How much do we know about the effectiveness of complementary health approaches for chronic pain? A growing body of evidence suggests that some complementary approaches, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help to manage some painful conditions.

What do we know about the safety of complementary health approaches for chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts more than several months (variously defined as 3 to 6 months, but longer than “normal healing”). It’s a very common problem. Results from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) show that:

• About 20.4 percent of U.S adults had chronic pain (defined as pain on most days or every day in the past 3 months).
• About 7.4 percent of U.S. adults had high-impact chronic pain (defined as chronic pain that limited their life or work activities on most days or every day for the past 3 months).

The scientific evidence suggests that some complementary health approaches may help people manage chronic pain. Some recent research has looked at the effects of complementary approaches on chronic pain in general rather than on specific painful conditions. 

Read more and download the free Pain ebook from the National Institutes of Health.

We know that exercise is good for you. We also know that meditation is good for you. What happens when you put those two together?

Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are sometimes called “meditative movement” practices because they include both meditative elements and physical ones. 

• Tai chi originated in China as a martial art. It may help to improve balance and prevent falls in older adults, and it may be helpful for some painful conditions, such as low-back pain, fibromyalgia, and knee osteoarthritis. 
• Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice that has many different forms. It has not been studied as extensively as yoga or tai chi, but there is evidence that it may help prevent falls and improve symptoms of conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
• Yoga originated in India and has many forms. It may be helpful for general wellness and for some health problems, such as back and neck pain, menopause symptoms, and anxiety or depression. 

Qigong, pronounced “chi gong,” was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. Qigong has both psychological and physical components and involves the regulation of the mind, breath, and body’s movement and posture.

There are many different types of Qigong some from martial arts are actually quite vigorous, however In most forms of qigong:

• Breath is slow, long, and deep. Breath patterns may switch from abdominal breathing to breathing combined with speech sounds.
• Movements are typically gentle and smooth, aimed at relaxation.
• Mind regulation includes focusing one’s attention and visualization.

Dynamic (active) qigong techniques primarily focus on body movements, especially movements of the whole body or arms and legs. Meditative (passive) qigong techniques can be practiced in any posture that can be maintained over time and involve breath and mind exercises, with almost no body movement.

Is qigong the same as tai chi?

Tai chi originated as an ancient martial art, but over the years it has become more focused on health promotion and rehabilitation. When tai chi is performed for health, it is considered a form of qigong and involves integrated physical postures, focused attention, and controlled breathing. Tai chi is one of the hundreds of forms of qigong exercises that were developed in China. However, rather than an individual exercise Tai Chi was designed to be an entire curriculum of Qigong exercises containing literally hundreds of smaller individual exercises into one that benefits balance, breathing, aerobic power, and a host of other benefits. Other forms of qigong that contain entire curriculums include Baduanjin, Liuzijue, Hu Yue Xian, Yijin Jing, and medical qigong.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) has created an updated fact sheet on chronic pain and complementary health approaches to include new scientific evidence. 

Chronic pain (pain that lasts for a long time) is a very common problem. National survey data from 2019 showed that about 20 percent of U.S. adults had chronic pain. It is more common in older people than younger ones and in those from rural areas compared to those from urban areas. Military veterans are another group at increased risk for chronic pain. 

The scientific evidence suggests that some complementary health approaches, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help people manage chronic pain.

What’s the Bottom Line?

How much do we know about the effectiveness of complementary health approaches for chronic pain?

• A growing body of evidence suggests that some complementary approaches, such as acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help to manage some painful conditions.

For more information go to the fact sheet https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chronic-pain-what-you-need-to-know?nav=govd or read on

Did you know that some complementary health approaches have been studied to see whether they can help control heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels? Here’s what the research shows: Cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the heart or blood vessels) are the number one cause of death in the United States. The most common type of cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease, in which the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked.

Several complementary health approaches have been studied to see whether they might help to control risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension). Some psychological or physical complementary health approaches, including meditation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may have beneficial effects on blood pressure in people with hypertension.
Some foods and dietary supplements, including cocoa, garlic, fish oil, and flaxseed, may also reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension.
Certain dietary supplements, including soy protein, flaxseed, garlic, and green tea, may have modest cholesterol-lowering effects. Others, including chromium, vitamin C, and coenzyme Q10, have not been found to be helpful. Some dietary supplements, such as garlic and soy, may have beneficial effects on cholesterol, but their effects are small compared to those of cholesterol-lowering medicines.

Read more about what the science says about complementary and integrative approaches to helping reduce cardiovascular disease risks, including tai chi and green tea, and other approaches you can incorporate into your own life.