good to see it getting the exposure it deserves.
Printable View
good to see it getting the exposure it deserves.
that's a great article, it is appearing all over the place on the internet, even on medical journal sites.
I'm doing Qigong healing sessions since March and its been quadrupling each month!
People on the east coast are just getting into Qigong finally.
I've been have very dramatic results from it, I mean, my clients have been.
http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20...src=RSS_PUBLIC
Buddhist Meditation Boosts Concentration Skills
Study Shows Meditation Sharpens Attention and Improves Focus
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
July 15, 2010 -- People who learn how to meditate using Buddhist techniques not only may find a bit of peace in life, but also can improve their attention and focus a new study shows.
Psychologist Katherine A. MacLean, PhD, and other researchers, signed up 30 people with an average age of 49 to go on a three-month meditation retreat in Colorado. Another 30 people in a comparison group went on a similar retreat.
The participants studied meditation techniques, such as concentrating on breathing, with Buddhist scholar and co-researcher B. Alan Wallace, PhD, of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies.
All participants were aficionados of meditation and had been on retreats before, but this time they were taught how to concentrate and asked to complete various tests. Also, volunteers attended group sessions twice daily and engaged in individual meditative practice for about six hours.
At three points during the retreat, the volunteers took a 30-minute computer test, during which they watched the screen as lines of various lengths flashed randomly in front of them. Most lines were the same length, but sometimes a shorter one would appear.
Volunteers were instructed to respond by clicking the computer mouse when a shorter line appeared in a test to measure their visual attention span and their ability to make distinctions.
Researchers say that as meditation training progressed, the volunteers who received meditation training got better at spotting the short lines compared to those who didn't receive the training, suggesting it became easier to sustain attention.
The comparison group of volunteers went through identical training later and also improved concentration skills and the ability to differentiate the size of lines.
Lasting Improvements in Concentration
The improvement lasted for five months after the end of the retreat. Follow-up assessments were conducted five months after each retreat using laptop computers sent to the homes of participants.
"People may think meditation is something that makes you feel good and going on a meditation retreat is like going on vacation and you get to be at peace with yourself," MacLean says in a news release. "That's what people think until they try it. Then you realize how challenging it is to just sit and observe something without being distracted."
The tasks the volunteers performed lasted 30 minutes and were very demanding, according to MacLean, who worked on the study as a graduate student at the University of California, Davis.
"Because the task is so boring and yet is also very neutral, it's kind of a perfect index of meditation training," says MacLean, now of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
The study is published in the July 2010 issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
It's especially good for you if you wear white pants.Quote:
Qigong is the cheapest way to stay healthy: doctor
2011/01/05 21:33:46
http://focustaiwan.tw/WebEngPhotos/C...1010500451.jpg
Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) Qigong is one of the oldest and most economical ways of maintaining good health, a doctor said Wednesday at a press conference held to promote Chinese medicine.
The practice of qigong, which dates back to the rule of the legendary Chinese Emperor Yao in 2356 B.C., is not as difficult as most people might think, said Lin Kung-yi, a physician from Taipei City Hospital's Department of Chinese Medicine.
"People associate martial arts sects with exaggerated movements, which is not all correct, " said Lin, adding that the fundamentals of qigong are easy to grasp and learn.
Abdominal breathing, for example, is one of the three fundamentals of qigong and keeps the internal organs in good condition, he said.
Although qigong is classified as alternative medicine, its healing effects have been documented in many historical manuscripts and modern scientific journals, Lin said.
He urged the Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy to include Chinese medicine in textbooks so as to popularize the qigong practice, which he said is cost effective.
Wait.....Wait.....Wait.......... let me get this straight! These people were taught how to practice concentrating and the news is, their concentration improved?
So......what we have really learned is NOT that Buddhist Meditation improves concentration, but that PRACTICING CONCENTRATION improves concentration!
Oh yeah....and we have learned that, there are plenty of idiots out there who will fund an idiotic study in order for idiots to study other idiots and prove that other idiots will believe the idiotic study is not idiotic!
And these people call themselves scientists?
So let me figure this one out! If I teach someone how to do pushups and then have them practice doing pushups, they'll be able to do more pushups? Is that right?
Do you think I could get an idiot to give me a grant for a study too?
quiet you; don't you know that when it comes to studies involving qigong or meditation that subjecting them to rational analysis is to simply underscore your failure to understand the truth about these sorts of things? which is that, when studies show that these things "work", then it's just scientists regurgitating what Ancient Taoists already knew billions of years ago, and when the studies don't show that they "work", it's because these sorts of things can't be adequately measured by scientific studies...
Other people are getting them. Why not you? ;)
This isn't quite scholarly...it's Reuters.
Quote:
Qigong: mindful movement made in China
By Dorene Internicola
NEW YORK | Mon Feb 7, 2011 10:43am EST
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - If yoga is all the rage, can Qigong be far behind?
Sometimes called Chinese yoga, Qigong is a mind-body practice that melds slow graceful movements, mental focus and deep abdominal breathing to boost and balance a person's vital energy, or "qi".
As China's star rises in the west, devotees believe this 5,000-year-old energy cultivation system is poised to become the new kid on the block among rat racers hungry for a more serene form of fitness.
"As China becomes more of a player in the world, Chinese practice is becoming more mainstream," said Matthew Cohen, creator of the Tai Chi & Qi Gong Basics DVD, "just as yoga became popular when the Beatles went to India."
Cohen, an instructor at Sacred Energy Arts in Santa Monica, California, said unlike in India, yoga in the west has come to favor the athletic at the expense of the meditative.
"The world is getting more crowded, cars and computers getting faster," he said. "Qigong is about going slower, so internally you create space."
