A Zhineng Qigong intervention for patients with chronic low back pain and/or leg pain

Chronic low back pain (LBP), not seldom accompanied by leg pain, cause much suffering, disability and reduce health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for many patients. There is a large need to further improve many of these patients, also after healthcare treatments.

Qigong includes training of body and mind, and is an umbrella term for many training methods from China. Many persons have experienced improvements in health and well-being after training the method Zhineng Qigong with the organisation European Zhineng Qigong. This gave the idea to evaluate the evidence of this intervention applied for patients with chronic LBP and/or leg pain.

The aims of the project are: 1) to evaluate a Zhineng Qigong intervention on pain and other lumbar spine-related symptoms, function, and HRQoL in patients with chronic LBP and/or leg pain; 2) test different feasibility aspects; and 3) get a basis for power calculation for a potential future Randomised Controlled Trial.

Study design was interventional without control group. In 2014 the study was performed in Lund, Sweden. The study received ethics approval from the Regional Ethics Review Board at Lund University (2013/608). In collaboration with Region Skåne, 55 patients (18-75 years) with at least 3 months LBP and/or leg pain were recruited from:
1. The Swedish Spine Register, as postoperative patients with considerable residual symptoms after lumbar spinal surgery performed at Skåne University Hospital 1-6 years earlier. Diagnoses: spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or segmental pain.
2. Eight primary healthcare centres in Skåne. No specific diagnoses were required, however patients needed to have at least 3 months LBP with or without leg pain.
3. Waiting list for lumbar spine surgery at Skåne University Hospital, Malmö. Diagnoses: spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or segmental pain.

Participation in the study did not affect the patients´ treatment as usual in the healthcare. Before and after a 12 or nine weeks´ intervention, measurements were performed within the areas symptoms, functioning, and HRQoL. Statistical analyses are used to evaluate the effects.

To our knowledge this is the first study evaluating a Zhineng Qigong intervention for patients with chronic LBP and/or leg pain, that will be published in the English-language scientific literature.