Tai Chi Qigong for Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Survivors
A study was conducted To explore the
changes in heart-rate variability (HRV) of survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer
(NPC) before, during, and after a Tai Chi (TC) Qigong exercise. Eleven survivors
of NPC participated voluntarily in the study. The heart rate of each
participant was measured continuously for 1 minute before the TC Qigong
intervention, during the 5-minute TC Qigong intervention, and for 1 minute
after the intervention, using a Polar heart-rate monitor. Spectral HRV was
expressed in terms of normalised low frequency (LF) power, normalised high
frequency (HF) power, and the low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) power ratio.
Both the LF-power and the HF-power components had significant time
effects. However, the time effect of the LF/HF power ratio was not significant.
Post hoc contrast analysis revealed a significant decrease in LF power and a
concomitant increase in HF power during the 4th minute and 5th minute of the TC
Qigong exercise. Five minutes of TC Qigong exercise was found to
improve HRV by increasing HF power and decreasing LF power, but these effects
were transient. TC Qigong might be an appropriate exercise for improving the
ANS function and psychological and cardiac health of survivors of NPC.
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