Tom Rogers, president of the Qigong Institute, a nonprofit educational organization, said Qigong is the precursor to all Chinese energy practices.
"Tai Chi is the most well known moving form of Qigong. Kung Fu is also a form of Qigong," Rogers said from his home in Los Altos, California
Rogers added that the idea of energy cultivation is foreign to westerners but common to other cultures.
"Look at e=mc2," Rogers said of Einstein's insight that matter and energy are different forms of the same thing.
"In the west we look at mass," he said. "Western physics made weapons. The east looks at energy."
The slow, spiral exercises of Qigong, such as Rolling the Ball or Wave Hands in the Cloud, require no equipment, can be done anywhere, and are easy to learn.
"I call it getting an MBA: Movement, Breathing and Awareness," Rogers said. "One is adjusting your posture so energy flow is better; two is slow, deep, abdominal breathing; three is awareness, or trying to get thoughts out of your head."
Balance, posture, breath control and relaxation are among the benefits of Qigong, according to Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.
She said some research trials have also reported statistically significant decreases in the incidence of stroke, decreased blood pressure, and increases in bone mineral density and improved effectiveness of cancer therapy among practitioners.
"Exercise is not just about going on the treadmill or lifting weights," Matthews explained.
Rogers said as you become more adept, the benefits increase.
"Like an onion you peel the layers back and there's more and more to it: movements are more fluid, posture is better, energy is flowing, breathing is more efficient with movement," he said. "As your awareness deepens you're distracted by less and less."
He added that every chronic illness on the planet is affected by stress.
"Connect with that healer within. Turn that on," Rogers added.
There are several spelling errors in this article, but we have spelling errors all the time, so who am I to talk?
Quote:
Third-Grader Heals Friends with Qigong
Leif Reffsgaard uses millennia-old Chinese therapy
Updated: Wednesday, 02 Mar 2011, 8:53 AM CST
Published : Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 11:40 PM CST
by Scott Wasserman / FOX 9 News
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. - Some call a Chinese healing tool called Quigong “needle-less acupuncture,” but to one St. Louis Park third-grader using the practice to heal his friends, it’s magic.
Getting lost in a different world isn’t hard for 8-year-old Leif Reffsgaard and Paul Krenik, who both love Harry Potter.
“I just think magic is really cool,” Reffsgaard said.
Magic is usually saved for the imagination, but in his life, Reffsgaard is using an ancient Chinese teaching that he said often makes him feel like Harry.
“I feel like I'm a wizard using the healing spell,” Reffsgaard said.
Reffsgaard said he has used Qigong many tomes to help heal injured friends, including Krenik, who recently fell and hurt his leg in gym class.
“At first, I was like, ‘How on earth is he going to heal me?’ when it was hurting,” Krenik recalled. “When he used it, I was like, ‘Woah, what just happened?’”
Krenik described the feeling of the treatment as being everything he liked, a soft blanket hitting the pain. For Reffsgaard, there’s more in it for him than just the satisfaction of a job well done.
“When I help others, it makes me feel happy,” Reffsgaard said.
To understand Qigong, FOX 9 News spoke with Reffsgaard’s teacher, Master Chunyi Lin. Lin has studied the art for more than 30 years.
“QI means energy, gong means work,” Lin explained. “Working with the body’s energy -- that's what Qigong is all about.”
There are two types Qigong. First, the external type where a master helps to improve another person’s flow of energy.
“A person sends out energy through the heart to help others to clear the energy blockages -- clear the aches and pains,” Lin said.
Deanne Kroll said she came to Lin more than a decade ago with headaches that wouldn’t go away, and he demonstrated how he helped her feel.
“I’m going to send out energy from my heart to help you unplug those energy blockages,” Lin explained. “You might feel a tingly sensation here or there.”
Lin said he knows that just by looking at it, Qigong can appear to be hokey, but a recent study at the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic found that people suffering from chronic pain felt significantly better after weeks of external Qigong treatments.
According to Lin, the extra energy provided via Qigong can help provide protection to prevent illnesses in the body.
Now, what was once an ancient Chinese secret only known by Qigong masters, Lin has developed Spring Forest Qigong so that people can help heal themselves with internal Qigong.
“Everybody was born with this gift,” Lin said. “So, you can help yourself and others to heal.”
Lin said that is the unique aspect of his internal art, and said practicing Qigong for just 10 minutes each day can improve a person’s quality of life and give practitioners more energy.
As for believing in the process, Lin said children like Reffsgaard are quick learners because they are often more open to what appears impossible.
“The most powerful healing energy in the universe is love, unconditional love. His love is so pure,” said Lin of Reffsgaard . “He wants to help others. He used the techniques, and it works.”
At 8 years old, Reffsgaard has now practiced Qigong for four years and said he intends to keep using his wizardry to help himself and his friends.
This is a new study published in the medical journal "Spine"
Qigong vs Exercise vs No Therapy for Patients with Chronic Neck Pain
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/739028?src=nl_topic
Eric Hunstad
www.OldSchoolKungFuNow.com
Here in the West, we seem to feel that disease begins with symptoms. Physicians will tell you that the disease process begins much earlier, at a cellular level, which is only logical. To the Chinese, disease begins with a disruption in energy flow (qi) through the meridian system. Qigong is designed to make that energy flow return to normal.
…
Scientific investigation has discovered four types of energy emitted from the hands of a Qigong master: infra-red, magnetic, electrical, and acoustical. The Infratronic CGM machine, said to be a Qigong acoustical energy emitter, came out in the early nineties and sells for around $500.
