementary practice for health: a systematic review.Revista latino-americana de enfermagem · 2020Pooled it
- Reflections on 20 Years of Research on Tai Chi for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: An Updated Review.Current rheumatology reports · 2026Review
- Immune Biomarkers in Fibromyalgia After a Qigong Programme: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- A Prospective Observational Study of a 2-Week Integrative Inpatient Therapy on Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- Improvement of psychological adjustment and pain reduction in fibromyalgia after a qigong training program.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- Management of Fibromyalgia: An Update.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Immunomodulatory Effects in Healthy Individuals Following a 4-Week Taoist Qigong Intervention: A Comparative Study.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2023Article
- Effects of an Exercise for Well-Being and Physical Training Programme on Muscle Strength, Range of Movement, Respiratory Capacity and Quality of Life in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Effects of Non-Pharmacological Treatment on Pain, Flexibility, Balance and Quality of Life in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomised Clinical Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
- Observational Study of Qigong as a Complementary Self-Care Practice at a Tertiary-Care Pain Management Unit.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2021Article
- The therapeutic efficacy of Qigong exercise on the main symptoms of fibromyalgia: A pilot randomized clinical trial.Integrative medicine research · 2020Article
- Qigong and Musculoskeletal Pain.Current rheumatology reports · 2019Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Qigong is an internal art practice with a long history in China. It is currently characterized as meditative movement (or as movement-based embodied contemplative practice), but is also considered as complementary and alternative exercise or mind-body therapy. There are now six controlled trials and nine other reports on the effects of qigong in fibromyalgia. Outcomes are related to amount of practice so it is important to consider this factor in overview analyses. If one considers the 4 trials (201 subjects) that involve diligent practice (30-45 min daily, 6-8 weeks), there are consistent benefits in pain, sleep, impact, and physical and mental function following the regimen, with benefits maintained at 4-6 months. Effect sizes are consistently in the large range. There are also reports of even more extensive practice of qigong for 1-3 years, even up to a decade, indicating marked benefits in other health areas beyond core domains for fibromyalgia. While the latter reports involve a limited number of subjects and represent a self-selected population, the marked health benefits that occur are noteworthy. Qigong merits further study as a complementary practice for those with fibromyalgia. Current treatment guidelines do not consider amount of practice, and usually make indeterminate recommendations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.