Effect of Qigong Exercises on Symptoms Seen in Fibromyalgia Patients: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Fibromyalgia is a common disease with many symptoms that affect the quality of life, such as pain, muscle and joint stiffness, fatigue, insomnia, mood and cognitive dysfunctions, and general sensitivity. Qigong exercises integrated into treatment may be effective in reducing the intensity of these symptoms. Therefore, this study aims to systematically evaluate the effects of Qigong on the symptoms seen in fibromyalgia patients.

Materials and methods: PRISMA criteria were used to create the systematic review protocol and write the article. The literature review was carried out by scanning the randomized controlled studies conducted between 2018 and 2023 from the Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases between December 10, 2023, and January 10, 2024. Studies were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria using the PICOS method. These studies were evaluated according to the Joanna Briggs Institute critical evaluation list.

Results: Four randomized controlled trials were included. A review of these studies shows that Qigong exercises are effective on fibromyalgia severity, pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. It has also been found to be effective in self-efficacy, coping strategies, balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and cardiac autonomic function.

Conclusions: Qigong exercises are effective in reducing the pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and FM effects experienced by fibromyalgia patients and improving sleep quality. Incorporating Qigong exercises into care may be effective in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms. More randomized controlled studies are needed to ensure the reliability and validity of the results.