From Immune Perspectives, Spring, 1994, in an article entitled "Qigong And Cancer," by Dr. Feng Lida, one of China’s most famous cancer researchers, she tells of a study involving 123 patients with advanced cancer. Except for one group who practiced Qigong exercises for two hours daily, all the factors were the same: same food, same drugs, same nurses and doctors. At the end of three months, here were the results:
Experimental Group Control
Group
Regain strength 81.7% 10%
Improved appetite 63% 10%
Free of diarrhea or irregular defecation. 33.3% 6%
Body weight increase more than 3 kg. 50.54% 13.3%
Body weight decrease more than 3 kg. 5.4% 30%
Phagocytic rate of macrophages. Increased
12.31% Decreased 7.87%
Additionally, Dr Lida states, "It has been observed that in the [experimental] group, the erythrocyte sedimentation of 23 [patients] and the hepatic [liver] function of 20 of the 93 patients returned to normal. . . . In the control group, there were only three patients with normalized erythrocyte sedimentation, and two patients with normalized hepatic function out of the 30 . . . cases."
Normalized erythrocyte sedimentation means that there is no sign of the inflammatory process in the body. The liver is one of the most important organs in battling cancer.
One important note about Qigong exercises, beyond the overall improvement in cancer patients performing them, is that there are no side effects whatsoever.
http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/qigong/qigong2.htm
Interesting teaser. We should do that with our magazine. Unfortunately we aren't research based in the same way.Quote:
New Research Shows Qi-Gong Helps Control Diabetes
posted:10/23/2011
In news that can apply to both massage therapist self-care and better health for the general population, a recent study indicates that practicing qi-gong helps control diabetes symptoms.
The study showed that people with elevated blood glucose levels who participated in 12 weeks of qi-gong mind-body therapy experienced a significant decrease in insulin resistance, along with reductions in weight and waist circumference, as well as improved leg strength.
The November issue of MASSAGE Magazine will feature a full report on the study, "Qi-Gong Mind-Body Therapy and Diabetes Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial."
There are far too many problems within the research community to actively consider the role of qigong in cancer amelioration. As a start here are some problems:
a. Patients are usually not stratified per their disease condition. They lump everyone together and then give minimum details.
b. They leave out the allopathic intervention, or the TCM combined western medicine portion, etc and this gives the impression that qigong cured the 'problem'.
c. Timing of tests are suspect to the extent that the x interval in the studies are left out. As an example, when you have cancers, laboratory tests tend to be done more frequently with a research environment when compared to trials with rheumatoid arthritis.
I realize that qigong can be an excellent complementary method but as of now, too many experts not documenting the actual effect taking place and this tends to make the qigongologists (teachers of qigong technology) something of a laughing stock because of lack of documentation
My analyses of some of the above
...disease begins with a disruption of energy flow....
I would instead note that a root level of modern diseases begins in the mouth and made so by uninformed eating habits, decreased nutritional value of foods and marketing of aforementioned foods. This disrupts circadian patterns, which in turn will affect 'energy''. Excess is the main problem!
...qigong will make the energy flow normal.....
OK. Changing eating patterns involves more than qigong. There has to be a learning process to choose the necessary types of food, with the how and why associated with choice(s) to make all this relevant. Obesity----NIDDM---hypertension---all of these involve retraining ourselves as opposed to infec tious diseases, which is pandemic in parts of the undeveloped world, which is actually disease (life threatening) as opposed to our chronic condition, though not serious, can cut short quality of life.
...who practiced qigong exercises...
The main points here are as follows:
a. What were the exercise?
b. What was the name of the system practiced?
c. Practice duration and time!
...what does it mean .. one group regained strength.....
What were the measures
If there is an increased appetitie, then this is good, which would explain the weight increase.. Weight decrease can mean 2 additional things i.e. patient's conditioning is worsening, or they werre in the high range of excessive weight and said weight decreased!
These type of studies usually utilize SF36 that address most components of physical and mental doamins plus the mapping of changes to ascertain quality of life.
Qigong can assist in healing and definitely produces a sense of well being in the practitioner.
I believe disease starts when a foreign invader enters the body (virus/bacteria) or when a set of genes turns on or off that cause repercussions in the system.
It is quite therapeutic in practice and is like giving yourself an internal massage.
there are intangibles to practice as well that don't apply to everyone.
results are not quick, don't expect that.
This article, which is mostly another PRC web he-said-she-said piece, will sit well here on our forum, yes?
Quote:
'Official' panacea cure under fire
Updated:2012-05-25 17:10
(chinadaily.com.cn / Xinhua)
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/i...112991772a.jpg
Editor's note:
Finding an economical and effective way to help combat disease is a challenge for every society. China is no exception and is sparing no effort to step up medical reform.
However, one case has sparked a fierce debate online. Liu Weizhong, director of the Gansu Health Department and known for actively promoting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), promoted qigong as an affordable way to help people in the relatively underdeveloped areas keep fit.
Invincible kung fu?
'Official' panacea cure under fire
Myth: The Health Department of Gansu Province organized a nine-day qigong course for health officials and medical workers this month. "After the qigong training, 41 of the 47 practitioners have successfully opened up Conception Vessel (ren mai) and Governor Vessel (du mai)," said a statement posted on the department's official website on Tuesday.
"They feel vigorous after the accomplishment. Their old diseases are now relieved or cured, and their diet, sleep, and bowel movement are back to normal," it said.
Popular kung fu fictions mention that martial arts masters -- often practitioners of qigong -- become undefeatable after opening up the two vessels. But it requires years or even decades to accomplish this.
'Official' panacea cure under fireOnline response: Chinese netizens fought back with negative comments.
One writer going by the name "Da Xia" asked whether Liu was a kung fu master or a health official.
Others wondered why medical workers would be practicing kung fu instead of practicing medicine.
"If they're capable of doing that, I really hope these health officials can teach everyone in this country this skill so no one will get sick again," said a netizen screenamed Huluyao Lulu.
