Voici un article intéressant datant de 2007 de

The Journal of Pain, Vol 8, No 11 (November), 2007: pp 827-831
Available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com

Désolé je ne vous traduirai pas en français.

Etudes faites par *Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Exeter, United Kingdom.
†Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, South Korea.

-On entend par Qi Gong Interne les mouvements pratiqués par les pratiquants eux-même
-On entend par Qi Gong Externe l’intervention d’un praticien qui dirige son QI sur le patient
-SHAM semble être une technique propore aux praticiens de Qi Gong Médical en Corée

Résultats cliniques visant à démontrer les effets du Qi Gong sur un panel de patients atteints de douleurs diverses (douleurs chroniques de personnes âgées et syndromes pré menstruel)
Tous les résultats prouvent l’effet inhibiteur du Qi Gong sur 141 patients comparé à des traitements allopatiques.

Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs)= Essai clinique sur des échantillons aléatoires

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External Qigong for Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials
Myeong Soo Lee,*,† Max H. Pittler,* and Edzard Ernst*

Abstract: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the clinical evidence of external qigong as a treatment option for pain conditions. Databases were searched up to January 2007. Randomized, clinical trials (RCTs) testing external qigong in patients with pain of any origin assessing clinical outcomes were considered. Trials using any type of control group were included. The selection of studies, data extraction, and validation were performed independently by at least 2 reviewers. One hundred forty-one potentially relevant studies were identified and 5 RCTs could be included. All RCTs of external qigong demonstrated greater pain reductions in the qigong groups compared with control groups. Meta-analysis of 2 RCTs showed a significant effect of external qigong compared with general care for treating chronic pain (Pain 100 mm VAS; weighted main differences, 36.3 mm; 95% CI, 22.8 to 49.8; P < .001; heterogeneity:  2   1.79, P   .18, I2   44.0%, n   80). The evidence from RCTs testing the effectiveness of external qigong for treating pain is encouraging. Further studies are warranted.

Perspective: This review of clinical studies focused on the efficacy of qigong, an energy-healing intervention used to prevent and cure ailments. A meta-analysis shows that evidence for the effectiveness of external qigong is encouraging, though further studies are warranted.

Pain is often difficult to adequately control, and treatment options include pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches. Because of the potential for adverse reactions to pharmacologic therapy, complementary therapies, which are often viewed as safer, are popular. Possible options include acupuncture, massage, and qigong.

Qigong is one energy-healing intervention used to pre- vent and cure ailments and to improve health through
External qigong has similarities with other energy healing modalities such as therapeutic touch, Reiki, and healing touch. Previous studies of energy healing re- ported positive treatment effects in pain control. Although qigong—neither itself nor its postulated mechanism of action—are within the paradigm of modern Western medical science, effects on the human body could be possible. The objective of this systematic review is to summarize and critically assess the evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of external qigong for pain management.

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Discussion
The evidence from RCTs of qigong for treating pain is positive. The results for external qigong the data suggest some effectiveness compared with sham and general care controls. However, the total number of trials included in our analysis and the total sample size are too small to distinguish between any nonspecific or specific effects, which preclude any firm conclusions.
External qigong was compared with various types of control interventions. Compared with general care con- trols14,29 such as hot packs and self-massage, external qigong reduced pain to some extent and may suggest some effectiveness. Alternatively it could merely depict the fact that both types of interventions are ineffective. Compared with sham,10,13 external qigong may reduce pain acutely and for some duration and may show effects beyond placebo. However, the treatment duration and sample size were too small, and further and larger trials are therefore required to test the effectiveness of exter- nal qigong for pain management.
In general, qigong consists of a physical routine, breathing practice, and meditation. For external qigong,the assumption is that with constant practice, a skilful qigong practitioner is able to emit qi energy to help break down qi blockages or balance the qi system. Sev- eral overviews of clinical studies3,4,16,20-22,27 as well as laboratory and animal experiments exist.3,4,27,28,30 Ex- ternal qigong has similar features as other forms of energy healing—for example, therapeutic touch, Reiki. The effect sizes (ES) of external qigong in this review (ES   1.53 compared with general care14,29 and 0.63 for placebo10,13) seem larger compared with those of similar therapies.2,24 However, due the use of different assess- ment measures for evaluating pain and the use of differ- ent controls, such comparisons are problematic.
One argument in favor of qigong for pain manage- ment is that it might be safer than conventional drug treatment. However, some studies reported that qigong may also be linked to adverse events such as abnormal psychosomatic responses and even mental disorders.Relative to those of standard drug treatments, these may be infrequent or even negligible. This systematic review focused on the effectiveness of qigong and thus adverse events were only assessed as reported in the included RCTs. A systematic safety review using adequate methodology is required.
The mechanisms that may be involved in qigong are hypothetical. An increase in the pain threshold combined with a relaxation effects and release of endorphins may be part of it.22,31
Future trials testing the efficacy of external qigong should test the health benefits and medical applications of qigong and adhere to rigorous trial designs that are adequately suited to the research question that is being asked.4 Such trials should preferably be randomized, control for placebo effect, have sample sizes based on proper power calculations, use validated primary outcome measures, and include a full description of the actual interventions that are being tested.7
Limitations of our review pertain to the potential in- completeness of the reviewed evidence. We aimed to all RCTs on the topic. The distorting effects on the system- atic reviews arsing from publication bias and location bias are well documented.5,6,8,19 Another limitation is that all relevant articles on external qigong were con- ducted in the department of one of the authors of this review (MSL). However, the literature was systematically searched by using transparent and reproducible methods and thus can be verified by independent groups. Further limitations include the paucity and the often suboptimal quality of the primary data. In conclusion, the evidence for the effectiveness of external qigong for treating pain is encouraging but not convincing. Further studies are warranted.

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