Mindfulness and Tai Chi Ease Pain, Fatigue, and Sleep Problems After Cancer Treatment

In a partially randomized clinical trial involving more than 500 cancer survivors, participants who practiced mindfulness-based cancer recovery or tai chi and qigong experienced improvements in pain interference, fatigue, and sleep disturbance compared with patients on a waitlist. The study, led by investigators from the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto, and Mass General Brigham, was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Mindfulness-based cancer recovery produced improvements in pain interference and fatigue, while tai chi and qigong also helped reduce sleep difficulties.

The Mindfulness and Tai Chi for Cancer Health, or MATCH, trial enrolled survivors with a range of cancers and stages of disease. Participants could choose which mind-body practice they wanted to undertake; those without a preference were assigned an intervention. Researchers compared the two programs with a waitlist group. The intervention called mindfulness-based cancer recovery combines meditation, breathing techniques, gentle stretching, group discussion, and practices intended to cultivate attitudes such as acceptance and compassion. Tai chi and qigong integrate gentle, flowing movement with attention to breathing and sensations in the body.

Researchers assessed pain in two ways: its intensity and the extent to which it interfered with everyday activities. The programs had minimal effects on pain intensity, but pain interference improved over time with both mindfulness-based cancer recovery and tai chi and qigong. Fatigue also improved with both interventions. Sleep disturbance improved particularly among participants in the tai chi and qigong group. The findings therefore did not indicate that these practices eliminated pain or resolved every symptom; instead, they were associated with meaningful changes in several common burdens experienced by people after cancer treatment.

The trial also found that pain interference, sleep disturbance, and fatigue tended to occur together. When participants improved in one of these symptoms, the other two often improved as well. The researchers described this pattern as consistent with the possibility that mind-body interventions may support several aspects of recovery in an integrated way, although the study does not establish that the practices directly caused the changes in symptoms. The authors emphasized the potential value of considering sleep, fatigue, pain, and emotional well-being together when caring for cancer survivors. The results were reported for a group of distressed people after treatment and should not be interpreted as evidence that either program is effective for every cancer type, stage, or patient.

Subject of Research: Clinical-trial evidence on mindfulness and tai chi or qigong for post-treatment cancer symptoms

Article Title: Study finds mindfulness and tai chi practices eased sleep problems, fatigue, and pain after cancer treatment

Article References: Study finds mindfulness and tai chi practices eased sleep problems, fatigue, and pain after cancer treatment. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

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Keywords: cancer survivorship, mindfulness, tai chi, qigong, sleep disturbance, fatigue, pain interference, clinical trial, finds, practices, eased, sleep