'Official' panacea cure under fireExperts view: Li Yingcong, a professor at the Gansu Institute of TCM, said qigong is not as magical as described in kung fu novels.
"As an important stage in qigong exercises, opening up the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel means letting the 'qi' inside one's body flow freely to coordinate Yin and Yang, but there is no way of telling whether one's two vessels are opened up or not because it's just a feeling of the practitioner, " Li said.
'Official' panacea cure under fireSelf-defense: Liu Weizhong, director of the Gansu Health Department and the man behind the nine-day qigong course, said the practice is not as mysterious as it sounds.
"We've all been reading kung fu novels and watching kung fu movies since we were kids. Because of the misleading information in those novels, many of us think that opening up the two vessels is a very difficult thing to do, but I want to tell you . . . it is not supernatural kung fu," Liu said in a weibo post.
The Gansu health department said that misunderstanding over the qigong claim was a result of insufficient work to introduce TCM theories among the public.
Pig foot soup?
'Official' panacea cure under fireMyth: Liu Weizhong, 54, was given the nickname "pig foot director" by netizens after advocating the medical benefits of pig feet on his microblog account.
Liu has more than one million microblog followers.
"We had 340 patients here after the fatal landslide in Zhouqu (in Gansu province) and the fatal earthquake in Yushu (in Qinghai province). All of them had my pig foot soup and recovered soon," said Liu, who has a medical license and studied medicine at the Lanzhou Medicine College in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, from 1978 to 1982.
"Patients with serious ailments need nutritious food like pig feet soup. I never said that the soup was a type of medicine, only that it enhanced the effect of medicine," Liu said.
'Official' panacea cure under fireExperts view: "It is dangerous to feed pig foot soup to patients. The soup can easily cause stress ulcers in their digestive systems," according to Xiao Ji, a postgraduate student of clinical medicine at Shanghai Communication University's School of Medicine.
Zhu Lijia, a professor from the Chinese Academy of Governance, said government officials should be careful on the Internet due to their special positions.
"Their words could have unexpected consequences," he said.
His blogs might possibly mislead the public, as they may believe that the Gansu provincial government is supporting Liu's recommendations, according to Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance.
'Official' panacea cure under fireSelf-defense: Liu was quick to apologize after the incident of pig feet.
"I lack experience. Netizens are welcome to raise suggestions regarding the local health department's work, as well as questions about the development of traditional Chinese medicine," he wrote.
Liu said in his micro blog that all his attempts were intended to find a simple and affordable way to help people in the relatively underdeveloped areas keep fit.
"I am already in my 50s and willing to sacrifice my political career for the development of traditional Chinese medicine and the benefits of the patients,” Liu wrote.
Being a qigong practitioner myself, I wish they were a little more specific in defining a modified version of Chinese medical qigong. We published the The Shanghai Medical Qigong Exercises by Shaun McCorkell (in two parts). I wonder if this is the same system.Quote:
UT MD Anderson study finds qigong improves quality of life for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy
Results underscore growing benefits of mind body practices in oncology
MD Anderson News Release 01/25/13
Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D.
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found qigong, an ancient mind-body practice, reduces depressive symptoms and improves quality of life in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer.
The study, published in the journal Cancer, is the first to examine qigong in patients actively receiving radiation therapy and include a follow-up period to assess benefits over time. Even though individual mind-body practices such as meditation and guided imagery appear to reduce aspects of distress and improve quality of life, questions remain about their effectiveness when conducted in conjunction with radiation therapy.
"We were also particularly interested to see if qigong would benefit patients experiencing depressive symptoms at the start of treatment," said Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson's Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science and director of the Integrative Medicine Program. "It is important for cancer patients to manage stress because it can have a profoundly negative effect on biological systems and inflammatory profiles."
For the trial, Cohen, the corresponding author, and his colleagues enrolled 96 women with stage 1-3 breast cancer from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in Shanghai, China. Forty-nine patients were randomized to a qigong group consisting of five 40-minute classes each week during their five-to-six week course of radiation therapy, while 47 women comprised a waitlist control group receiving the standard of care.
The program incorporated a modified version of Chinese medical qigong consisting of synchronizing one's breath with various exercises. As a practice, qigong dates back more than 4,000 years when it was used across Asia to support spiritual health and prevent disease.
Participants in both groups completed assessments at the beginning, middle and end of radiation therapy and then one and three months later. Different aspects of quality of life were measured including depressive symptoms, fatigue, sleep disturbances and overall quality of life.
Results show benefits emerged over time
Patients in the qigong group reported a steady decline in depressive symptom scores beginning at the end of radiation therapy with a mean score of 12.3, through the three month post-radiation follow-up with a score of 9.5. No changes were noted in the control group over time.
The study also found qigong was especially helpful for women reporting high baseline depressive symptoms, Cohen said.
"We examined women's depressive symptoms at the start of the study to see if women with higher levels would benefit more," Cohen said. "In fact, women with low levels of depressive symptoms at the start of radiotherapy had good quality of life throughout treatment and three months later regardless of whether they were in the qigong or control group. However, women with high depressive symptoms in the control group reported the worst levels of depressive symptoms, fatigue, and overall quality of life that were significantly improved for the women in the qigong group."
As the benefits of qigong were largely observed after treatment concluded, researchers suggest qigong may prevent a delayed symptom burden, or expedite the recovery process especially for women with elevated depressive symptoms at the start of radiotherapy.
Cohen notes the delayed effect could be explained by the cumulative nature of these modalities, as the benefits often take time to be realized.
Future research needed
The authors note several limitations to the study, including the absence of an active control group making it difficult to rule out whether or not the effects of qigong were influenced by a patient's expectations or simply being a light exercise. Additionally, the ****geneity of the group, Chinese women at a single site, limits the ability of applying the results to other populations.
