Page 9 of 20 FirstFirst ... 789101119 ... LastLast
Results 121 to 135 of 291

Thread: Tai Chi as medicine

  1. #121
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    paraplegiac tai chi

    I know, I know, this is ripe for parody, but that would be in rather poor taste (as if that's ever stopped anything around here ).
    Ancient art of tai chi finds new disciples
    By Marissa Cevallos
    mcevallos@mercurynews.com
    Posted: 02/25/2010 06:39:26 PM PST
    Updated: 02/25/2010 09:54:58 PM PST

    Knees apart and shoulders back, wheelchairs steady, a circle of students hovers their palms above their laps like yogis.

    In tandem, their wrists draw slow, elegant hoops in the air before returning to their laps.

    "You're just floating in a sea of chi," reminds the instructor. "Imagine you're kelp in the Monterey Bay, moving effortlessly."

    Once practiced in secret by Chinese martial arts masters, tai chi has found a new, unlikely batch of disciples: paraplegics.

    Every Monday afternoon, a handful of people roll, hobble and shuffle to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to learn an ancient art that students say reduces pain, steadies their balance and makes them feel happy.

    "You're not going to be able to kung fu people with this class," says instructor Darlene Karasik, a nurse who discovered tai chi helped ease her arthritis pain. "Your best self-defense might be putting people to sleep."

    Tai chi, known for its meditative qualities and slow, gentle movements, can improve health, doctors say. It increases upper body strength, improves flexibility and balance, reduces pain from arthritis and lowers blood pressure, according to a number of studies.

    Valley Medical Center had already offered regular tai chi classes, but altered some moves last fall so patients can do it sitting down, hoping the seated version might provide the same benefits, said rehabilitation physician Dr. Kazuko Shem. She's enrolled six participants in a study tracking pain, emotional well-being and mental focus over the course of 12 weeks.

    For patients with spinal cord injuries—about 475 at Valley Medical alone—exercise options are slim, and most are done alone. Patients with spinal cord injuries are more likely to be depressed, and Shem hopes that tai chi, which is often done in a group, will help them feel more "emotionally connected."

    "There aren't that many group activities," said Shem, "but a tai chi class is almost like going to the gym."

    Indeed, there are more smiles every week, says instructor Karasik. She watched camaraderie grow within a tai chi class of three quadriplegics last fall.

    "When they come to class, I watch them relax, get more peaceful," said Karasik.

    Charles Hanks, 69, lives in Campbell and takes public paratransit to tai chi. He's not paralyzed, but he can't walk more than 75 yards before sharp pain shoots up his calves because of an artery disease he attributes to smoking four packs of Pall Malls a day. Before a friend harangued him into attending his first tai chi class at a senior center eight years ago, he was physically drained and mentally blue.

    "My balance had gone to hell. I was depressed, getting more depressed," says Hanks, who now attends both seated and standing tai chi classes at Valley Medical. "But now it's all coming back."

    His disease has not progressed, which he attributes to tai chi.

    Others are new to the practice.

    Lawrence Viariseo has been wheelchair-bound since a skiing accident in the early 1980s paralyzed him from the knees down, but he still considers himself a jock. He does push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and yoga. And now, tai chi?

    "I rolled my eyes, I have to admit," says Viariseo. "It's just not something I would do, so holistic. But I'm always pleased. I like it."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #122
    Quote Originally Posted by chusauli View Post
    If Tai Ji were "medicine", you'd have to be licensed to practice it!
    I am!

    Quote Originally Posted by chusauli View Post
    Any exercise would help Type II diabetes... and a better diet would, too.
    LOL, and when I point this out to people who cite various taiji studies in regards to decreasing BP, levels of depression, chronic generalized / systemic inflammatory processes, etc., that those studies never compare it to other forms of movement / exercise, only control groups that do nothing, they get all grumbly on me...

  3. #123
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    east TX
    Posts
    405

    so true, so true

    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    I am!


    LOL, and when I point this out to people who cite various taiji studies in regards to decreasing BP, levels of depression, chronic generalized / systemic inflammatory processes, etc., that those studies never compare it to other forms of movement / exercise, only control groups that do nothing, they get all grumbly on me...
    Right... and still, after a rehab program ends; they quit doing any exercise at all, even tho their doc says they absolutely have to (to) live.

    They will come to tai chi class, and keep coming to tai chi class.... that is the difference...
    .... Skip

  4. #124
    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    I am!


    LOL, and when I point this out to people who cite various taiji studies in regards to decreasing BP, levels of depression, chronic generalized / systemic inflammatory processes, etc., that those studies never compare it to other forms of movement / exercise, only control groups that do nothing, they get all grumbly on me...
    grumble......grumble....no good.......grumble grumble.....know-it-all....grumble....grumble.....humble grumble.......samba. bumble......grumble bumble, hum bug!!!!

