QiGong study shows increase of quality of life among female cancer patients.

From Psychcentral 

New research has found that qigong, an ancient Chinese mind-body practice, has been found to reduce depression and improve the quality of life in women undergoing radiation for breast cancer.

The study examined qigong in patients receiving radiation therapy and included a follow-up period to assess its benefits over time, according to researchers.

“We were [...] particularly interested to see if qigong would benefit patients experiencing depressive symptoms at the start of treatment,” said Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science.

“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 study, Cohen and his colleagues recruited 96 women with stage 1-3 breast cancer from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in Shanghai, China.

About half of the women — 49 — were randomly assigned to a qigong group consisting of five 40-minute classes each week during their five-to-six week course of radiation therapy. The remaining 47 women comprised a control group receiving standard care.

The program incorporated a modified version of Chinese medical qigong, which consisted of synchronizing one’s breath with various exercises, the researchers explained.

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.

According to the researchers, 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 found.

Read More Here: 

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/01/27/qigong-improves-quality-of-life-for-breast-cancer-patients/50826.html

How Does Hong Kong's Senior Population Age So Well?

Despite pollution and a reputation of various flus and other contagens originating in the area, those who are aging in Hong Kong, China do so rather gracefully. In the below report, it covers the Far East secrets to aging well; stay active mentally and physically, keep socially in touch, and consume lots of anti-oxidants. 

Covered in smog and cramped apartment towers, Hong Kong is not usually associated with a healthy lifestyle. But new figures show that Hong Kongers are the longest-living people in the world.

Hong Kong men have held the title for more than a decade and recent data show women in the southern Chinese city overtaking their Japanese counterparts for the first time, according to the governments in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong women's life expectancy rose from an average 86 years in 2010 to 86.7 years in 2011, while Japanese women's longevity was hit by last year's earthquake and tsunami, falling to 85.9 years, census figures reveal.

So what is Hong Kong's secret to a long life?

Experts say there is no single elixir, but contributing factors include easy access to modern health care, keeping busy, traditional Cantonese cuisine and even the centuries-old Chinese tile game of mahjong.

-- Rolling stones gather no moss -- "I love travelling, I like to see new things and I meet my friends for 'yum cha' every day," Mak Yin, an 80-year-old grandmother of six says as she practises the slow-motion martial art of tai chi in a park on a Sunday morning.

"Yum cha" is the Cantonese term to describe the tradition of drinking tea with bite-sized delicacies known as dim sum. The tea is free and served non-stop, delivering a healthy dose of antioxidants with the meal.

"My friends are in their 60s -- they think I'm around their age too, although I'm much older than them," Mak laughs.

Click to read more ...

QiGong as treatment for Fibromyalgia shows success in recent studies.

In study after study, those that engage in practicing Qigong shows a reduction in patiens suffering from fibromyalgia and helps general well being. 

By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Published: August 09, 2012

Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner

Routine practice of qigong (chi gung) seemed to significantly improve pain in patients with fibromyalgia and lessened the impact of the disorder, a randomized trial showed.

After 8 weeks of regular practice of this "meditative movement," pain as measured on a 10-point scale decreased by 1.55 points, compared with a change of only 0.02 points in controls (P<0.001), according to Jana Sawynok, PhD, and colleagues from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

And on the 100-point Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, which quantitates the effects of multiple disease components including pain, function, sleep, and psychological distress, there was a decrease of 18.45 points compared with a change of 0.93 points in controls (P<0.001), the researchers reported online in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Treatments for fibromyalgia -- a syndrome of widespread pain -- include the approved medications pregabalin (Lyrica), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and milnacipran (Savella), as well as psychological interventions, exercise programs, and alternative approaches, but all of these strategies have only limited efficacy.

Because some previous research has suggested the possibility of benefit with qigong, the Canadian researchers enrolled 100 patients with longstanding fibromyalgia, assigning them to an immediate treatment group or a wait-list group who served as controls for 6 months.

After 6 months, the controls entered the treatment program, and in the analysis were referred to as the delayed-treatment group.

The type of qigong used was Chaoyi Fanhuan Qigong, initially taught in a 3-day workshop. It includes seven specific movements and related exercises that emphasize relaxation, release, and distribution of "qi," or energy, throughout the body.

Participants returned for hour-long practice sessions once each week for 2 months, and were asked to perform the movements and exercises at home for 45 to 60 minutes each day for 6 months.

After 8 weeks, patients reported practicing for a mean time of 4.9 hours each week. By 4 months and 6 months, respectively, mean weekly practice times were 2.9 and 2.7 hours.