According to the authors, the findings support other previously reported trials examining qigong benefits, but are too preliminary to offer clinical recommendations. Additional work is needed to understand the possible biological mechanisms involved and further explore the use of qigong in ethnically diverse populations with different forms of disease.
This work was supported through National Cancer Institute grants R21CA108084, U19CA121503 and CA016672. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
In addition to Cohen, MD Anderson authors on the paper include: Zhongxing Liao, M.D., Department of Radiation Oncology; Qi Wei, Integrative Medicine Program and Kathrin Milbury, Ph.D., Department of Behavioral Science. Other authors include Zhen Chen, M.D., Jiayi Chen, M.D., Zhiqiang Meng, M.D., Ph.D., Wenying Bei, M.D., Ying Zhang, Xiaoma Guo, Luming Liu, M.D., Ph.D., all of Fudan University Cancer Hospital; Jennifer McQuade, M.D., Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Clemens Kirschbaum, Ph.D., Dresden University of Technology; and Bob Thornton, Merck & Co., Inc (on MD Anderson staff when research was conducted).
Gene,
There are quite a few 'qigong' routines that help with subjective quality of life (QOL) in all disease states. They dont all work for the same person but if one show a propensity for it and they enjoy the specific routine, then it is great.
1. waitankung
2. baduanjin
3. wuqinxi
4. 8 shi taijiquan
5. yoga
6. pilates
But this is claiming to be scientifical so specifics count. There is such a wide range of qigong (there's a wide range of yoga for that matter) that it's sloppy science if the specific routine within the study isn't specified.
Follow the link for the entire article. EQT is mentioned, but I don't know much about that curriculum aside from that it is commonly used for studies. Anyone familiar with EQT?
Quote:
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
A Pilot Study of Qigong for Reducing Cocaine Craving Early in Recovery
To cite this article:
David Smelson, Kevin W. Chen, Douglas Ziedonis, Ken Andes, Amanda Lennox, Lanora Callahan, Stephanie Rodrigues, and David Eisenberg. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. February 2013, 19(2): 97-101. doi:10.1089/acm.2012.0052.
Published in Volume: 19 Issue 2: February 14, 2013
Online Ahead of Print: July 3, 2012
Author information
David Smelson, PsyD,1,2 Kevin W. Chen, PhD, MPH,3 Douglas Ziedonis, MD, MPH,2 Ken Andes, MS, LAc,4 Amanda Lennox, BA,1,2 Lanora Callahan, MS,5 Stephanie Rodrigues, PhD,1,2 and David Eisenberg, MD6
1Center for Health, Quality, Outcomes & Economic Research, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA.
2Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA.
3Center for Integrative Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD.
4Private Traditional Chinese Medicine Practice, Ramsey, NJ.
5Veterans Healthcare Administration, Lyons, NJ.
6Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.
Address correspondence to:
David Smelson, PsyD
Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
200 Springs Road (152)
Bedford, MA 01730
E-mail: david.smelson@va.gov
ABSTRACT
Objectives: This pilot study examined the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and determined the effect sizes of external qigong therapy (EQT) in reducing cue-elicited cocaine craving and associated symptoms among recently abstinent cocaine-dependent (CD) individuals.
Methods: This study randomized 101 CD subjects to either a real EQT (n=51) or sham EQT control (n=50) group. Subjects underwent a baseline assessment and a weekly cue-exposure session for 2 weeks. Total EQT or sham treatments ranged from 4 to 6 sessions in 2 weeks.
Results: EQT-treated subjects displayed a greater reduction in cue-elicited craving (p=0.06) and symptoms of depression (p<0.05) with medium effect sizes.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of delivering EQT among CD individuals early in residential treatment. Future research should include a larger sample and examine the mechanisms and potential longitudinal benefits of EQT.
Not necessarily. There does seem to be a link between stress and cancer, mainly in hormone levels such as cortisol. Really cortisol is only good for a couple things, which modern life rarely finds us in. For anything else, glucocorticoids usually cause more problems than good.
So in that, ANYTHING that can reduce stress can potentially aid in cancer treatment. Given that there's no confirmed link between qigong and aiding in cancer treatment other than improved quality of life, it really might not matter what qigong they are doing. It might not even matter that they're doing qigong at all vs. some other form of exercise/stress relief.
Accuracy is great and all, but before that can be addressed the qigong researchers/proponents need to take a few more steps back and validate the basic fundamentals of qigong before we can start worrying about which one they're doing.
There are some very major problems with this. First off, all their metrics used are subjective questionnaire or interview. And while 2 of the questionnaires are used in typical psychiatric research with addiction, there is absolutely no objective measure to go along side in this case.
Furthermore, their sample size is nonexistent. They've made a very basic design error. They claim to have a sample of n=101. But in actuality, its only 5. This is because while they are trying to measure the subjective response of the cocaine addict, the actual variable at play is the "healer." Of which there are 2 "healers" and 3 "shams." This is because the patient does nothing, takes no medication, etc. The design has the "healer" doing the treatment, energy manipulation. It would be like having 2 physical therapists and 3 phonies treating patients. What is at play isn't so much the injury of the patient (although their circumstances are important) but rather the skill of the therapist and the efficiency of that therapist's technique/treatments. When you're working with a drug for example, you can accurately standardize the active ingredient concentration across the board, removing that variable. Here, you can't. And they've mistaken what they're actual predictor variable really is. They're pseudo-replicating their experiment.
And it only gets worse when you look at what the actual treatment was...
http://online.liebertpub.com/action/...Facm.2012.0052
Sorry, but that's just nonsense. They need to go back and find out if voodoo hand waving does anything at all before they can make claims about specific treatment uses. Beyond this point, I didn't bother to read much further.
