Baduanjin

Presentation Slides

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Randomised Controlled Trial

Baduanjin exercise can provide short-term relief for multidimensional symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome such as disease impact, pain, sleep quality, fatigue, and muscle activation.

2026 Complementary Therapies in Medicine Effects of Baduanjin exercise in alleviating symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome: A randomized controlled trial
Zhang X, Luo J, Zhang H, Jiao J, Qu Z, Yin J, Zhang H

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Meta-Analysis

Tai Chi and Baduanjin efficiently alleviate pain, enhance function, and improve the quality of life in middle-aged and older individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

2026 Frontiers in Public Health Comparative effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercises for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Li Y, Zhai Z, Guo B, Liu Y, An Z, Zhai Q

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Randomised Controlled Trial

Ba-Duan-Jin, barring sleep improvement, demonstrated similar beneficial impact as pregabalin on fibromyalgia symptoms, possibly by targeting the parahippocampal gyrus in the brain.

2025 The Journal of Pain Comparative efficacy of Ba-Duan-Jin and pregabalin in the treatment of fibromyalgia: An RCT with an exploratory analysis based on fMRI
Li Y, Long M, Li Y, Jing B, Wang Y, Li Z, Wu S, Jiao J

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Meta-Analysis

Traditional Chinese exercises such as Taichi and Qigong may help alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, improving pain management, sleep quality, and emotional well-being.

2023 International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases Effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercise in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Du M, Hou X, Lu S, Kang T, Li Y, Wang R

Executive Summary

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Research into Chinese medicine treatment for Baduanjin" summarising the research below and using language that can be easily understood by patients and avoiding medical jargon using a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Researched Chinese medicine treatments for Baduanjin" summarising the research below in an objective and easy to understand way, and using language that can be easily understood by patients. Group the article into Chinese medicine treatments first, followed by nutrition and other treatments. Avoid using medical jargon and use a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write me a concise but easy to understand executive summary on the topic of "Chinese medicine treatments for Baduanjin" based on the following research that I will give you. Your summary should be 2 paragraphs long in Australian English spelling and include references to the studies.

A Randomised Controlled Trial published in 2026 in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that Baduanjin exercise can provide short-term relief for multidimensional symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome such as disease impact, pain, sleep quality, fatigue, and muscle activation. The research was a two-arm randomized controlled trial held at a university hospital. Participants, who were adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome, were randomly assigned to either engage in Baduanjin exercise daily for 4 weeks or receive standard therapy for the same duration. Measurements were taken at the start of the experiment, week 4, and week 8. The primary outcome was a change in the severity of the fibromyalgia impact, and secondary outcomes included changes in pain, sleep quality, fatigue, and muscle activation. The results showed improvements in all parameters for the Baduanjin group compared to the control group at week 4. At week 8, improvements in pain intensity and disease impact were not significant anymore, but improvements in other areas remained in the exercise group. Participants reported mild adverse events without any serious occurrences in both groups, suggesting the safety of Baduanjin exercise as an intervention. The exercise was identified as an effective non-pharmaceutical method for managing fibromyalgia, with benefits observed in overall disease burden and multidimensional symptoms.

A Meta-Analysis published in 2026 in the journal Frontiers in Public Health found that Tai Chi and Baduanjin efficiently alleviate pain, enhance function, and improve the quality of life in middle-aged and older individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The researchers carried out a thorough, systematic review and network meta-analysis to gauge the therapeutic impacts of various traditional Chinese exercises (including Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Wuqinxi, and Yijinjing) on knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged and older individuals. They followed the PRISMA guidelines and extracted data from randomized controlled trials available in six comprehensive databases. A total of twenty trials, involving 1,457 patients, were considered for evaluation. The Bayesian network meta-analysis showed that Yijinjing combined with electroacupuncture and Tai Chi were most effective for pain relief. Tai Chi was also found optimal for the viability scale score. Baduanjin was shown to be the most effective in improving stiffness and physical function. In terms of quality of life, Tai Chi ranked highest for physical health while Yijinjing ranked highest for mental health. Usual care and Tai Chi were seen to deliver the best results in the six-minute walk test.

A Randomised Controlled Trial published in 2025 in the journal The Journal of Pain found that Ba-Duan-Jin, barring sleep improvement, demonstrated similar beneficial impact as pregabalin on fibromyalgia symptoms, possibly by targeting the parahippocampal gyrus in the brain. The clinical study conducted was based on a 12-week, single-blind trial followed by a 36-week review, featuring 104 fibromyalgia patients randomly split into two groups - one receiving Ba-Duan-Jin treatment and the other given pregabalin. The effectiveness of these treatments was evaluated from pain visual analogue scale scores along with other specialised scales relative to common fibromyalgia symptoms. To delve deeper into the relationship with brain functionality, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data was collected from patients both before and after their respective treatments. The results from the treatment showed significant improvement in both the Ba-Duan-Jin and pregabalin groups regarding pain, fatigue, depression and several other factors. The only variance was noted in sleep improvement, where the pregabalin group showed superior results after 4 weeks. The persisting effects of these improvements were seen throughout the 12-week follow-up as well, with improvements in pain and quality of life even lasting up to the 36-week mark. Brain imaging results revealed elevated values in the parahippocampal gyrus for patients adequately responding to Ba-Duan-Jin, with pre-treatment values in this brain region positively tying in with improvement in overall symptoms and sleep quality for the Ba-Duan-Jin group.

A Meta-Analysis published in 2023 in the journal International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases found that Traditional Chinese exercises such as Taichi and Qigong may help alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, improving pain management, sleep quality, and emotional well-being. Methodology: This meta-analysis utilized multiple databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, and VIP, to identify relevant studies published up to February 11, 2022, that provided data on the effects of Traditional Chinese Exercise (TCE) on Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). Each study was categorised into either an experimental group (where TCE was applied) or a control group, and risk of bias assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool while the data synthesis and analysis were done using RevMan5.4.1 software. Results: From a total of 12 literature pieces selected, which featured 781 patients, the study found significant improvements in the condition of those in the TCE treatment group. Notably, TCE was found to provide significant relief from pain, enhance quality of life, improve sleep quality, and alleviate symptoms of depression among the FMS patients. This suggests the potential of TCE as a complementary treatment method for FMS.

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