Qigong and a Tale of Two Back Complaints.

Chronic back pain is one of the leading causes of disability and decreased quality of life for people in both their personal and professional lives. In addition to modern medical intervention, many individuals seek relief through complementary and alternative therapies. This study was designed as a retrospective descriptive review presented as two case studies. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with two volunteer subjects of convenience who each had a medical diagnosis of chronic back pain. Both individuals practiced a daily, standardized regimen of 24-Posture Qigong. Both individuals experienced clinically significant symptomatic relief and functional benefit from their practice of qigong. Positive outcomes are theoretically attributed to relief of inflammation systemically and locally, reversal of sensitization and structural restorative reparation. These results provide justification for further prospective, controlled, long-term investigations.