In order to search for the effect of qigong exercise (quiescent dynamic forms) on patients with cardiovascular diseases. thirty-three patients were observed before and after the qigong exercise.
Material and Method:
1. Material
The subjects were thirty-three middle-aged and old persons with cardiovascular diseases. Among them. twenty-five were males and the rest were females. Ten persons' age was from fifty to sixty and twenty people’s from sixty to seventy. Three persons' above seventy. All of them had abnormal blood pressure, electrocardiogram and vectorcardiogram.
2. Method
Before doing the qigong exercise, patients were checked up and their blood pressure, rheoencephalogram and vectorcardiogram were recorded for further study. Then they did exercises from 8-9 o’clock in the morning every day. ten to fifteen minutes for quiescent exercise and then 15 minutes for Taijigong and Taiji sword-playing. Their exercise was done again in the afternoon. Three months later, their blood pressure, rheoencephalogram and vectorcardiogram were examined again. After statistical analysis, we found great changes took place before and after the exercise.
3. Instrument
Instrument of rheoencephalogram: JX74-4
Instrument of electrocardiovascular: XQ-lA
Instrument of vectorcardiogram: MVC-40A
Result:
1. The effect on blood pressure
Item n ¤x ¤x[square] x[bar] S Sx[bar] T P
Pressure
Systolic 33 —325 4283 —9.84 5.126 0.93 10.53 <0.001
Diastolic 33 —94 2986 —2.84 4.834 0.99 3.37 <0.05
From the above, we can see that after three months of the qigong exercise, the blood pressure is lowered evidently. There is great difference between the two periods.
2. The effect on wave shape of rheoencephalogram
Item Steep & Tripeak Inclined Turning Flating
straight wave wave wave wave wave
Before exercise 5 7 8 42 4
After exercise 9 10 5 38 4
From the above, we can see that after doing the exercise for three months, the inclined wave and turning wave in seven cases turned into the steep straight wave and tripeak wave.
3. The effect on vectorcardiogram.
The effect on the moving time of QRS cycle
n ¤x ¤x[square] x[bar] S SX[bar] T P
33 72.6 743.75 219 4.27 0.24 2.96 <0.05
The author also made the experiment of the effect on the rheoencephalogram’s dicrotic wave, the effect on the rising time, the effect on the wave amplitude, the effect on the speed of flow and the volume of flow and the effect on the difference of the wave amplitude between the two sides. The P value of them was less than 0.05.
The experiment of the effect on the amplitude of vibration of QRS cycle, the effect on the long and wide specific value of T cycle, the effect on QRS-T cycle specific value with instrument of vectorcardiogram were also done. There was great difference between the two periods.
Discussion:
We compared thirty patients’ blood pressure, rheoencephalgram, vectorcardiogram before and after the exercise. The result handled by statistics showed great difference between the two periods. For example, blood pressure lowered, the wave shape of rheoencephalogram dicrotic pulse became better. The amplitude increased and the rising time shortened, the speed of flow volume increased. The difference in percentage of the two sides of amplitude became less and the running time of vectorcardiogram reduced. The amplitude of vectorcardiogram of all sides increased and the specific value between QRS cycle and T cycle reduced.
It shows that the qigong exercise has obvious curative effect on cardiovascular diseases. But its mechanism is still unknown. However, according to the theory of qigong the author assumes:
1. The qigong exercise can dredge the meridian system, regulate the function of qi and blood, keep balance of ying-yang.
2. The integrated relationship between nature and the human being: Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the human body is a miniature universe, but it does not exist alone, and is closely connected with nature. The activities of human beings in the open air may promote the exchange of information between them and nature, stabilize the control system of life and restore health.
3. The qigong exercise can adjust the balance of the central nervous system, improve the function of the blood vessels in regulation of it. As a result disorders of blood supply can be removed, the intensity of the blood vessel is reduced, when the elasticity of the blood vessels is strengthened the volume of blood flow is increased, which is a cure to cardiovascular diseases. But the mechanism needs a further study.
