Is Qigong Safe? Risks, Who Should Be Careful

What side effects does qigong have?

Reported problems are mostly minor and muscular.

Neck pain trials: NCCIH reports side effects in under 10% of people in two trials, similar with qigong and other exercise. They included muscle pain, soreness and headache.[1]
Stress trials: 3 of 9 trials reported on harms. Two found none. One found mild muscle soreness in 24% of the qigong group and 48% of the stretching group.[3]
Eight Brocades trials: in 47 trials with 3,877 people, 2 reported any adverse events. In people with chronic fatigue syndrome, these were mainly muscle aches, plus palpitations, dizziness, knee pain, backache, chest tightness and shortness of breath.[4]
Tai chi, the closest relative: in 153 trials, reported problems were typically minor, mainly knee and back pain, with no serious events reported as linked to the practice.[5]

Read these results with care. Only 22 of the 47 Eight Brocades trials described a plan for tracking harms,[4] and just a third of the tai chi trials reported any.[5] A 2026 review found no serious adverse events in the 18 reviews that covered them, and warned that uneven reporting limits what this can show.[6] The VA report behind that review rates small harms from tai chi in fall prevention as moderately certain, possibly 5 to 8 per 100 people. It also lists muscle soreness and vertigo in the qigong groups of a neck pain review.[7]

Can qigong cause mental health problems?

It can happen, though the link is hard to prove and the sources here give no reliable figure for how often. NCCIH notes reports of qigong-induced mental disorders that followed unrealistic expectations or inappropriate practice.[2] Psychiatric writers call this "qigong deviation".[8]

A study from China described 109 patients with mental disorders attributed to qigong, 47 of them with a schizophrenia-like picture. Perception, thinking and behavior were affected. Symptoms usually settled during short-term follow-up.[9]
A 1999 review concluded that a direct cause is hard to establish, and that practice may act as a stressor in vulnerable people.[8]
A review of meditation of many kinds, including qigong, collected 28 case reports. Half involved factors such as lack of sleep or food, past mental illness, stress or substance use.[10]

These are case reports and mostly old, so they cannot give a rate. They do support a sensible precaution. If you have had psychosis or mania, or are severely depressed, talk with your psychiatrist before starting. Avoid intense retreats and long unsupervised sessions. Stop and see a doctor if you feel confused, see or hear things others do not, or go days without sleep.

Who should not do qigong?

NCCIH names no group that must avoid it. The strictest source cited here, a German online pharmacy, advises skipping it after surgery, in pregnancy, on blood pressure medicine, in severe heat, or when you feel unwell and exhausted.[11] The table lists situations where guides advise asking first or waiting. They are precautions, and most do not come from trials.

Situation	What to do	Why
Pregnancy	Ask your OB or midwife. Some moves may need changing.	No safety research[1]
Chronic back problems or a hernia	Ask your provider first	Consumer guide advice[12]
New, severe or unexplained symptoms	See a doctor first	Practice should not delay care[1]
Acute illness, exhaustion, recent surgery	Wait until you are cleared	German online pharmacy[11]
Dizziness or blood pressure medicine	Ask first, and practice seated	Dizziness is reported;[4] pharmacy guidance[11]
Weak muscles, knee or hip damage	Start short and careful	Insurer advice for tai chi[13]
Balance problems, walker or wheelchair	Choose seated practice	Practice can be adapted[14]
Past psychosis, mania or severe depression	Ask your psychiatrist first	Case reports[8]

Keep taking your medicines as prescribed. Giving up conventional treatment for an alternative therapy alone may be unsafe.[15]

What are the disadvantages of qigong?

Low intensity. It will not build endurance or much strength, so add other exercise if you need those.[16]
Thinner research than tai chi. The qigong benefits page shows how little of the evidence covers qigong alone.
No regulation. No license or national standard applies to US teachers.[1]
Inflated promises. NCCIH lists unrealistic expectations among the factors behind the bad outcomes reported.[2]
Hard to self-correct. Germany's TK recommends a course with qualified guidance.[16]

If those trade-offs put you off, the qigong vs tai chi comparison may point to a better fit.

How do you choose a safe teacher?

Instructors need no license, and there is no national certification standard, so the checking falls to you.[1] Ask about training and experience, then look up the organization behind any certificate.[12] Ask whether they have worked with your health concern and can offer seated options.[17]

The National Qigong Association offers one yardstick: its instructor levels start at 200 documented training hours and rise through 350 and 500 to 1,000.[18]

Look elsewhere if a teacher promises to make an illness go away, tells you to stop a medicine or skip your doctor, or pushes you through pain or dizziness. The guide to finding a qigong class has more questions to ask.

When should you stop practicing?

Stop and sit down if you get sharp pain, chest tightness, palpitations, shortness of breath or dizziness. For severe chest pain or sudden severe shortness of breath, call 911. New or severe symptoms belong with a doctor, whether or not they started during practice. If soreness is your only complaint, make the movements smaller and practice for less time. For a gentle first routine, see qigong for beginners.

Is qigong safe? Risks and who should be careful