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Slow, low-impact movement practices from Chinese tradition improve fatigue, sleep and balance in people with cancer. Randomised trials are moderately sized and positive, and the 2024 fatigue guideline recommends them during treatment.
Tai chi and qigong combine slow choreographed movement, weight shifting and breath control. Randomised trials in breast, lung and prostate cancer report reductions in fatigue and improvements in sleep, balance and quality of life. In a randomised trial of 90 breast cancer survivors with insomnia (Irwin et al., JCO 2017), tai chi chih was non-inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia at 15 months. The 2024 SIO-ASCO fatigue guideline recommends tai chi or qigong for fatigue during treatment. The practices are well suited to older adults and to people with balance problems, including chemotherapy neuropathy, where fall prevention matters. As with yoga, the trials are unblinded and control conditions vary.
Meditative movement lowers sympathetic tone and inflammatory markers, trains proprioception and leg strength, and provides regular gentle aerobic activity.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Tai chi and qigong" OR ABSTRACT:"Tai chi and qigong") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Tai chi and qigong, not a curated reading list.
Shares Fatigue after cancer treatment: what actually works, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Evidence-based integrative oncology, Exercise & lifestyle oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Sleep and circadian interventions in cancer, Fatigue after cancer treatment: what actually works, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Quality of life and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Evidence-based integrative oncology, Exercise & lifestyle oncology, Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Peripheral neuropathy (chemotherapy-induced), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Peripheral neuropathy (chemotherapy-induced), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Evidence-based integrative oncology, Quality of life, Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
Shares Sleep and circadian interventions in cancer, Evidence-based integrative oncology and the tags complementary, supportive-care.