Page 87 - HA Convention 2016 [Abstracts (Day 2)]

Service Enhancement Presentations HOSPITAL AUTHORITY CONVENTION 2016

F8.7 Young HA Investigators Presentations 14:30 Room 421

Functional and Psychosocial Effect of Health Qigong in Patients with Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain: A

Phase II Randomised Controlled Trial
Wong KK1, Po TF 1, Wan SH 1, Wong NM 2, Cheng SK 3
1Department of Occupational Therapy, United Christian Hospital, 2Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, United
Christian Hospital, 3Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Introduction

Chronic non-specific lower back pain (LBP) is a significant problem in industrialised societies. The condition is associated
with various physical, emotional, and psychosocial dysfunctions that eventually causes deterioration in quality of life. Health
Qigong (HQG) follows the philosophy of “qi” regulation, which is described as harmonising mind and body, and activating
self-healing capacities. The principles of slow body movement serves as an aerobic exercise and controlled breathing to
achieve relaxation. Although HQG has been used for prevention and treatment of pain, few randomised controlled trials (RCT)
have been conducted to investigate its efficacy especially in the musculoskeletal conditions.

Objectives

To study the effect of Health Qi-gong (HQG) programme on patients with chronic non-specific LBP until four weeks after
discharge.

Methodology

A 2 (group) x 3 (time) mixed-model randomised controlled trial (RCT) was employed. 72 patients with non-specific LBP were
randomised to the HQG intervention group (n = 38) and functional rehabilitation control group (n = 34). Assessments were
conducted by blinded assessors at baseline, discharge from intervention, and follow-up at four weeks. Primary outcomes
involved physical and functional domains, i.e. pain score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Sit and Reach flexibility test;
and secondary outcomes involved psychosocial attributes measurement, i.e. Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Pain Self-
Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS).

Results

Recent randomised controlled non-inferiority trial showed that Qigong was not proven to be non-inferior to exercise therapy
in the treatment of chronic low back pain (Blodt, et al, 2015). In our study, a randomised controlled superiority trial was
adopted, which showed: (1) significant difference in primary outcomes measuring on pain score and lower back/hamstring
flexibility between the HQG and FR group; and (2) significant result in the secondary outcomes measuring on depressive
mood and perceived self-efficacy in HQG intervention group only; suggested that the mind-body interventions which have
greater influence on pain acceptance and body awareness. HQG has demonstrated some positive effect for chronic LBP
management which could be incorporated as an adjunctive therapy to conventional treatment.

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