A nurse facilitated mind-body interactive exercise (Chan-Chuang qigong) improves the health status of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients receiving chemotherapy: Randomised controlled trial

BackgroundNon-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative malignancies. Chemotherapy can improve patient survival rates, yet it is also associated with many adverse physical and psychosocial effects. It is suggested that qigong practices may be used to reduce patient distress and side effects.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of Chan-Chuang qigong on fatigue, complete blood cells, sleep quality, and quality of life for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who had undergone the first course of chemotherapy.DesignA randomized controlled study.SettingsAn oncology ward of medical centre in northern Taiwan.ParticipantsFifty participants in each of the two groups.MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to either the qigong group (n = 50) that received a 21-day Chan-Chuang qigong programme, or the control group (n = 50). The primary outcome was fatigue measured by Brief Fatigue Inventory. The secondary outcomes were complete blood cell counts, sleep quality measured by Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale, and quality of life measured by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire.ResultsAfter 21 days of intervention, the results obtained from ninety six participants were analysed. Participants in the qigong group exhibited decreased fatigue intensity and fatigue interference from 5.49 (SD = 1.02) and 5.53 (SD = 1.27) to 0.37 (SD = 1.39) and 0.20 (SD = 1.93), respectively. Generalized estimating equations analyses revealed that the qigong group, when compared to the control group, had significant improvement in fatigue intensity and fatigue interference over time (β = −1.04, 95% confidence interval CI] from −1.59 to −0.48, p < 0.001; and β = −1.22, 95% CI from −1.86 to −0.59, p < 0.001, respectively). There was a significant between-group difference in the improvement in white blood cell counts (t = 5.14, p < 0.001), hemoglobin levels (t = 3.17, p = 0.002), and sleep quality (t = 17.73, p < 0.001), but not in platelet counts (p = 0.05). With regard to quality of life, the scores of the qigong group improved in all subscales and all symptom items when compared to that of the control group. No adverse effects were observed in the qigong group.ConclusionsThe findings of this study indicate that the 21-day Chan- Chuang qigong can reduce fatigue intensity and fatigue interference, and improved white blood cell counts, haemoglobin levels, sleep quality, and quality of life for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who had undergone the first course of chemotherapy. Further studies involving a prolonged extended intervention period and follow-up are necessary for determining the long-term effect of qigong exercise.