title: Qigong versus exercise versus no therapy for patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether qigong is more effective than no treatment and not inferior to exercise therapy.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Lifetime prevalence of chronic neck pain is close to 50%. Qigong is often used by patients, although, the evidence is still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (aged 20-60 years) with chronic neck pain (visual analog scale, VAS ≥ 40 mm) were randomized to 1) qigong or 2) exercise therapy (18 sessions over 6 months) or 3) waiting list (no treatment). At baseline and after 3 and 6 months, patients completed standardized questionnaires assessing neck pain (VAS), neck pain and disability, and quality of life (Short Form SF-36 questionnaire, SF-36). The primary endpoint was average pain in the last 7 days on VAS at 6-month follow-up. Statistical analysis included generalized estimation equation models adjusted for baseline values and patient expectation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 123 patients (aged 46 ± 11 years, 88% women) suffering from chronic neck pain for 3.2 (SD ± 1.6) years were included. After 6 months, a significant difference was seen between the qigong and waiting list control groups (VAS mean difference: -14 mm [95%CI = -23.1 to -5.4], P = 0.002). Mean improvements in the exercise group were comparable to those in the qigong group (difference between groups -0.7 mm [CI = -9.1 to 7.7]) but failed to show statistical significance (P = 0.092). Neck pain and disability, and SF-36 results also yielded superiority of qigong over no treatment and similar results in the qigong and exercise therapy groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Qigong was more effective than no treatment in patients with chronic neck pain. Further studies could be designed without waiting list control and should use a larger sample to clarify the value of qigong compared to exercise therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rendant
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pach
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lüdtke
authors.forename: Anett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reisshauer
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mietzner
authors.forename: Stefan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Willich
authors.forename: Claudia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Witt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome