Case Study: Is Qigong An Effective Treatment For Anxiety?

Meditative breathing is effective in treating anxiety for several reasons. First, meditative breathing reduced the person's heart rate and therefore has a positive effect on the physiological symptoms of anxiety. Second, meditative breathing is convenient and practical in that it can be performed in any location and takes little time to complete. Third, initial results are immediate- producing an instant calm when performed. Lastly, it can be combined with other treatment modalities (Vukovic, 2003).

TCM practitioners look for “underlying imbalances and disharmonies behind an illness to try and treat the patient, instead of just the disease” (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). Chinese practices, such as acupuncture and herbal treatments, have become very popular in the Western world over the last few decades. These practices are derived from the beliefs of Qi (pronounced chee) and Yin and Yang, which involve energy and balance. Qi, or life energy, is a central belief in TCM and “is believed to flow through a number of channels, or meridians, throughout the body” (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). The meridians are different organ systems in the body, and are categorized into yin organs and yang organs. The terms yin and yang are derived from the Chinese belief that “all things have two aspects...” and that “…a balance of yin and yang are necessary for health” (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). Essentially, the relationship of yin and yang is like two sides of the same coin; opposite, but they balance each other out. Yin is associated with qualities that are feminine, dark, passive, and usually symbolized by earth or water, while yang is associated with qualities that are masculine, light, active, and usually symbolized by air or fire (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). These beliefs are what drive TCM and must be understood

Results: I hope to discover that yoga based interventions along with occupational therapy interventions show a tremendous improvement in the feelings and attitudes of the participants suffering with depression and anxiety disorders.

Qigong, pronounced “chee-gung”, is the skill of body-mind exercise which integrates body, breath, and mind into one. It is translated from Chinese to mean “energy cultivation” or “working with life the energy” (Dupler). Fire and water methods are associated with qigong, but this is not like the classical Five Element. The fire method involves an element force of tensing muscles, holding breathe, visualization used in early stages, while the water method is based on relaxation and release, smooth continuous breathing, developing qi flow, and internal structures. Three regulations that come from qigong is learning body regulation, breathing, and mind. The basic methods and regulations can be seen in traditional Chinese medicine. Although Qigong is a fundamental element of Traditional Chinese medicine, it has idiosyncratic characteristics of its own. Chinese scholars acknowledge Kongzi (Confucius) and Mengzi (Mencius) are considered the founders of the qigong scholar tradition, because within their writings they alluded to the concepts of qi training methodology as being methods of moral training (Ni).

Today is the second class of Qi Gong. In this class, we talked more about Qi Gong’s history, Chinese philosophical thinkings, some scientific proofs as well as the inner mechanisms of Qi Gong. Qi Gong is rooted in ancient Chinese culture, being a combination of traditional Chinese medicine, ancient Chinese philosophy, traditional Chinese culture and also ancient Chinese religions. Therefore. we need comprehensive knowledge to understand all of the fundamentals of Qi Gong.

The primary limitation of the study was of gender bias as all the participants were male. The effects of yoga on a COPD patient’s lungs cannot be interpreted for an entire population because the results for the female population may vary. In addition, confounding factors could have been present during the study because participants were encouraged to practice yoga at home outside of the study’s schedule. The effects of placebo cannot be determined from this study because there was a lack of proper control group which could compare the results of practicing yoga with those who did not. For example, the study had noted improvement in participant’s quality of life on aspects concerning social functioning and psychological disturbances, but the measurements are subjective and cannot be compared to a control group. Also, the researchers acknowledge that the QOL and dependent variables were being measured on a short-term basis and would require a controlled study with a longer duration to observe whether the benefits could be sustained for longer period of

Anxiety – Millions of people suffer with anxiety and anxiety attacks brought on by triggers like stress, social anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few. According to Dr. Axe, a doctor of chiropractic, natural medicine, and a clinical nutritionist, a 2011 study was done using CBD on 24 patients who were never treated for social anxiety before. The patients who received the CBD (not the placebo) experienced reduced anxiety with benign side effects.