There may be some use in qigong in treating craving, but its not going to be this chi ball nonsense and its likely going to have to be the patient participating oneself. Addiction is a medical matter related to biochemical changes from drug use. Craving is a matter of habit.
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147192...-to-break-them
Exercise, in general, is one of those good "super habits."
Funny how they have to redefine terms to stay relevant. People can benefit from all sorts of things. Just because some of the methods are in some way legit doesn't mean you should be excused for having the wrong explanation as to why and how it works.
We all remember Aether from like 8th grade. Just because the basic principle turned out to be somewhat correct when put into a certain context does not excuse the fact that it was basically wrong in so so so many ways.
Whatever works. :)
Quote:
Qigong Lowers Depression Symptoms In Breast Cancer Patients
Meditating with Qigong has been shown to lower symptoms of depression in women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer.
By Anthony Rivas | May 26, 2013 04:14 PM EDT
Qigong, a Chinese meditation technique that combines fluid movements and breathing, has long been valued for its calming, balance-restoring effect on the body. Recently published in the journal Cancer, a study has found that practicing qigong may reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life of women who are receiving radiotherapy to treat their breast cancer.
Qigong involves coordinating slow, dance-like movements with breathing in order to achieve a healthy flow of energy, or qi, throughout the body. It is focused more on longevity, stress reduction, and improved health through mind and body, according to The New York Times.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center followed 96 Chinese women in Shanghai over the course of five to six weeks of radiotherapy. Half of the women were assigned to a qigong group, while the other half received standard treatment. Women in the qigong group reported less symptoms of depression at the end of radiotherapy than the women who received standard care. Furthermore, women who reported being the most depressed at the beginning of the study showed the steepest decline in depressive symptoms, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"It is important for cancer patients to manage stress because it can have a profoundly negative effect on biological systems and inflammatory profiles," said Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, professor in MD Anderson's Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science.
According to the American Cancer Society, up to one in four people with cancer develop clinical depression.
Cohen directs the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson. Integrative medicine is distinct from alternative medicine, which he says consists of unproven treatments in place of traditional care, and complementary medicine, which consists of unprove treatments in addition to traditional care. He says that integrative medicine is more of a philosophy of care, a way for the doctor to focus on the person as a whole.
"We focus on the relation between the practitioner and the patients, and we are informed by evidence — we don't want to be prescribing things to our patients for which there is no evidence of safety or of benefit," he said. "Also, in integrative medicine we seek to make use of all possible avenues for healing that may work."
Cohen believes that one day qigong and other mind-body practices will be integrated to the point that they are just another part of standard care.
"Ideally, we would work at the whole level," he said. "We would work to get that person's body that has become hospitable to cancer to be as inhospitable as possible going forward."
Source: Chen Z, Meng Z, Milbury K, Bei W, Zhang Y, Thornton B, Liao Z, Wei Q, Chen J, Guo X, Liu L, McQuade J, Kirschbaum C, Cohen L. Qigong improves quality of life in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Cancer. May 2013.
Qigong lowers blood pressure:
http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturi...e/792-qigongbp
Amazing how much benefit just the external qigong forms can give people. Add in the skills to boot and its truly breathtaking the results that can be gained.
Follow the link to find the complete study. They implemented Wu Xing Ping Heng Gong 五行平衡功 for this.
Quote:
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:485341. doi: 10.1155/2013/485341. Epub 2013 Jul 31.
Effects of qigong exercise on fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness: a randomized controlled trial.
Chan JS, Ho RT, Wang CW, Yuen LP, Sham JS, Chan CL.
Source
Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Abstract
Background. Anxiety/depressive symptoms are common in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome- (CFS-) like illness. Qigong as a modality of complementary and alternative therapy has been increasingly applied by patients with chronic illnesses, but little is known about the effect of Qigong on anxiety/depressive symptoms of the patients with CFS-like illness. Purpose. To investigate the effects of Qigong on fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in patients with CFS-illness. Methods. One hundred and thirty-seven participants who met the diagnostic criteria for CFS-like illness were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group received 10 sessions of Qigong training twice a week for 5 consecutive weeks, followed by home-based practice for 12 weeks. Fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Results. Total fatigue score [F(1,135) = 13.888, P < 0.001], physical fatigue score [F(1,135) = 20.852, P < 0.001] and depression score [F(1,135) = 9.918, P = 0.002] were significantly improved and mental fatigue score [F(1,135) = 3.902, P = 0.050] was marginally significantly improved in the Qigong group compared to controls. The anxiety score was not significantly improved in the Qigong group. Conclusion. Qigong may not only reduce the fatigue symptoms, but also has antidepressive effect for patients with CFS-like illness. Trial registration HKCTR-1200.
here's an interesting research paper about Qigong and cancer therapy:
http://www.qigonginstitute.org/html/...wQG4Cancer.pdf
The studies shows promise but what impacted me negatively in the "Problems and Limitations" section was the commentary that "Qigong may be an alternative for Western medicin"e and this is blatently false in all regards. Qigong is positively part of complementary strategy and adjunct therapy but can never be called alternative since the latter implies in place of, which is nonsensical.Quote:
here's an interesting research paper about Qigong and cancer therapy:
http://www.qigonginstitute.org/html/...wQG4Cancer.pdf
Even Guo Lin went through the allopathic phase since she was diagnosed by an MD and had numerous surgeries. All of her students went through the same stage of fact finding and soul searching and they realized that they had to make a lifelong change, whatever that may have entailed. Qigong is definitely positive but it cannot be used instead of, or cannot replace allopathic medicine.
