Author(s)

Paulo Eduardo Ramos¹, Gislaine Cristina Abe^1*, Márcia Pradella-Hallinan^1,2, Abrahão Augusto Juviniano Quadros¹, Tan Tao^3,4, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira¹

¹Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurology, Division of Neuromuscular Disease Research, Clinic of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
²Department of Psychobiology, Sleep Institute, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
³Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TUTCM), Tianjin, China.
⁴Department of Tuina and Orthopedics, Tuina and Orthopedics Clinic, The First Teaching Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS) is a disorder in individuals who have had poliomyelitis, characterized by new muscle weakness and often associated with other symptoms, including cold intolerance (CI). Qigong is a Traditional Chinese Medicine technique to adjust energy and blood circulation. Objective: To verify the effects and late repercussions of Qigong on CI complaints in PPS patients. Methods: PPS patients (n = 22, 14 females, 8 males; ages 35 - 60) performed Qigong exercises in 40-minute sessions, three times per week, for three consecutive months. They were evaluated at baseline, the end of treatment and every three months for a year using a visual analogue scale adapted for CI (VAS-cold). Results: The systemic VAS-cold scores exhibited significant differences between the baseline, the end of treatment and throughout 12 months of follow-up. Conclusion: The CI scores were low and bearable at the end of intervention and for the following 12 months without activity.

Post-Poliomyelitis Syndrome, Qigong, Breathing Exercises, Public Health

Ramos, P. , Abe, G. , Pradella-Hallinan, M. , Quadros, A. , Tao, T. and Oliveira, A. (2018) Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Qigong on Cold Intolerance in Patients with Post-Poliomyelitis Syndrome. Health, 10, 56-68. doi: 10.4236/health.2018.101004.