Almost all participants were women. Mean age was 52, and disease duration averaged 9.6 years.

Additional pain diagnoses included back pain in 44%, headache in 58%, osteoarthritis in 38%, and rheumatoid arthritis in 9%.

Previous treatments included medications, acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage, while current medications included anticonvulsants in 25% to 30%, antidepressants in 32% to 38%, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in 49% to 57%, and opioids in 23% to 36%.

Results in the delayed-treatment group were similar to those seen in the immediate-treatment group, with pain scores at 8 weeks decreasing by 1.28 points (P=0.01) and impact scores falling by 17.97 points.

The impact scores rebounded slightly after 4 and 6 months, but remained significantly improved.

Sleep quality also improved during the 8 weeks of practice, as was shown by decreases on a sleep quality index of 3.29 points (P=0.001) in the immediate-treatment group and 2.69 (P=0.009) in the delayed-treatment group.

Physical and mental well-being also showed consistent benefits. At 8 weeks, increases of 5.08 points (P<0.001) were seen on the short form-36 questionnaire–physical component in the immediate-treatment group and 3.17 points (P=0.01) in the delayed-treatment group.

Read original content here: 

http://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-context/Fibromyalgia/34120

Qigong Alleviates Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

The positive effects of Qigong continue to lap at the shores of mainstream media. 

From Family Practice News 

NEW ORLEANS – The traditional Chinese medical therapy known as quigong exercise resulted in significant reduction in fatigue scores in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome in a randomized controlled trial.

Qigong also led to significant improvement in validated measures of mental and physical health and spiritual well-being, Jessie S.M. Chan reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

A dose-response effect was evident. Practicing qigong for at least 30 minutes on at least 3 days per week produced better outcomes, according to Ms. Chan, a doctoral candidate at the University of Hong Kong.

Qigong, translated as "life energy cultivation," is an ancient Taoist art of self-healing. It’s an increasingly popular form of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States. It combines regulation of the body, mind, and breath through a program of gentle exercises and meditation.

From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, Ms. Chan explained, chronic fatigue syndrome is caused by blood stasis due to a deficiency of Qi, or vital energy. The key treatment strategy entails restoring the balance between yin and yang and stimulation of the blood to get the Qi circulating.

From the perspective of the busy Western primary care physician, of course, chronic fatigue syndrome is an often frustrating condition for which up until now only two interventions have been shown beneficial: cognitive behavioral therapy and graded exercise training.

The randomized trial included 154 patients aged 18-55 years with unexplained chronic fatigue of at least 6 months duration plus multiple other findings consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition of chronic fatigue syndrome. While participants met criteria for the syndrome, most of them did not carry a formal physician diagnosis, and thus would most accurately be said to have chronic fatigue syndrome–like illness, she noted. 

Read the entire article here: 

http://www.familypracticenews.com/news/more-top-news/single-view/qigong-alleviates-chronic-fatigue-symptoms/aa201d9059274173f4db9fc2505c568d.html

Using Qi gong to counteract negative stress, and boost immune function.

In a recent lecture in Phoenix, AZ at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) Fellowship, integrative medicine pioneer Isaac Eliaz, M.D., L.Ac. discussed how negative emotions hinder immune response and fuel cancer formation and metastasis. He followed by sharing research on mind-body therapies such as meditation, yoga and Qigong which work to counteract the negative effects of stress and boost health in numerous ways. Highlighting an array of published studies, Dr. Eliaz showed how chronic stress can be deadly to lymphocytes and DNA integrity, and conversely, how mind body therapies and emotional support can ramp up immunity and provide numerous health benefits.

"The contrasts are amazing," says Dr. Eliaz. "Chronic stress significantly reduces the immune response, while something as simple as family support or mindful meditation can boost it just as dramatically."

The negative effects of stress have been studied in a variety of cancers including breast, ovarian, and digestive tract. In one study cited by Dr. Eliaz, breast cancer risk doubled for women after a divorce, separation or the death of their spouse.

In addition to reducing our body's resistance to cancer, stress, depression and isolation also increase metastasis and tumor vascularization. While these facts may be daunting, there are solutions that can make a substantial difference.

In his presentation, Dr. Eliaz discussed a variety of mind-body techniques, including meditation, yoga and Qigong -- an ancient Chinese system of mindful exercises -- that can calm stress and restore the body's healthy balance. In particular, meditation reduces cortisol levels, pro-inflammatory cytokines, systolic blood pressure, anxiety, depression and stress. It also has been proven to increase multiple areas of cognitive function, including information processing, memory and decision making.