I guess one can call qigong yin and allopathic medicine yang, part of a total care paradigm!
I am a believer of qigong, and have been practicing it for years. I've also seen how the exercise has helped people with serious illness like cancer. It is, however, a supplement so you should not expect to see miracles. The better way is to do the exercise and seek medical advice as and when necessary. If you are patience and allow it time, it works.
I do echo your concerns. Qigong is not a cure for cancer, it is a way to make your body stronger to help you fight the medical conditions. If you start doing it too late - say at the advance stage of cancer, it may not be as effective. Even then, I have seen people healed with the use of qigong. In these cases, the healing results not only from the control of chi, that also the mental strengths brought forth by the focus of mind and the determination to overcome the medical conditions.
As always, I'm curious what form of qigong, but this is just the abstract so that detail might be within the full report.Quote:
October 2013
Levels of fatigue and distress in senior prostate cancer survivors enrolled in a 12-week randomized controlled trial of Qigong
Rebecca A. Campo,
Neeraj Agarwal,
Paul C. LaStayo,
Kathleen O’Connor,
Lisa Pappas,
Kenneth M. Boucher,
Jerry Gardner,
Sierra Smith,
Kathleen C. Light,
Anita Y. Kinney
Abstract
Purpose
Fatigue is a commonly reported symptom by prostate cancer survivors and is associated with significant distress and declines in quality of life. Qigong is a mind–body activity that consists of both physical activity and meditative aspects. This 12-week randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a Qigong intervention for improving older prostate cancer survivors' levels of fatigue and distress.
Methods
Forty older (median age = 72, range = 58–93), fatigued (cut-off value of ≥1 on the CTCAEv4.0, >20 on a fatigue grading scale), and sedentary (<150 min of moderate exercise/week) prostate cancer survivors were randomized to 12 weeks of Qigong or stretching classes. Primary outcomes were feasibility (i.e., retention and class attendance rates) and fatigue [Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue)], and secondary outcome was distress [Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18)].
Results
Study retention rates did not significantly differ between study groups (Qigong = 80 %, stretching = 65 %, p = 0.48). The Qigong group had significantly higher class attendance than the stretching group (p = 0.04). The Qigong group had significantly greater improvements in the FACIT-Fatigue (p = 0.02) and distress (i.e., BSI-18 Somatization, Anxiety, & Global Severity Index, p's < 0.05), than the Stretching group.
Conclusions
This 12-week Qigong intervention was feasible and potentially efficacious in improving senior prostate cancer survivors' levels of fatigue and distress levels. Future, larger definitive randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these benefits in older prostate cancer survivors and in racially and ethnically diverse populations.
Implications for cancer survivors
Qigong may be an effective nonpharmacological intervention for the management of senior prostate cancer survivors' fatigue and distress.
That study looks interesting!
E-mail address to the corresponding author is at the bottom left of the document here
http://link.springer.com/static-cont...0315-5/000.png
It's likely she'd fill you in on the qigong method used if you email her. I'd be interested in the answer as well.
So, I for some reason this sub-forum is some kind of botched with threads appearing in one screen and not in another. But I'll be ****ed if my long ass response goes un-completed because of something with a thread disappearing.
So if that thread gets recovered, or uncovered, or discovered, or whatever, please merge this with that thread. In the meantime...
Gene posted this article.
http://link.springer.com/article/10....764-013-0315-5
And my response, with his quote, to discuss said article.
There are a lot of red flags with this study.
For starters, its strange that I can't access it. Well not that in of itself. But I can access this journal through my university account, and its not listed in the journal that its supposed to be in. Not necessarily anything, just weird.
1) No blinding was used at all (and for the record, I don't think they could in this study), at least not for the patients. Patients doing qigong knew they were doing qigong and patients doing regular stretching knew they were doing regular stretching. For some reason they blinded the statisticians. Not sure why that is, I've never seen that in any of the other literature I've read. I don't particularly see what point it would accomplish if you aren't blinding the test subjects. The statisticians are just crunching numbers for people who can't do it themselves.
2) Statistics are a mess. They report p-values, which is nice, but they don't tell me what test they performed. I'm assuming a t-test because they are comparing treatments which should give them sample means and deviations. However, since they don't actually provide the test statistic, nor the degree of freedom, I can't actually say. What they do provide is a confidence interval, which could come from any number of tests. Which also tells me they have a freggin test stat of some sort but fail to provide for whatever reason. More on this later.
3) I see no control. They say its a parallel group randomized control trial. Nice, but what is the control? I'm assuming that its a paired test, meaning the subject is its own control via a before/after paired assessment. But since that would also require a paired statistical test, which as I mention isn't divulged, I can't say for certain. Or the control for the qigong group could be the stretching group. This isn't uncommon if you are trying to say that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment. But you still need to test against placebo. And you still need to control for individual variation (ie. a paired test).
About the stats; so the author gives a p-value for a test comparing feasibility and a test comparing fatigue levels reported. Its important to note exactly what it is they are trying to analyze. Only one part actually pertains to the qigong (the fatigue test). This is based on some clinical guideline I'm not familiar with. Feasibility, as the author describes it, is simply class attendance and retention rate. So, class retention/attendance and change in fatigue/distress.
The author reports p-values for retention (p=0.48), attendance (0.04), and improvement in reported fatigue (p=0.02) and distress (p<0.05). Here's the problem. The trial is on 40 patients. Their power analysis said they need at least 24 to determine a difference of 7.5. So they're good there. But, retention did not significantly differ. That is technically what you'd want if you were testing efficacy (ie a better improvement in fatigue and distress). But, they list that the qigong group had 80% retention while the stretching group 65% retention. So, if a 15% difference in retention is not statistically significant, now I'm questioning balance in their design. How do I know that say, 20 were in each group? That's important because one, it may screw the whole element of detection, but at very least balance dictates what statistics they will use. Which again, isn't outlined in the 2 pages we can view. That of itself makes me question all the other results. But moving on..
