Background: Knee osteoarthritis is a common disease affecting a large number of old individuals worldwide. This study aimed to explore the effects of Baduanjin Qigong in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Fifty participants with knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 25). Participants in the experimental group received Baduanjin Qigong training for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week lasting 40 min per session. Participants in the control group did not receive any additional physical training. All of participants completed outcome (proprioception, postural stability, and functional ability) assessments at three time points (baseline, Week 8, 12). Results: Proprioception and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index function were statistically improved at eighth and 12th week of the intervention in the Baduanjin Qigong group (p < 0.05), while the control group did not have any significant changes. For postural stability at the anterior-posterior direction with eyes closed, Baduanjin Qigong group showed significant improvement compared to controls after the 12 weeks of intervention (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Regular Baduanjin Qigong practice helped the improvement of knee joint proprioception and postural stability, and reduction of pain, stiffness, and functional impairments of old adults with knee osteoarthritis. Well-designed randomized controlled trials with long-term assessment are needed. The trial was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-16010042). URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.aspx?id=10550.

Objectives. Baduanjin exercise is a form of Qigong exercise therapy that has become increasingly popular worldwide. The aims of the current systematic review were to summarize reported adverse events potentially associated with Baduanjin exercise based on currently available literature and to evaluate the quality of the methods used to monitor adverse events in the trials assessed. Methods. The English databases PubMed, Cochrane library, and EMbase were searched from inception to October 2020 using the keywords Baduanjin or eight session brocade. Only studies that included Baduanjin exercise therapy were included. Results. Forty-seven trials with a total of 3877 participants were included in this systematic review. Twenty-two studies reported protocols for monitoring adverse events, and two studies reported the occurrence of adverse events during training. The adverse events reported included palpitation, giddiness, knee pain, backache, fatigue, nervousness, dizziness, shoulder pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and muscle ache. Conclusions. Only two studies reported adverse events that were potentially caused by Baduanjin exercise. Adverse events related to Baduanjin exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome may include muscle ache, palpitation, giddiness, knee pain, backache, fatigue, nervousness, dizziness, shoulder pain, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Further studies conducted in accordance with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement guideline incorporating monitoring of adverse events are recommended. Additional clinical trials in which Baduanjin exercise is used as a main intervention are needed, and further meta-analysis may be required to assess its safety and reach more informed conclusions in this regard in the future.

Depression, an emotion regulation disorder, is a prevalent mental illness in the world. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been increasingly regarded as a promising and effective alternative therapy approach for patients with depression. Despite many years of research on depression, the current understanding of the pathological mechanism of depression based on TCM theories is still in its infancy. Due to the lack of scientific evidence in the past, TCM is not fully recognized by researchers around the world. This review firstly summarizes the pathogenesis and etiology of depression in terms of both Eastern and Western medical systems. Secondly, it adopts an integrated Eastern and Western approach to propose some plausible neurophysiological pathways linking the liver, spleen, and heart functions explicated in TCM theory. The aim of this theoretical review is to bridge the knowledge gap between Eastern and Western medicine, which may better explain the pathology of depression.

Objective: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has shown unique benefits in insomnia management, but existing bibliometric studies on TCM for insomnia remain fragmented. This study, through bibliometric methods, systematically maps the research landscape of TCM in insomnia management from 2005 to 2024, with the objective to explore research hotspots and developmental trends, thereby providing references for future studies.Methods: This study retrieved English-language literature on the treatment of insomnia with Traditional Chinese Medicine from 2005 to 2024 in the Science Core Collection. The included literature was imported into CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix R software packages to analyze annual publications, authors, countries/regions, institutions, journals, cited reference, and keywords, in order to explore the hotspots and trends in TCM treatment of insomnia.Results: A total of 738 articles were included. The number of annual publications in this field increased rapidly from 2016 to 2021. China was the country with the highest number of publications, among which Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were the top three institutions in terms of publication volume. Yeung, Wing-fai from Hong Kong Polytechnic University was the author with the highest number of publications. Medicine published 74 articles, the highest number among all journals. Journal of Ethnopharmacology and Sleep were, respectively, the most frequently cited and co-cited journals. The main keywords included sleep, randomized controlled trial, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, etc. The research hotspots mainly focused on acupuncture, chemical components, cancer-related insomnia, and depression-related insomnia. The research focus is transitioning from clinical efficacy to mechanism research, especially the study of the chemical components of traditional Chinese medicine through network pharmacology may be a future research trend. Moreover, this field is paying more attention to insomnia subtypes such as comorbid insomnia and secondary insomnia.Conclusion: TCM treatment of insomnia is receiving increasing attention. It shows unique advantages in reducing drug dependence and managing comorbid insomnia. In the future, the evidence-based development of TCM should be promoted through mechanism research, multidisciplinary collaboration, stratified intervention, and the transformation of high-impact evidence, providing an integrated solution for global insomnia management.