Study: External Qi Gong therapy can help control drug cravings.

Excerpt From NewsMedical.Net

Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs of abuse. Few effective treatments are available to help control cravings and withdrawal symptoms among individuals undergoing therapy to overcome cocaine abuse. Promising results from a study of qigong therapy are published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal website at http://www.liebertpub.com/acm.

Individuals undergoing residential substance abuse treatment who received qigong therapy, compared to a similar duration of sham treatment, reported significantly reduced cravings for cocaine in response to viewing and handling items related to cocaine use. The qigong treatment group were also significantly less likely to have symptoms of depression than the sham treatment group.

In the article "A Pilot Study of Qigong for Reducing Cocaine Craving Early in Recovery," David Smelson, PsyD, David Eisenberg, MD, and coauthors demonstrate the feasibility of delivering external qigong therapy (EQT) to a population of recently abstinent cocaine-dependent individuals. In EQT, a trained qigong practitioner using focused intention directs and unblocks bioenergy (qi) to help an individual achieve balance that facilitates healing and equilibration in withdrawal.

"This early work may have profound consequences in drug rehabilitation programs, and certainly deserves further focused and rigorous evaluation," says Editor-in-Chief Kim A. Jobst, MA, DM, Functional Shift Consulting Ltd., Hereford, U.K.

Veterans finding benefit in Qi Gong.

While many veteran's medical benefits cover medication to mask the aches and pains accumulated in years of service, they do not cover preventative maintenance and other alternative ways to prevent or ease these ailments, including PTSD. Alternative treatments such as Qi Gong are now gaining popularity. Read more: 

From the Columbia Daily Tribune 

Jerry Cupit, 65, said it was by accident that he wound up in a workshop demonstrating the traditional Chinese healing practice of qigong.

Cupit, a Vietnam War veteran, said he was at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital to be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder on a recent Friday night. When he walked by the door of the auditorium, he saw a group of people gathered and was interested to find out what was going on.

What he discovered was a newfound passion for meditation and qigong, despite initial skepticism about the practice. He came back for a second workshop yesterday and plans to attend a weekly class.

"It was a sense of spirituality," he said. "I feel like there were some things in my life I needed to work on, like concentration, relaxation and the ability to heal myself."

Cupit said he has a lot of bone pain, and the qigong techniques helped ease it. By yesterday afternoon, he said his hip didn't hurt and he was able to stand up straight for the first time. Emotionally, he felt better, too. As he's aged, he said he's started to feel more sad and guilty about surviving a war when so many of his friends didn't. After some qigong, those feelings started to fade.

"I feel stronger, I feel like I'm centered. I feel balanced," he said.

read the original article here: Veterans Learn to Heal With Qigong 

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

Brian Jennings, NFL pro practices Yoga as part of his fitness.

"Some people do it with their health and some people don't," Jennings said. "My goal is to play as long as I can and finish the game as healthy as I can be."

 Jennings, a 12-year NFL veteran, has already carved his path to a long, healthy career. It helps that he is a long-snapper, on the field maybe a dozen times a game, the position minimizing the number of punishing hits he has taken.

But he also owes his health and career longevity to what he calls a "wellness lifestyle" that includes the practice of yoga as a major component.

 "The first time I did yoga, it just felt right to me," Jennings said.

Jennings' wellness lifestyle also include massages, chiropractic care, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutrition and supplements.

 "I do a lot of things that are considered alternative," Jennings said. "It's probably unusual being in a self-destructive business."

 Jennings is 36, with a durable NFL career that goes beyond the physical. Drafted by the 49ers back in 2000, he has survived four coaching changes, hundreds of new teammates and thousands of pages of new schemes and plays. His name is on the team's 10-year wall, next to legends such as Jerry Rice and Bryant Young.

Using traditional yoga breathing techniques to aid in rest and sleep.

We have published many recent studies that link various prescriptions to unfortunate side effects, and oftentimes there is an alternative to big pharmacy medicine. With so many people experiencing unexpected side-effects from chemical based sleep aids, using breathing techniques derived from traditional yoga, used for centuries can make a significant difference without popping a pill. -C.M.J.

From Shape.Com

Everyone can use a little help falling asleep at night. Most people have a bedtime ritual, such as drinking a calming tea, lighting a candle, or maybe writing in a journal or meditating. If long, intricate, or even simple meditations are not your thing, here are two different breathing techniques used in yoga that can send you off to the land of zzzs. When trying these techniques, it is a great idea to have a pen and paper next to you so that if you have any gnawing thoughts that won’t quit, you can write them down so they go away (rest assured you will remember them in the morning). Sweet dreams!

