The impact of adding Qi-gong training to pharmacotherapy in post COVID insomnia .A prospective study

Evaluating qigong as integrative support for COVID-19 and Long-COVID-19 rehabilitation: a systematic review

“…After screening all databases, nine studies were eventually deemed eligible for inclusion (Chen et al, 2020 ; Liu et al, 2021 ; Tang et al, 2021 ; Brough et al, 2022 ; Mekky et al, 2022 ; Patel et al, 2023 ; Wang et al, 2023 ; Xing et al, 2023 ; Zhang H. et al, 2023 ). Among them, four were RCTs (Liu et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2023 ; Xing et al, 2023 ; Zhang H. et al, 2023 ), one was a controlled trial with no randomization of the participants (Mekky et al, 2022 ), while the remaining were three pre-post studies without any control group and a case report (see Table 1 for further details). One study was presented as a conference abstract (Mekky et al, 2022 ), whereas full-text versions were accessible for the remaining studies.…”

“…Among them, four were RCTs (Liu et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2023 ; Xing et al, 2023 ; Zhang H. et al, 2023 ), one was a controlled trial with no randomization of the participants (Mekky et al, 2022 ), while the remaining were three pre-post studies without any control group and a case report (see Table 1 for further details). One study was presented as a conference abstract (Mekky et al, 2022 ), whereas full-text versions were accessible for the remaining studies.…”

“…Five of the included trials examined the integrative use of qigong in COVID-19 treatment (Chen et al, 2020 ; Liu et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2023 ; Xing et al, 2023 ; Zhang H. et al, 2023 ), while four studies delved into its efficacy in enhancing the recovery of Long-COVID-19 patients (Tang et al, 2021 ; Brough et al, 2022 ; Mekky et al, 2022 ; Patel et al, 2023 ). Within the former group of trials, patient numbers varied from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 177 (median: 128), with all but one study (Chen et al, 2020 ) adopting a randomized controlled design.…”

“…Regardless of the severity of COVID-19, individuals undergoing qigong practice demonstrated superior physical and psychological outcomes, including improvements in respiratory symptoms, anxiety levels, sleep quality, mental wellbeing, and health-related quality of life (see Table 2 for further details). Additionally, four studies explored the effects of qigong training (Tang et al, 2021 ; Brough et al, 2022 ; Mekky et al, 2022 ; Patel et al, 2023 ), either independently or in conjunction with other treatments, on Long-COVID-19 symptoms, encompassing persistent respiratory dysfunction, dizziness, sleep disturbances, and compromised health-related quality of life. Across these studies, which comprised sample sizes ranging from 1 to 357 (median: 29), improvements in the measured outcomes were consistently observed, with some instances demonstrating additional benefits related to weight management.…”

“…Overall, this review encompassed four RCTs (Liu et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2023 ; Xing et al, 2023 ; Zhang H. et al, 2023 ), which primarily investigated the efficacy of qigong in COVID-19 integrative care, emphasizing its advantageous effects on psychological wellbeing. Conversely, non-RCT studies (Chen et al, 2020 ; Tang et al, 2021 ; Brough et al, 2022 ; Mekky et al, 2022 ) included in this review primarily focused on qigong practice for Long-COVID-19 management, assessing benefits across both physical and psychological domains. Another distinction between RCTs and non-RCTs lies in the administration of qigong: in RCTs, qigong was predominantly administered alongside other therapies, whereas in non-RCTs, it was often administered alone and occasionally compared with no treatment.…”