  5. #125
    Quote Originally Posted by Skip J. View Post
    Right... and still, after a rehab program ends; they quit doing any exercise at all, even tho their doc says they absolutely have to (to) live.

    They will come to tai chi class, and keep coming to tai chi class.... that is the difference...
    grumble......grumble....no good.......grumble grumble.....know-it-all....grumble....grumble.....humble grumble.......samba. bumble......grumble bumble, hum bug!!!!

  6. #126
    Quote Originally Posted by Skip J. View Post
    Hello Robert;

    My grandson is 14 with Type 1 diabetes - is skinny as a rail and eats life a horse and gets moderate exercise with the other kids.

    Any advice???


    Skip,

    if you could find her;

    http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/qgsk/mxz.htm

    and cultivating the six healing sound/ Ma Litang Yangqigong, there is a good chance on healing.


    Best Wishes

  7. #127
    Quote Originally Posted by Skip J. View Post
    Right... and still, after a rehab program ends; they quit doing any exercise at all, even tho their doc says they absolutely have to (to) live.
    They will come to tai chi class, and keep coming to tai chi class.... that is the difference...
    sort of; it's got less to do w/the taiji per se and more to do with the social aspect; which is evidenced by rehab facilities that offer any sort of group exercise activities for patients post rehab;

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    Skip,
    if you could find her;
    http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/qgsk/mxz.htm
    and cultivating the six healing sound/ Ma Litang Yangqigong, there is a good chance on healing.
    Best Wishes
    it's really very irresponsible of you to give assurances to anyone about the potential benefit of something for which there is no documented evidence, especially when it's a parent (or sorts) looking for something to help their child; by saying there is a "good chance", you are giving prognostic opinion inappropriately; the fact is, you have absolutely no idea about his nephew's condition (do you even know what is happening pathophysiolgically in Type I diabetes?), and to propose that six healing sounds can impact something like that borders on the absurd;

    herbal medicine would be a much more logical choice, if one were inclined to pursue TCM, but it would need to be done by someone relatively skilled who also understands contemporary physiology as well;

    once again, Hendrick t3h fail;

  8. #128
    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post

    it's really very irresponsible of you to give assurances to anyone about the potential benefit of something for which there is no documented evidence, especially when it's a parent (or sorts) looking for something to help their child; by saying there is a "good chance", you are giving prognostic opinion inappropriately; the fact is, you have absolutely no idea about his nephew's condition (do you even know what is happening pathophysiolgically in Type I diabetes?), and to propose that six healing sounds can impact something like that borders on the absurd;

    herbal medicine would be a much more logical choice, if one were inclined to pursue TCM, but it would need to be done by someone relatively skilled who also understands contemporary physiology as well;

    once again, Hendrick t3h fail;


    Do you know what is a six healing sound / Yang Qigong ,and what does it do?

    Please enligthent all of us here with your insight and attainment.


    You speak about logical,
    Do you know why Ma Li-Dang comes to a conclusion of teaching his transmission of the Six healing sound instead of using herbal medicine? and how many who has serious chronic disease got heal or improve after practicing the technics ?

    Do you know what is Zhen qi and can you evoke it, and use it as in the Six healing sound to balance all of the internal organs?

    Do you even know who is Ma Li-Dang and his position in modern China's healing art?


    if you do, you will not post as what you post above.


    BTW. read carefully, check into details, before post something or place any accusation influence by your bias and self rigtheousness.






    Again,

    my post said

    if you could find her;
    http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/qgsk/mxz.htm
    and cultivating the six healing sound/ Ma Litang Yangqigong, there is a good chance on healing.

    My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.



    I dont know your agenda,

    my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and saying prayer for him so that he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.
    Last edited by Hendrik; 02-26-2010 at 05:01 PM.

  9. #129
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    east TX
    Posts
    405

    oh yes

    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    sort of; it's got less to do w/the taiji per se and more to do with the social aspect; which is evidenced by rehab facilities that offer any sort of group exercise activities for patients post rehab;
    Exactly taai... that is the reality.....

    Except for one little thing, tai chi will attract Chinese men students and all the yoga and line dancing and etc. will not. When the western men get bored and move on, the Chinese men stay with it. While 90% of the students are women, because of the Chinese men, we always have some men still in the class years later.
    .... Skip

  10. #130
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    east TX
    Posts
    405

    Thank you Hendrik

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.

    ....my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and hopefully he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.
    It will be another day or two before I can get back on the 'puter... but I will check for myself when I do!
    .... Skip

  11. #131
    Quote Originally Posted by Skip J. View Post
    It will be another day or two before I can get back on the 'puter... but I will check for myself when I do!


