Peer-Reviewed Research: One-Hour Static Qigong Program to Decrease Needle Pain of Korean Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
Peer-Reviewed Research: One-Hour Static Qigong Program to Decrease Needle Pain of Korean Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
The study by Kim, Lee, and Sohn (2017) investigates the efficacy of a one-hour static Qigong program designed to reduce needle pain in Korean adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. The study's aim was to determine whether this traditional mind-body exercise could provide a feasible and non-pharmacological method for pain management, particularly during insulin injections and blood sugar testing (BST). This research is particularly relevant in the context of pediatric diabetes care, where pain and fear associated with needle procedures are known to impact treatment adherence and overall quality of life.
Study Design and Methods
The study utilized a randomized crossover design involving 26 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years, all diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The participants were recruited from a diabetes camp and were randomly assigned to either the Qigong or the control (rest) group. Each group participated in a 60-minute Qigong session, which included warm-up exercises, relaxation, imagery, and a closing meditation. After a 24-hour washout period, the groups were switched, allowing each participant to serve as their own control.
The primary outcomes measured were expected and perceived pain during insulin injection and BST, along with emotional affect, assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The pain levels were measured using the faces pain scale, a tool validated for use in children and adolescents. The data were analyzed using SPSS, with significance set at 5%.
Results
The study found that the Qigong intervention significantly reduced the expected pain associated with insulin injection, but not the perceived pain or the expected pain associated with BST. The results were statistically significant for the reduction in expected pain for insulin injections, with a p-value of 0.025. However, the study did not find significant differences in other pain or emotional affect measures between the Qigong and rest groups.
The authors suggest that the limited effect on perceived pain and other measures could be due to the small sample size and the crossover design, which might have led to contamination of the intervention among participants. Additionally, the timing of the pain measurement, which was conducted one to two hours after the intervention, might have influenced the results by allowing participants to underrate their pain levels.
Discussion
The findings of this study contribute to the growing body of literature on the use of mind-body interventions, such as Qigong, in pain management. While the results are promising in terms of reducing expected pain, the lack of significant findings in other areas suggests that more research is needed. The authors rightly point out that older children may benefit more from static Qigong exercises, as they are better able to maintain the necessary postures and focus required for this type of intervention.
The study's limitations, including the small sample size and the potential for residual effects due to the short washout period, indicate the need for further research with larger, more diverse populations. Additionally, future studies could explore different types of Qigong or other mind-body interventions that might be more suitable for younger children or those with higher levels of baseline pain.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kim et al. (2017) provide evidence that a one-hour static Qigong program may reduce the expected pain of insulin injections in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. However, the study's limitations highlight the need for further research to fully understand the potential of Qigong as a non-pharmacological pain management tool in this population. The feasibility of the program and its ease of implementation make it a promising option, but more robust studies are necessary to confirm its effectiveness across different pain measures and emotional affects.
Reference
Kim, E., Lee, J.-E., & Sohn, M. (2017). The application of one-hour static Qigong program to decrease needle pain of Korean adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A randomized crossover design. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 22(4), 897-901
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