{"id":1653,"date":"2010-12-31T02:08:46","date_gmt":"2010-12-31T06:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dontow.com\/?p=1653"},"modified":"2013-02-05T15:53:48","modified_gmt":"2013-02-05T19:53:48","slug":"a-comprehensive-review-of-health-benefits-of-qigong-and-tai-chi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dontow.com\/2010\/12\/a-comprehensive-review-of-health-benefits-of-qigong-and-tai-chi\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi"},"content":{"rendered":"

On and off I have written about the health benefits of Taiji [1] and Qigong.\u00a0 Recently an article “A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi” was published in the American Journal of Health Promotion<\/em>. [2]\u00a0\u00a0 The authors are Roger Jahnke – OMD, LInda Larkey – Ph.D., Carol Rogers – Ph.D., J. Etnier, Ph.D., and F. Lin – MS.\u00a0 They have reviewed a vast amount of clinical trials whose results were published in peer-reviewed English-language journals between 1993 and December 2007, and found that there is substantial evidence indicating that there is a variety of health benefits associated with Qigong or Tai Chi.\u00a0 We provide a short summary of the findings of their review article.
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Jahnke et. al. performed a review and analysis of the published research articles on the health benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi.\u00a0 These research studies were all based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). [3]\u00a0 They searched five medical databases:\u00a0 Allied Health and Nursing, psychologial literature, PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane database.\u00a0 After filtering articles through a few filters, such as articles were published in a peer-reviewed English-language journal between 1993 and December 2007 and whose methodology was based on RCT, they found 67 articles, which formed the basis of their review and analysis.\u00a0 The 67 studies originated from 13 countries:\u00a0 USA – 34, China (including Hong Kong) – 9, Korea – 4, Australia and New Zealand combined – 5, Sweden – 4, Great Britain – 3, Italy and Taiwan – 2 each, Netherlands, Israel, Poland, and Spain – 1 each.<\/p>\n

Before we discuss their analysis results, we first explain a little about the Tai Chi exercises usually performed in these clinical trials.\u00a0 Since clinical trials are usually of short durations, like 12 weeks, the researchers of those clinical trials often use versions of Tai Chi that are simpler than the traditional longer form sets that are practiced when one is learning Tai Chi, especially from a martial arts perspective.\u00a0 Otherwise,\u00a0 it would take too long for the students to learn these longer form sets during the relative short durations of the clinical trials.\u00a0 Instead, they take certain Taiji form movements (e.g., Wave Hands Like Clouds, Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail,\u00a0 Kick with Heels, Brush Knee and Twist Step, Step Back and Repulse the Monkey) and then repeat them many times.\u00a0 In a sense, they are similar to some of the warm-up exercises many Tai Chi instructors have the students do at the beginning of each class.\u00a0 The Qigong exercises that are practiced in these clinical trials [e..g, Eight Silk Brocade (\u516b\u6bb5\u9326), Lian Gong 18 Form (\u7df4\u529f\u5341\u516b\u6cd5)]<\/small><\/big><\/big> are also similar to some of the warm-up exercises many Tai Chi instructors have the students do at the beginning of each class.\u00a0 Thus, the differences between the Tai Chi exercises and the Qigong exercises in the clinical trials are reduced.<\/p>\n

In both the Qigong and Tai Chi exercises in the clinical trials, emphasis was also put on breathing.\u00a0 But in beginning Tai Chi courses, many Tai Chi instructors may not emphasize breathing because there are already too many things that the beginning students need to remember in learning the longer form sets.\u00a0 For example, when I teach the Simplified Yang Style 24 Forms, usually I do not integrate breathing with learning the forms until about half way through the course [4]. \u00a0 However, because as explained in the previous paragraph, Tai Chi in the clinical trials usually involves shorter form sets, so\u00a0 there is room for integrating breathing with doing the forms even for beginning students.\u00a0 Thus, the differences between the Qigong exercises and the Tai Chi exercises in the clinical trials are again reduced.\u00a0 This is why in their article Jahnke et. al. lumped Qigong and Tai Chi into the same category of exercise.<\/p>\n

Some of the clinical trials involved Qigong, some involved Tai Chi, and some involved both.\u00a0 In their analysis of the health benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi, the authors considered nine categories of health benefits.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They are:<\/p>\n