"Study after study shows that reducing stress, and its associated negative effects, boosts the immune system and enhances brain function," says Dr. Eliaz.

Read more here: 

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=13390&Section=DISEASE

For More information about Qi Gong classes in the Tampa Bay Area contact Classical Medicine 

Classic Bill Moyers Qi Documentary footage.

Bill Moyers' older documentary footage on Qi is still an interesting view. 

For QiGong classes in the Tampa Bay Area visit: Classical Medicine 

Even 15 minutes of exercise daily can extend your life, reduce stroke risk.

Berlin (dpa) - Taking a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise a day can extend life expectancy by up to three years, according to Germany's Society of Neurologists and the Stroke Society.

A regular program of exercise can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular illness, cancer and diabetes. The advice is based on a study of over 400,000 participants in Taiwan whose health status was checked regularly over eight years.

The study discovered that 15 minutes of exercise a day made a surprising contribution to improving overall health. The mortality rate for those who took the exercise was 14 per cent lower than the inactive participants.

Extrapolating the results over 30 years resulted in a projected extended life expectancy of three years as well as a reduced chance of developing cancer and diseases of the cardiovascular system. The conclusion was that the more a person exercises, the less chance they have of falling ill.

The recommended 15 minutes a day is half what the World Health Organisation advises people to take.

Copyright 2012 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

Lessons to long life from a 256 year old & Demystifying Qi Gong

An excerpt of lessons to long life from a 256 year old... 

According to legend, Mr. Li Qing Yun (1677–1933) was a Chinese medicine physician, herbal expert, qigong master, and tactical consultant. He was said to have lived through nine emperors in the Qing Dynasty to be 256 years old.

His May 1933 obituary in Time Magazine, titled “Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog,” revealed Li’s secrets of longevity: “Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog.”

Mr. Li is said to have had quite unusual habits in his daily living. He did not drink hard liquor or smoke and ate his meals at regular times. He was a vegetarian and frequently drank wolfberry (also known as goji berry) tea.

He slept early and got up early. When he had time, he sat up straight with his eyes closed and hands in his lap, at times not moving at all for a few hours.

In his spare time, Li played cards, managing to lose enough money every time for his opponent’s meals for that day. Because of his generosity and levelheaded demeanor, everyone liked to be with him.

Mr. Li spent his whole life studying Chinese herbs and discovering the secrets of longevity, traveling through provinces of China and as far as Thailand to gather herbs and treat illnesses.

Dan Buettner, author of “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest,” researches the science of longevity.

All of these groups—Californian Adventists, Okinawans, Sardinians, and Costa Ricans—live to be over 100 years of age at a far greater rate than most people, or they live a dozen years longer than average. He calls the places where these groups live “blue zones.”

According to Buettner’s research, all blue-zone groups eat a vegetable-based diet. The group of Adventists in Loma Linda, California, eat plenty of legumes and greens as mentioned in the Bible. Herders living the in the highlands of Sardinia eat an unleavened whole grain bread, cheese from grass-fed animals, and a special wine.

Researchers have also foud proven effects from meditation: 

They found that the meditators “showed a pronounced shift in activity to the left frontal lobe,” reads a 2003 Psychology Today article. “This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression, and anxiety. There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.”

Meditation also reduces brain shrinkage due to aging and enhances mood.

Also, many cultures have no concept of sentient retirement and yet, remain healthy into their later years via lives that involve physical activity, social bonding, chore work and even neccisary gardening: 

Interestingly, none of these centenarians exercise purposely as we Westerners who go to the gym do. “They simply live active lives that warrant physical activity,” Buettner said. They all walk, cook, and do chores manually, and many of them garden.

Meanwhile Western civilization is still taking it's time on Qi Gong, a practice that has shown proven effects and is still mainly most popular in most eastern countries.  Qi Gong excells as a method of fostering basic awareness of body and breath, coordinated with simple movements, with the aim of cultivating smooth flow of qi to promote health. 

From J.Davis: 

Qi Gong practice has a long way to go before it becomes as mainstream as other traditional methods of health cultivation. It will have to adapt, just as yoga has, to meet some of the expectations of our fitness-oriented culture. I'm confident that if we can lead our students and patients to the gateway of feeling-awareness, we can preserve what is unique to these time-tested methods. As the baby-boomers age and the gym-going culture realizes that peak fitness is not a viable (or even desirable) goal, Qi Gong will become an increasingly attractive alternative.