    Skip,


    The six healing sound is the real deal which the chinese has practiced it for thousand of years and even incoorporate into the Buddhist cultivation program in Hsui Dynasty .

    Dr. Ma Li-Dang has the transmission and attainment. He has also reverified and evolve the system. Thousands benifit from Dr. Ma.

    It is the advance TCM, It is the art use when the herb and needdle cant do the job. It practically re balance the internal organs directly and indirectly.

    Directly via the different "sound" making (which actually not making any sound at all when one practice it, but using the different shape of the mouth, location of the tounge, and lower abs breathing to generate resonance and influence the particular internal organ), and indirectly via quiet the mind and grow the Zhen Qi to support the needs of the organs to heal.

    and it is also purposely re organized the life style of the person to no longer live as the past. Every expect of life changes.


    It is one of the most effective method of healing and for old age health. The important key here is one needs to have a sifu who knows every details to lead one that is a must. and a few hours a day, in general more then 2 hours a day of practice and fully examp from Sex.

    Certainly, some will not take it because they dont like to change their life style.
    Last edited by Hendrik; 02-26-2010 at 05:27 PM.

  12. #132
    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    Do you know what is a six healing sound / Yang Qigong ,and what does it do?

    Please enligthent all of us here with your insight and attainment.

    You speak about logical,
    Do you know why Ma Li-Dang comes to a conclusion of teaching his transmission of the Six healing sound instead of using herbal medicine? and how many who has serious chronic disease got heal or improve after practicing the technics ?

    Do you know what is Zhen qi and can you evoke it, and use it as in the Six healing sound to balance all of the internal organs?

    Do you even know who is Ma Li-Dang and his position in modern China's healing art?

    if you do, you will not post as what you post above.

    BTW. read carefully, check into details, before post something or place any accusation influence by your bias and self rigtheousness.

    Again,

    my post said

    My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.

    I dont know your agenda,

    my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and saying prayer for him so that he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.
    Henrik, I think you missed the point here.....your advice is not necessarily good advice just because you said it or just because Dr. Ma says it!

    Perhaps Dr. Ma's method has a benefit, however in Western Medical culture, to advertise something as helping with a medical condition, absent a scientific demonstration of it effectiveness, is both illegal and dangerous!

    Diabetes can be a very serious disease, a person can die, go blind, lose bodily extremities, have kidney failure, etc. if it is not dealt with effectively.

    If one prescribes a therapy for diabetes absent any demonstration of its effectiveness, which is a legal matter here in the West, the legal liability can send one to jail and subject one to HUGE lawsuits and criminal action.

    Just because Dr. Ma says it works IS NOT PROOF!!!!! He must demostrate it works scientifically which is a fair and rational expectation considering one could die or lose bodily function if an ineffective therapeutic modality is followed!

  13. #133
    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    Do you know what is a six healing sound / Yang Qigong ,and what does it do?
    not that is has ANY relevance to my refutation of your claim that SHS can "cure" Type I diabetes, I am in fact very familiar w/SHS, including the effect it has on both myself and patients I have treated who I have taught it to (none of whom I have given it out for Type I diabetes, or any other organic medical condition, for that matter); in fact, my teacher wrote a book about it; and this is him doing them;
    as for Yang Qigong - that could be anything; it's like me asking are you familiar with Yi Jin Jing - there are so many versions out there, to ask someone if they are familiar with it is meaningless;

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    Please enligthent all of us here with your insight and attainment.
    your sarcasm aside, my personal practice is irrelevant to the topic at hand, and the fact that you even ask it underscores your inability to look at a given matter objectively - you always need to turn it into some sort of resume in regards to what a given person has attained; whether or not I personally have practiced SHS or any other sort of qigong has no bearing on whether or not that particular practice has been objectively shown to have a healing effect, either in general or on Type I diabetes;

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    You speak about logical,
    Do you know why Ma Li-Dang comes to a conclusion of teaching his transmission of the Six healing sound instead of using herbal medicine? and how many who has serious chronic disease got heal or improve after practicing the technics ?
    do you know what the term "anecdotal" means? LOL, you ask me about logical and then jump straight into an argument that has nothing to do with logic whatsoever;

