Medical Qigong reduces the pain of arthritis.
Despite of the fact that Qigong research is not given a large amount of funding for clinical trials, too many people have been reporting positive results for it to go unnoticed. Many university and credible institutions are conducting their own small budget research.
For example, in September 2017 a review was conducted by the Department of Health and Behaviour Studies at Columbia University, Department of Health, Physical Education & Gerontological Studies and Services, that found that
“Qigong exercises—practiced widely in China for many centuries as an exercise form, mind-body and relaxation technique—may be very useful as an intervention strategy for adults with different forms of painful disabling”
They concluded that health professionals can safely recommend qigong exercises and that people can expect qigong to reduce pain and depression as well improve their overall life quality.
Source:
http://www.mdpi.com/2305-6320/4/4/71/htm
Qigong effects on Type 2 Diabetes
Institute of Qigong and Integrative Medicine, Seattle Healing Acupuncture and Bastyr University Research Institute conducted a comprehensive literature review of English databases, which were used to locate articles from 1980–May 2017 involving qigong and Type 2 Diabetes.
“It was found that qigong shows positive effects on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” The review concluded that:
“Qigong exercise has shown promising results in clinical experience and in randomized, controlled pilot studies for affecting aspects of T2DM including blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, weight, BMI and insulin resistance.”
However further well designed randomized control trials (RCT) are needed.
The problem is that these trials are very expensive therefore they have a difficult time attracting investment. Unlike a patentable drug, Qigong exercises are free.
Source: http://www.mdpi.com/2305-6320/4/3/59/htm
Qigong Benefits and Fibromyalgia
The health benefits of qigong are currently receiving increasing attention. There have been several trials and reports conducted on the effects of qigong in fibromyalgia.
A Review conducted by the Departments of Pharmacology, Anaesthesiology and Pain Management, Dalhousie University reviewed 4 trails where Two hundred and one subjects practice Qigong 30-45 min daily for 6-8 weeks and concluded that “There are consistent benefits in pain, sleep, impact, and physical and mental function following the regimen, with benefits maintained at 4–6 months.”
“There are also reports of even more extensive practice of qigong for 1–3 years, even up to a decade, indicating marked benefits in other health areas beyond core domains for fibromyalgia.”
Like many others in the medical and scientific community want to see, the Departments Psychiatry of Dalhousie University and QEII Health Sciences amongst others state “Qigong merits further study as a complementary practice for those with fibromyalgia.”
Source: http://www.mdpi.com/2305-6320/4/2/37/htm
Qigong Exercises helps people with Parkinson’s Disease sleep
Data from a study at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago by Alanna Morris, MD reveals that people who get less sleep have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.
Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging.
“Qigong Exercise May Reduce Serum TNF-α Levels and Improve Sleep in People with Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study”
A study Published by the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and the University of Kansas Medical Center on April 2017 reveals howQigong exercise significantly improved sleep quality in people suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Results reveal that Qigong exercise significantly improved sleep quality at night. There was a strong correlation between changes in the level of TNF-α and sleep quality. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF, tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNFα, cachexin, or cachectin) is a cell signaling protein (cytokine) involved in Systemic Inflammation
The studied concluded that Qigong exercise decreased TNF-α level in people with Parkinson’s Disease and helped improve sleep quality.
Source:
http://www.mdpi.com/2305-6320/4/2/23/htm
The anti-aging and sexual effects of Qigong
Western Science is just beginning to touch upon on the many benefits of Qigong, but Chinese literature has an extensive database of research. Many clinical reports have been translated into English by the international conferences of qigong that began in the late 1980’s. The proceedings from these conferences of which more than 420 talks abstracts are in English and more then 150 abstracts are articles of scientific literature have recently been organized in a database.
Amongst this database there are numerous studies, for example, In 1991, the Shanghai group reported a 20-year controlled study of the anti-aging effects of qigong on 204 hypertensive patients. Subsequently, they reported a 30-year follow-up on 242 hypertensive patients, and more recently, the researchers reported an 18-22 year study of 536 patients.
The results of a 20-year controlled study of the anti-aging effects of qigong show a 50% decrease incidence of total mortality. This study clearly showed that qigong has significant potential for preventing strokes and extending life as well improved abnormal conditions of blood circulation.
Another study showed that qigong exercise can stimulate physical metabolism, promote the circulation of meridians and regulate the flowing of qi and blood, thus preventing and treating disorders of aging and promoting longevity.
Aging brings physical changes in both men and women. These changes sometimes affect the ability to have and enjoy sex.
Three studies in the Chinese scientific literature database indicate that qigong exercise can help restore the sex hormone levels that had deteriorated because of aging.
Source: https://www.qigonginstitute.org/category/39/anti-aging-benefits-of-qigong
Medical Qigong and Cancer
As complementary therapies have become popular as more studies are conducted to evaluate their efficacy.
In 2010 over 83% of people in the United States have been reported seeking out supportive complementary Medicines therapies a number that by now has surely grown. The US Congress has invested over 200 million dollars in funding the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) Formally Called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
One of the most recognized of these complementary therapies is Medical Qigong, which is being researched by respected Western Medicine institutions like Harvard Medical School the Sydney Cancer Centre to name a few.
A controlled trial conducted looked at the impact of Medical Qigong (MQ) on quality of life, mood, fatigue, and inflammation in cancer patients.
“Several studies have indicated that Medical Qigong has many health benefits, such as decreased heart rate [11], decreased blood pressure [12], lowered lipid levels [13], decreased levels of circulating stress hormones [14] and enhanced immune function [15, 16]. Within the cancer literature, several uncontrolled studies have indicated that Medical Qigong may also have an impact on survival [8]. A review of the literature conducted by Chen et al. [8] indicated that Medical Qigong interventions can improve physical well-being (PWB) and psychological well-being in cancer populations and are cost effective because they can be run as group therapy.”
“Several studies have indicated that chronic inflammation is associated with cancer incidence, progression and even survival [4–6].”
162 adult patients diagnosed with cancer recruited from three large, university teaching hospitals.
Findings indicate that Medical Qigong can improve cancer patients’ overall Quality of Life and mood status and reduce specific side-effects of treatment. It may also produce physical benefits in the long term through reduced inflammation.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2826100/
