Using remotely delivered Spring Forest Qigong™ to reduce neuropathic pain in adults with spinal cord injury: protocol of a quasi-experimental feasibility clinical trial

Abstract

Background About 69% of Americans living with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from long-term debilitating neuropathic pain, interfering with the quality of daily life. Neuropathic pain is refractory to many available treatments—some carrying a risk for opioid addiction—highlighting an urgent need for new treatments. In this study, we will test our hypothesis that Spring Forest Qigong™ will reduce SCI-related neuropathic pain by improving body awareness. We will determine whether remotely delivered Qigong is feasible and we will collect data on neuropathic pain, and other reported associations with pain such as spasms frequency and/or severity, functional performance, mood, and body awareness. Methods In this quasi-experimental pilot clinical trial study, adults with SCI will practice Qigong at home with a 45-min video, at least 3 × /week for 12 weeks. The Qigong practice includes movements with guided breathing and is individualized based on functional abilities, i.e., the participants follow along with the Qigong movements to the level of their ability, with guided breathing, and perform kinesthetic imagery by focusing on the feeling in the whole body as if doing the whole-body Qigong movement while standing. The highest, average, and lowest neuropathic pain ratings perceived in the prior week will be recorded weekly until the 6-week follow-up. The other outcomes will be collected at 5 time points: at baseline, midway during the Qigong intervention (6 weeks), after the Qigong intervention (12 weeks), after a 6-week and 1-year follow-up. Rate parameters for the feasibility markers will be estimated based on the participants who achieved each benchmark. Discussion The University of Minnesota (UMN)’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the study (IRB #STUDY00011997). All participants will sign electronic informed consent on the secure UMN REDCap platform. The results will be presented at academic conferences and published in peer-reviewed publications. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov registration number: NCT04917107, (this protocol paper refers to the substudy), first registered 6/8/2021.

Feasibility of using remotely delivered Spring Forest Qigong to reduce neuropathic pain in adults with spinal cord injury: a pilot study

“…Full detail of the protocol can be found in Van de Winckel et al (2023a) . We used nationwide volunteer sampling through fliers and announcements on relevant websites, in the community, through the M Health/Fairview healthcare recruitment system, and in locations within the Minnesota Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System (MN SCIMS).…”

“…Figure 1 shows the five Qigong movements. More details are available in Van de Winckel et al (2023a) . Participants were instructed to actively move along with the video however much they comfortably could and to perform kinesthetic imagery at the same time.…”

“…Movement 1: moving of Yin and Yang; movement 2: breathing of the universe; movement 3: connecting with the heaven and Earth; movement 4: connecting with your body’s energy; and movement 5: connecting with your heart’s energy. Details of how the different movements are performed are presented in Van de Winckel et al (2023a) .…”