Examining Preliminary Efficacy of a Qigong Intervention in Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the preliminary efficacy of an 8-week qigong intervention in managing biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Design: The study design was a longitudinal randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: Multimodal assessments (e.g., biomarkers and psychological and social measures) over multiple time points to assess the preliminary efficacy of an 8-week qigong intervention versus wait-list control group in veterans with CLBP.

Results: Participants in the qigong intervention group showed greater improvement in pain intensity (p = .047), pain interference (p = .040), pain-related disability (p = .027), and sleep disturbance (p = .002). Other psychosocial outcomes were nonsignificant. A statistically significant relationship between biological outcomes (pro-inflammatory cytokines) and psychosocial outcomes was identified (e.g., tumor necrosis factor [TNF] and physical function [p < .001], pain-related disability and IL 8 [p = .049], and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and IL 8 [p = .043]).

Conclusions: The results indicated that all pain-related outcomes (pain intensity, low back pain-related disability, and pain interference) and sleep disturbance decreased significantly in the qigong group compared to the control group.

Clinical implications: The combination of gentle, slow-paced movements, along with the focused mindfulness of qigong, may improve physiological and psychosocial health. Charged with this information, healthcare providers (e.g., nurses, physical therapists) should consider non-pharmacological interventions such as qigong for veterans with CLBP.