So attendance is determined to be significantly different, favoring the qigong group. Cool, that would be a good finding. Patient participation is important in a beneficial outcome. BUT, it wasn't blinded. We see infinite examples of the mentality in this country with people having unrealistic bias in favor of TCM simply because they feel western med has failed them. In a subjective study, this kills it all. But even more than that. The study says that friends and family were encouraged to participate with the patient in the classes. Ok, so now you've just confounded your study. Its no longer just about the patient, it may say nothing any longer about whether people like qigong more. It may simply be a matter of which group on average had a more willing support structure. You just killed your feasibility measure. So the tests of retention and attendance are garbage.
If the attendance is shown to be less in the stretching group, which it was, you can now also say nothing of efficacy. Her stats say that qigong improved reported fatigue and distress to a better degree that stretching (I say that loosely not knowing what tests she did). But my response, no shit. You had a 15% loss in retention and a statistically significant difference in attendance rate. Of course the one that gets attended to will produce better results. This is why in proper research programs, you are required to consult a statistician as part of your thesis defense. I have a freggin statistician on my committee, and I can do stats, for this very reason. To cover my ass. Ultimately, I find it interesting that the researcher would create a study with two conflicting measures. If attendance and retention are not the same, you can't say that qigong has efficacy in this design. If attendance and retention are the same, you can't make say that qigong is more feasible than standard protocols already in place. Maybe that wasn't the point, but typically if you are going to do a study, you are trying to show something of value. That seemed to be the point in her statement of significance, that she thought we could do better.
Now, I realize this is a pilot study. Even more, I realize this is a study by a graduate student in a non research based program. So this is some canned trial she had to do as part of her social psychology degree, which may be a M.A. I doubt its a MS without thesis research. But given that I'm also a grad student, I have no sympathy in ripping apart her design, especially when mine are held to a much higher standard. It aggravates me that this is even published.
This is an exact example of why TCM researchers need to start taking legitimate degrees before going into integrative med. Or at the very least, these schools of integrated med need to start adjuncting legitimate statisticians and have them teach a course, or three. I have yet to see a one that held to proper research design. I mean, I took classes on research design as an undergrad, I expect a graduate student to do better than this.
Anyways, this is what I got from just 2 pages of the paper. At this point, I don't see what difference knowing which qigong she used in the study will make.
And now I'm admittedly being nit-picky, by why the f did she have faculty from the dept of theater on her list of co-authors? And that's actually kind of important. Because the only thing I can think that an actor/actress would add to this study is if that person were one of the treatment administrators. And since I'm guessing they tested against a standard stretch protocol, and there is a physical therapist also listed, I'm going to assume that the theater person was doing the qigong. Yeah...that's interesting...
Did you know that a study by a Harvard professor was recently published in a major journal with no less than 9 fatal experimental flaws in his design? I say this as to not come off as bashing a TCM publication. I wish they would do a decent trial. I want to see true, well thought design with some interesting results. I really do. But from this, the most we can say is that some sort of exercise aids fatigue and lowers stress. Awesome, now tell me something new.
It's still here
http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/...ng-as-Medicine
you have to adjust your settings too see topics from "the beginning" instead of "this month" which is the default.
The same thing happens in allopathic oriented clinical research. Some statisticians (they do the actual analyses) become creative with the real data and make assumptions (unrelated to the actual analysis) and some do seem to get away with it.
A better way to get around this is to have another person do the re-analyses and see if they come up with the same results. Cochrane did a review of taijiquan studies and they showed their process as a tool for further study and information. One can google the information. If I find it,I will post
What do you mean by, "they do the actual analyses?" I have a response, but I'm not sure what you mean by that. At any rate, all research makes assumptions. Some assumptions are based on previous experimentation, some assumptions are mathematical. But they are there. Its whether you can justify them that counts.
In clinical research (big pharma) it is the statistician who does final analyses. Despite the often rigorous attention to detail, statistical 'sleight; of hand' sometimes allows for creative use of data, which allows for bad drugs to reach the market. It is obvious that all research makes assumptions but the extent of it (clinical and statistical significance) can and is obscured by the profit and unholy alliances that exist despite the Hippocratic oath or the objectivity of data. I recall in a recent study I participated in there were a bunch of people (small sample, that is???) who were experiencing some adverse events and it was significant as they were serious adverse events but I, the lowly Data Analyst was called out for not minding my own beezness. At that point, the statistician did take a look at my finding but according to his observations, these were not statistically significant ENOUGH. Fast forward to a few years later, the class of drugs that cause COX 2 inhibition were deemed dangerous and labelling information had to be updated to conform to new updated requirements. The bottom line seems to be that profit is the only motive (and that is not representative of the Hippocratic oath) while negating the safety of those who would otherwise benefit from it.
Qigong tends to get away with basic concepts and methodology (name of system is not mentioned, days to some effect to be shown, etc) or the beneficial results tends to be extrapolated to ALL Qigong, which is a serious mistake. There is no doubt that the "teacher effect" accounts for a benefit or just the social component of someone caring the indivudal in question. Actually much criteria is lacking in qigong research though a recent study with falungong (yes, of all methods out there) does show that qigong has the potential to change DNA expression but that extent was not conclusively shown but the findings are exemplary since the modern tools of research (HPLA and opther chromatograpic tools) were part of the modern scientific community.
You can check out the Cochrane review pertaining to taijiquan and qigong to see what I am implying! They do have pdf files for download and give a far more wider and systematic exposition of faults within complementary methods of health!