title: Functional and psychosocial effects of health qigong in patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The initial gain from a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program (PRP) among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) begins to fade away 6 months after the completion of a rehabilitation program. One possible reason may be due to the poor compliance of the patients to the existing forms of home exercise program (e.g., walking, weight training activities, etc.).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study tested the efficacy of health qigong (HQG), a traditional Chinese exercise, as an adjunct home exercise program in optimizing the gains obtained from PRP until 6 months after discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on a mind-body exercise intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty (80) patients with COPD receiving conventional PRP pulmonary rehabilitation program were randomized to the HQG intervention group (n = 40) and control group (n = 40).
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessments were undertaken by blinded assessors at baseline, discharge from training, and follow-up (FU) at 3 and 6 months. Primary outcomes involved functional capacity scales and secondary outcomes involved quality-of-life scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intention-to-treat analysis identified trends of improvement in all outcome measures in the HQG group, whereas lesser improvement and trends of deteriorations were identified in the control group. Ancillary analysis using a per-protocol method, however, identified significantly better improvements in functional capacity measures among the HQG at the 6-month FU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This RCT provided some evidence to support the positive effect of HQG as an adjunct home exercise for rehabilitation among people with COPD and to support further related research.
authors.affiliation: Centre for East-Meets-West, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Bobby H P
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Hector W H
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Alice Y M
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Thomas Y W
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Mok
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome