Ho, Rainbow T H, Chan, Jessie S M, Wang, Chong-Wen et al. · Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2012 · DOI
This study tested whether qigong, a gentle Chinese exercise and breathing practice, could help people with chronic fatigue or ME/CFS. Sixty-four participants either did 4 months of qigong classes or waited on a list without treatment. People who did qigong reported feeling less tired and had better mood and mental function compared to those who waited, and their cells showed signs of increased telomerase activity, which may relate to cellular health.
This study provides evidence that an accessible, low-cost complementary therapy may help reduce fatigue and improve mental health in ME/CFS patients. The finding of increased telomerase activity—a marker associated with cellular longevity—suggests qigong may have measurable biological effects, potentially validating patient interest in mind-body interventions for this debilitating condition.
This study does not prove that qigong is a cure or that it works equally well for all ME/CFS patients. The increase in telomerase activity does not necessarily prove this change causes symptom improvement, only that both occurred together. It also does not establish whether benefits persist after the 4-month program ends or whether qigong is superior to other exercise interventions.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Ho, Rainbow T H, Chan, Jessie S M, Wang, Chong-Wen, Lau, Benson W M, So, Kwok Fai, Yuen, Li Ping, et al. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of qigong exercise on fatigue symptoms, functioning, and telomerase activity in persons with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome.. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9381-6
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-ho-2012-randomized-controlled,
author = {Ho, Rainbow T H and Chan, Jessie S M and Wang, Chong-Wen and Lau, Benson W M and So, Kwok Fai and Yuen, Li Ping and Sham, Jonathan S T and Chan, Cecilia L W},
title = {A randomized controlled trial of qigong exercise on fatigue symptoms, functioning, and telomerase activity in persons with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1007/s12160-012-9381-6},
note = {PubMed: 22736201},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/ho-2012-randomized-controlled},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/ho-2012-randomized-controlled
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