Tai Chi is about “creating a balance between the mind, body, and nature, while encouraging a heightened state of health and wellness” (Herzog, 2011, p. 1). Tai chi involves the constant movement with the left and right hand, until a sense of inner peace is reached. When tai chi is performed between two people, a relationship is established from the two individuals through movement. There is

People encounter various challenges in life ranging from diseases, lack of basic essential needs and psychiatric problems among others. This has given rise to various forms of therapies being adopted by specialists whilst offering solutions to depressed individuals. Group therapy has taken a center-stage in the management of depression. Butler et al (2008) in their article titled "Meditation with yoga, group therapy with hypnosis, and psychoeducation for long-term depressed mood: a randomized pilot trial" show that depression and anxiety form part of the well-known conditions named by individuals seeking treatment using therapies and complementary alternatives. Alternative therapies include yoga, qigong, tai chi, mediation, and exercise. They argue that people are increasingly using these therapies. Butler provides information claiming that yoga and exercise are effective therapies with high rates than uncontrolled activities (Butler, et al 2008). The authors also demonstrate that these therapies can be compared to established anxiety treatments and depression treatments such as sertraline, cognitive behavioral therapy, and imipramine.

I will utilize the intervention Qigong meditation and PQQD meditation for 60 minutes at least four times a week. This intervention will take place in a quiet area for me to focus and concentrate on relaxation. I will also increase my walking each day and try to improve my diet. For instance, I will eat more fruits and vegetables to improve my energy level. I also hope to increase my relationship between my mind and body. I will evaluate my decrease in stress based on a self- rated scale each

Tai Chi originated in China after a Taoist sage dreamt of a snake and a bird fighting. After his dream this man used the moves he saw in the fight to create Tai Chi. However, the first recognized man to perform Tai Chi was Chen Wang-ting in the 1600’s (Morano, 2003). Tai Chi is considered to be a low-impact exercise in which the movements are relaxed and joints are not strained. When participating in Tai Chi one goes through a series of routines involving certain movements and focus on their breathing (The Health Benefits, 2009). Tai Chi sessions usually last around an hour. One is encouraged to wear loose and comfortable clothes and either wear sneakers or go bare foot (Tai Chi: A Gentle Exercise, 2015).

The best evidence currently available indicates that while QI alone is no magic bullet, it generally has modest positive effects. However, the impact of specific QI approaches and interventions varies tremendously and depends on the context in which they are implemented. Some might conclude that these modestly positive and highly variable results are disappointing and mean that perhaps we should not make major investments in QI. Others might conclude that these results to date are not surprising and that we need to make major investments in QI research and practice to achieve better results. The QI movement in health care is the only several decades old and health care is more challenging than other industries. Aspects of health care that are

These beliefs motivated the Chinese people to develop medical techniques that could treat or prevent Qi stagnation. They developed a medical technique/art called Tao Yin that involved coordinated exercises that focused on full-body movements and regulated breathing. The art of Tao Yin dates back to ancient times where practitioners would imitate the motions of certain animals in order to pursue good health and ultimately, immortality. Due to the high illiteracy rates and family self-interest, the art of Tao Yin was a well-kept privilege available only to the wealthy and influential. This greatly halted the advancement and propagation of Tao Yin as a medical

Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, is one of the oldest systems of medicine to exist among humans, and it is extremely prominent to this day. According to legend, the system has been in use since the third millennium BCE. The views of such an old system differ greatly from those found in modern western medicine. Perhaps most prominent is the fact that TCM focuses more on the patient than the illness. The system considers the human to be a microcosm of the universe, implying that the body is affected by the traditional Taoist forces of yin and yang, the five elements, and Qi in the same way the cosmos are. Each of these forces act upon the “zang fu,” or organ system, directly influencing a patient’s health. Healers use qigong to assist in the restoration of stability in the body. Achieving balance, both internally and externally, is the most important aspect of healing in TCM.

Anxiety is termed as a number of complicated negative thoughts such as fear, worryness, and apprehension. Individuals are capable to sense and feel the presence of anxiety in numerous situations connected to their culture and community. In addition, scholars attempted to find out the nature of anxiety from different perspectives. Spielberger and Rickman (1990) read about anxiety, depending on the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, saying that anxiety is a nasty sensational state that is followed by the worriness and apprehension. However, too many authors have studied anxiety in regard to psychological or personal theory to learning and perceiving (Spielberg, 1966 a).in the beginning of the 1960s, the two ideas which are the state of being anxious and trait, were introduced by the two authors (ahell and scheier 1961) . The features of the anxiety condition are closely