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    Do you know what is Zhen qi and can you evoke it, and use it as in the Six healing sound to balance all of the internal organs?
    why do you always come back to the same question about evoking Zhen qi? as far as SHS balancing the "internal organs" - you DO realize from a classical perspective, that the "organs" that SHS allegedly balances have NOTHING to do with the organs as delineated by current anatomical knowledge, right? in fact, the specific organ involved in Type I diabetes is not even described in TCM, or Taoist Internal Landscape, right? so tell me, how then, does SHS specifically influence that organ and the specific cells within that organ to do the job that they are not doing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    Do you even know who is Ma Li-Dang and his position in modern China's healing art? if you do, you will not post as what you post above.
    wrong; even if I know about a given individual's status in a given field, it does not de facto mean I will just accept whatever it is they say just because of who they are; no scientist worth their salt should ever broke on their reputation or past achievements when making a claim about something; the point is that you claim that his SHS will have a beneficial effect on Type I diabetes; awesome; cite some documented evidence to support that claim specifically;

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    BTW. read carefully, check into details, before post something or place any accusation influence by your bias and self rigtheousness.
    it's sad when you consistently misunderstand the points people try to make, and then go and personalize the argument as a way of refuting what someone says; indeed, you constantly cite other people's biases, yet you are so blindingly unaware of your own, it's pathetic; but sure, if you want to talk about my "bias", here it is: as a healthcare professional I have seen many BS claims made by people about energy healing, qigong, etc. and have seen many people get suckered in when they are desperate to get better or to help friends / relatives; as such, I have no tolerance for people who make claims without substantiating them;
    so if you want to claim that SHS/qigong will help hypertension, improve respiratory capacity, balance autonomics, decrease generalized inflammation, improve balance, improve emotional well-being - no problem: these are all things that have been researched and documented, and the physiology behind such changes is pretty straight-forward; but to leap-frog from there to make claims about qigong curing Type I diabetes without any clinical evidence is just ridiculous;
    you should "check into details" before posting irresponsibly

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.
    you think he is an expert, that is your opinion; how about some documented evidence that objectively demonstrates that the man has been able to cure Type I diabetes?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    I dont know your agenda,
    to keep people who are searching for valid treatments from being mislead by claims for which their is no evidence for efficacy;

    Quote Originally Posted by Hendrik View Post
    my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and saying prayer for him so that he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.
    that's very nice of you; my suggestion is that you act a bit more responsibly in the future when dispensing information
    Last edited by taai gihk yahn; 02-27-2010 at 07:09 PM.

  14. #134
    Quote Originally Posted by Skip J. View Post
    Exactly taai... that is the reality.....

    Except for one little thing, tai chi will attract Chinese men students and all the yoga and line dancing and etc. will not. When the western men get bored and move on, the Chinese men stay with it. While 90% of the students are women, because of the Chinese men, we always have some men still in the class years later.
    ok, fine, but now we are onto a somewhat different topic, which is the way in which culture influences what someone might want to do activity-wise and their ability to engage in it over the long-term; it has nothing to do with whether or not taiji is intrinsicaly more beneficial than yoga or line-dancing (I would argue that, when self-selection of the sort you mention is involved, it is not, since we tend to select what we enjoy doing, and that will have a positive impact on outcomes)

  15. #135

    My Apologies to Hendrick - I now understand!

    Hendrick: it appears that I now undertand the reason for your various affectations; having reviewd the website of Dr. Ma, I came across the following "research"

    CONCUSSION OF BRAIN TREATED BY QIGONG
    GalaShenburen
    (Mongolian Hospital, Wushenqi, Inner Mongolia, China)
    Concussion of brain is triggered by trauma. Since there is no special treatment for it I have used Mongolian qigong to treat it with success. The total effective rate is 100/00 and the cure rate is 98/00.
    I. Clinical data
    200 cases, male 139 cases, female 61 cases
    Age: 5 to 71 years old
    mean age : 2526 years old
    Duration of disease: half an hour-three years
    Ⅱ.Treatment:
    1. Shake the patient's head three times gently, read the healing sound “Em, Dom” for 3 times. Strike the patient's head from-the left to right gently for 3 times. Strike Baihui (DU 2) gently for 3 times. Press the head and strike the jaw bone for 3 times.
    2. Ask the patient to relax himself totally. The operator emits his qi to his head and draws evils out. It only takes five minutes. For mild cases one treatment is enough whereas for severe cases 37 treatments are given.
    3. Nursing: After treatment the patient's head should be tightly bandaged with a piece of yellow cloth.

    Hendrick, it is fully apparent to me that you were one of the 139 males cited in this study for whom the treatment did not work (maybe they shook your head too hard? or maybe not hard enough? maybe you needed 38 treatments to draw out the evil? who's to say?)! As such, it is no surprise that you carry on the way that you do, and I therefore apologize to you for assuming normal brain-function when clearly, it is not possible in your case, since even the Mongolian Qigong didn't work for you;

    however, if I may offer one bit of advice: I would loosen that yellow-bandage a bit, especially as it does not seem to be having much of a positive effect...

    oh, and Scott - as an RN, you may want to consider the "nursing" recommendation for your own patients...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •