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Qi gong is a martial art-like exercise from traditional Chinese medicine that attempts to regulate mind, body, and breath.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that disease is caused by a blockage or imbalance of energy flow in the body. Qi gong is thought to help unblock or balance energy flow and help the body heal.
People use Qi gong for high blood pressure, back pain, asthma, cancer, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and many other conditions, but there's no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses.
Don't confuse Qi gong with Kampo medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, or tai chi. These are not the same.
- Cancer-related fatigue. Practicing Qi gong may reduce cancer-related fatigue.
Login for details - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Meta-analyses of small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong modestly improves lung function, walking distance, quality of life, and dyspnea in patients with COPD.
Login for details - Hypertension. A meta-analysis of several small clinical studies suggests that practicing Qi gong may reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
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- Ankylosing spondylitis. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
Login for details - Asthma. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with asthma.
Login for details - Atrial fibrillation. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Login for details - Autism spectrum disorder. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Login for details - Back pain. Small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may slightly improve low back pain, although it does not seem to improve back pain when compared with exercise programs targeting back pain.
Login for details - Breast cancer. Several small, low-quality clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may improve quality of life and mood in patients with breast cancer.
Login for details - Cancer. Several small, low-quality clinical studies suggest that practicing Baduanjin Qi gong may improve quality of life and sleep quality in patients with cancer.
Login for details - Chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong shortens the duration of leukopenia in patients receiving chemotherapy.
Login for details - Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may modestly reduce symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with CFS.
Login for details - Cocaine dependence. It is unclear if Qi gong is beneficial in patients with cocaine dependence.
Login for details - Complex regional pain syndrome. It is unclear if Qi gong is beneficial in patients with complex regional pain syndrome.
Login for details - Cognitive impairment. It is unclear if Qi gong is beneficial in patients with cognitive impairment.
Login for details - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Qi gong has only been evaluated in combination with acupressure; its effect when practiced alone is unclear.
Login for details - Depression. Small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may modestly improve symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder.
Login for details - Diabetes. Several small, low-quality clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may modestly improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Login for details - Fibromyalgia. Several small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may be modestly beneficial in patients with fibromyalgia, although it does not appear to be superior to other active treatments.
Login for details - Gastritis. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with gastritis.
Login for details - Heart failure. Small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may modestly improve quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with compensated heart failure.
Login for details - Lung cancer. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial for improving lung function in patients with lung cancer.
Login for details - Menopausal symptoms. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with menopausal symptoms.
Login for details - Muscular dystrophy. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with muscular dystrophy.
Login for details - Neck pain. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial for neck pain.
Login for details - Opioid withdrawal. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in adults with heroin use disorder.
Login for details - Osteoarthritis. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Login for details - Osteoporosis. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in females with osteoporosis.
Login for details - Pain (chronic). It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial for relieving chronic pain.
Login for details - Parkinson disease. Several small clinical studies suggest that practicing Qi gong may be modestly beneficial in adults with Parkinson disease; however, it may be no better than other forms of low-impact exercise.
Login for details - Physical performance. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong can improve physical performance in older adults.
Login for details - Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Small clinical studies suggest that practicing external Qi gong may not improve pain associated with PMS.
Login for details - Psychological well-being. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial for improving psychological well-being in otherwise healthy adolescents.
Login for details - Quality of life. Several small clinical studies suggest that practicing internal Qi gong may modestly improve quality of life in older adults with chronic disease.
Login for details - Sleep apnea. Qi gong has only been evaluated in combination with tai chi; its effect when practiced alone is unclear.
Login for details - Stress. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial for reducing stress in otherwise healthy adults.
Login for details - Stroke. It is unclear if practicing Qi gong is beneficial in patients recovering from a stroke.
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Qi gong is likely safe when practiced for up to 1 year. There are no known safety concerns. Like any exercise, Qi gong might cause muscle pain and tenderness.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Qi gong is safe when pregnant or breast-feeding. If you are pregnant, check with your healthcare provider before starting Qi gong or any other exercise program.It is not known if this treatment interacts with any medicines. Before using this treatment, talk with your health professional if you take any medications.
There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.
There are no known interactions with foods.
The main principles of Qi gong include breathing, intentional movement, relaxation, stance, visualization, and awareness. There are many different types of Qi gong. Some forms of Qi gong have been specially developed for certain conditions.
Qi gong sessions may last for anywhere from 20-90 minutes and can be performed as often as daily or as little as once per week. Talk to your physician or other healthcare professional to learn more about how Qi gong is used for specific conditions.
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