Qigong Training Positively Impacts Both Posture and Mood in Breast Cancer Survivors With Persistent Post-surgical Pain: Support for an Embodied Cognition Paradigm

Abstract

Theories of embodied cognition hypothesize interdependencies between psychological well-being and physical posture. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of objectively measuring posture, and to explore the relationship between posture and affect and other patient centered outcomes in breast cancer survivors (BCS) with persistent postsurgical pain (PPSP) over a 12-week course of therapeutic Qigong mind-body training. Twenty-one BCS with PPSP attended group Qigong training. Clinical outcomes were pain, fatigue, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, stress and exercise self-efficacy. Posture outcomes were vertical spine and vertical head angles in the sagittal plane, measured with a 3D motion capture system in three conditions: eyes open (EO), eyes open relaxed (EOR) and eyes closed (EC). Assessments were made before and after the Qigong training. The association between categorical variables (angle and mood) was measured by Cramer’s V. In the EO condition, most participants who improved in fatigue and anxiety scales also had better vertical head values. For the EOR condition, a moderate correlation was observed between changes in vertical head angle and changes in fatigue scale. In the EC condition, most of the participants who improved in measures of fatigue also improved vertical head angle. Additionally, pain severity decreased while vertical spine angle improved. These preliminary findings support that emotion and other patient centered outcomes should be considered within an embodied framework, and that Qigong may be a promising intervention for addressing biopsychosocially complex interventions such as PPSP in BCSs.

"Qigong and the Treatment of Illness: Recent Case Studies"

“…Lastly, men benefited more from the qigong exercises than did the women. Quixadá, et al [17] conducted a study to determine the effect of qigong exercises on the posture and mood of 21 breast cancer survivors who had persistent post-surgical pain.…”

“…In the West, it is sometimes used in conjunction with mainstream medicine as a supplementary tool to treat symptoms of various diseases and ailments [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Numerous studies have found that qigong can aid in the treatment of arthritis [11], back pain [12], cancer [13][14][15][16][17], cognitive impairment [18,19], Covid-19 [20,21], COPD [22], depression and anxiety [23][24][25][26], fatigue [27], hypertension [28,29], muscle strength and posture [30], Parkinson's disease [31,32], stroke [33], and tertiary-care pain management [34].…”

"Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Treatment of Cancer"

“…Generally, these TCM techniques have been used to partially alleviate the adverse side-effects of western cancer treatments, such as nausea and depression, and have often improved the quality of life, although at least one qigong practitioner claims that the practice of qigong has actually cured her of stage three lymphoma [54]. Qigong and tai chi have been used successfully in the treatment of breast cancer [55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64], cognitive impairment [65,66], colorectal cancer [67,68], fatigue [69][70][71], gastrointestinal cancer [72], hematological malignancies [73], the immune system [74], pain management [75][76][77], quality of life [78][79][80][81][82][83], sleep disturbance [84], and symptom management [85], usually in conjunction with Western medicine, although some Asian studies have found that tai chi and qigong have been effective when used alone. In fact, some Chinese hospitals are devoted entirely to treatment of cancer and other diseases using tai chi and/ or qigong exclusively.…”

Understanding Embodied Effects of Posture: A Qualitative Study

“…There have been five qualitative studies on posture to date, which have predominantly focused on Eastern mind-body practices in clinical practice. Narrative analysis from qualitative interviews found that upright qigong postures (a system of co-ordinated body postures, breath, and meditation) during a 12-week treatment helped breast cancer survivors reconnect their mind and body, lessen their post-surgical pain, and foster acceptance of and confidence in their bodies [17]. Similarly, using semi-standardised interviews, Ref.…”