(Integrative Medicine) - The ancient Chinese practice of qigong may help heroin addicts lose their drug craving faster and more effectively than traditional detoxification methods, according to a recent study published in Alternative Therapies.

Researchers in China randomly assigned 86 male heroin addicts enrolled in a detoxification program to one of three groups for 10 days: (1) qigong, (2) detoxification drug, or (3) no treatment at all (except to treat very severe symptoms). The men were between the ages of 18 and 52 years with a history of heroin use ranging from 6 months to 11 years. The researchers found that symptoms of heroin withdrawal disappeared faster in the qigong group than in the other groups. This suggests that men who practiced qigong lost their craving for heroin faster than those who received medication or no treatment at all. By the third day of treatment, half of the qigong group had no detectable morphine in their urine (suggesting that their bodies were free of heroin) compared to 23% in the control group and only 8% in the medication group. Men in the qigong group also reported feeling less anxious and more able to sleep at night than those in the other groups.

"This study shows that qigong practice may accelerate the detoxification process, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and shorten recovery time," the researchers conclude. "Qigong may also combine the processes of detoxification and rehabilitation, because those treated by qigong therapy learn a reportedly powerful self-healing technique that is believed to increase their immune function, improve their oxygen metabolism, and possibly help them for the rest of their lives if they are persistent in practice."

References

Li M, Chen K, Mo Z. Use of qigong therapy in the detoxification of heroin addicts. Alternative Therapies. 2002;8(1):50-59.