Exploring the effects of qigong, tai chi, and yoga on fatigue, mental health, and sleep quality in chronic fatigue and post-covid syndromes: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Background/Objectives: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) andpost-COVIDsyndrome(PCS) pose a substantial socioeconomic burden. The aim of this systematic review was to assess current evidence regarding the effect of the most popular forms of movement-based mindful exercises, i.e., qigong, tai chi, and yo...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fricke Comellas, Hermann Wolfgang, Heredia Rizo, Alberto Marcos, Casuso-Holgado, María Jesús, Salas González, Jesús, Fernández Seguín, Lourdes María
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/168541
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/168541
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12202020
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Exercise movement techniques
Fatigue syndrome
Chronic
Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome
Mind–body therapies
Qigong
Tai ji
Yoga
Descripción
Sumario:Background/Objectives: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) andpost-COVIDsyndrome(PCS) pose a substantial socioeconomic burden. The aim of this systematic review was to assess current evidence regarding the effect of the most popular forms of movement-based mindful exercises, i.e., qigong, tai chi, and yoga, on fatigue and associated symptoms in CFS and PCS. Methods: CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where qigong, tai chi, or yoga were compared with waitlist, no intervention, or active controls were included. Independent reviewers participated in data extraction, and evaluated risk of bias, spin of information, completeness of intervention description, and certainty of the evidence (GRADE). Meta-analyses were conducted. The primary outcome was the level of fatigue. Secondary measures were the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and sleep quality. Results were expressed as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95%confidenceinterval (CI). Results: Thirteen RCTs with 661 participants were included, with most studies presenting a moderate or high risk of bias. Mindful exercises were more effective than control interventions to alleviate fatigue: SMD (95%CI) = −0.44 (−0.63 to −0.25), I2 = 48%, p < 0.0001. Positive effects were also observed for secondary outcomes. The certainty of the evidence was low or very low. Conclusions: Qigong, tai chi, and yoga may be effective to reduce fatigue and improve anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in adults with CFS or PCS. However, serious methodological concerns limit the clinical applicability of these findings.