The Philosophy
Qi gong is one of the pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); these are: Acupuncture, Acupressure, Herbal Medicines and Qigong. Often called the Mother of traditional Chinese medical thought, the practice of meditative movement (Qi gong), dates back nearly 4,000 years. The term Qi gong can be broken down into its two components. Qi (chee) is the basic force, the energy of the universe that generates all life. It is also the energy that enlivens each individual as it flows throughout the human body. Gong means to practice with skill. The aim of Qi gong exercise is preventing and curing disease, managing change, strengthening the constitution, avoiding premature aging and prolonging life
The Art
Medical Qigong is practiced by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world. The physical exercises include three components: gentle movement, breathing and meditative technique to calm the mind/body and then to gather and integrate Qi into the body. So, there are External exercises (Waigong) and Internal exercises (Neigong). The movements are taught step by step and may include visualization as well as seated meditation. Anyone can learn and benefit from these practices, and there are more than 5,000 (3) forms that have evolved through the centuries.
Qi gong is also a form of energy healing used by a highly skilled practitioner to project qi with the intent of aiding a patient. The practitioner uses various breathing visualization and hand movement to clear and support the patients healing.
The Science
Most scientific reports were published as abstracts in Chinese, which makes accessing the information difficult. But Sancier1 has collected more than 2,000 records in his Qi gong database, which indicates that qi gong has extensive health benefits on conditions ranging from blood pressure to asthma. The reported studies, however, are largely anecdotal case series and not randomized controlled trials. Few studies have been conducted outside China and reported in peer-reviewed journals in English. There have been no large clinical trials. A search of PubMed found 13 small but clinically relevant trials. The strongest evidence seems to be for lowering moderately elevated blood pressure. One interesting, but so far un-replicated, study found a 1,000 fold increase in magnetic field strength around the hands of an experienced Qi-gong practitioner.2 What that may mean clinically is unclear and whether this study can be replicated is yet to be seen.
1) http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/energymed.htm
2) Acupunct Electrother Res. 1992; 17(2): 75-94 Detection of extraordinary large bio-magnetic field strength from human hand during external Qi emission.
Seto A, Kusaka C, Nakazato S, Huang WR, Sato T, Hisamitsu T, Takeshige C.
3) http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/