Alternate Nostril Breathing
Encourages deep relaxation by balancing the left and right sides of the brain while calming the nervous system

Sit comfortably in or next to your bed (cross-legged, kneeling, propped up on blankets, or any way that feels the best for you), resting your left hand on your left thigh. Take your right hand with the fingers extended like you are waving at someone and bend your peace fingers (pointer and middle finger) so they curl into your palm.

Rest your right ring finger and thumb on either side of your nostrils, lightly touching them but not constricting. Take a big breath in and a big breath out, then close off the right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left nostril fully for a count of four. At the top of that breath, close off the left nostril with your ring finger, hold and retain the breath for a count of four, and then release the right nostril and exhale for a count of four.

Next, inhale deeply for a count of four through the right nostril, close it off, hold and retain the breath for a count of four, and then release the left nostril as you exhale completely through it for a count of four. Proceed to inhale deeply through the left, repeating the cycle.

Do this as many rounds as you like, being sure to exhale through the left nostril to complete your last cycle. Once you are done, lie down in bed and drift away!

RELATED: Need more help conking out? Try these five simple tips for better sleep tonight!

Deep Throat Breathing
Calms the mind and relaxes the entire body

This one can be done lying down in bed. Lie on your back with your legs about hip-distance apart, arms relaxing on either side of your body, and eyes closed. Take a few deep inhales through your nose, exhaling out of your mouth. With each inhale, fill your lungs completely, and with each exhale, rid them of all of the air.

After three breaths, take a deep inhale through your nose for a count of four, slightly constricting the back of your throat so that it feels like you are breathing through a straw at the back of your throat and filling your lungs. The sound of your breath should almost mimic the soft sound of waves coming in and out. That sound is a huge part of what helps you fall asleep. (It can also be likened to the sound of a babysnoring.) Hold the breath at the top for a count of four while you quietly observe how you feel; try to feel full and relaxed. Then exhale through your nose for a count of four, again, slightly constricting your throat.

When all of the air is out of your lungs, start to fill them again as you inhale for a count of six. Hold this breath for a count of six, then exhale for a count of six. Continue in this manner, adding two counts each cycle for as long as is comfortable for you.

When you reach your max capacity of holding and breathing, start taking away two counts each time. So, if 12 beats is the most you can hold your breath comfortably, the next round, do 10 counts, then 8, and so forth.

Once you get back to a four-count breath, release all effort, come back to your normal breathing, and enjoy your slumber!

http://www.shape.com/blogs/working-it-out/yoga-breathing-fall-asleep-fast

Yoga / Qigong Could Decrease Costs & Sick Days For Those With Chronic Back Pain.

More and more data from studies show that Yoga, and other forms of physical theraputic activities like QiGong not only affect the quailty of life of a person suffering with chronic back pain, but also can financially affect the bottom line of work days and medical care.

People with chronic low back pain may want to try taking to the yoga mat to relieve their symptoms, a small new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of York in the United Kingdom found that back pain sufferers who participated in a group yoga program for 12 weeks had fewer medical costs and fewer missed days from work, compared with people who didn't participate in the yoga program.

"We welcome the fact that not only has yoga been found to help people manage their back pain, but that it is also cost effective, and results in fewer sick days," Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, which funded the study, said in a statement. "It is another option for people who are struggling to manage their condition, and one that encourages the move to self-management."

The Spine journal study included more than 300 people who experienced recurring back pain; half of them were assigned to the 12-week yoga program and also received standard medical care, while the other half only received standard medical care for their pain. (Standard medical care could mean anything from seeing a physiotherapist, to receiving prescription painkillers.)

The researchers found that each person was able to participate in the yoga intervention at a cost of less than 300 pounds ($472 in U.S. dollars). And people who participated in the yoga program also took fewer sick days from work than people who only received the standard care.

Yoga has been shown in past studies to aid in back pain relief. Researchers found that yoga classes or stretching classes helped people with chronic low back pain to manage their pain, compared with just using a "self-care" book, according to a 2011 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

And "several other studies -- all smaller than ours -- have found that Iyengar yoga and general Hatha yoga are helpful for persons with back pain," study researcher Karen Sherman, Ph.D., of the Group Health Research Institute, earlier told HuffPost. "My guess is that any therapeutically-oriented style of yoga could be helpful to people with chronic back pain."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/19/back-pain-yoga_n_1790871.html

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