THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF EMITTED QI ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

This paper reports the therapeutic effects of emitted qi on 30 cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
Materials and methods
60 patients (male 31, female 29; average age:( 45.8 from 18-59) were divided into two groups: the group treated by emitted qi and the group treated by indolmycin.
The group treated by emitted qi was composed of 30 patients, male 11, female 19, 43.7±12.4 years old, the average course of disease: 7.46 years. (6 months to 30 years). This group practiced dynamic qigong combined with static qigong, 1-2 hours one time for 8 weeks.
The group treated by indolmycin was made up of 30 cases, male 20 and female 10 cases, 47.5±10.6 years old, average course of disease: 7.02 years (6 months to 28 years). Patients in this group was administered indolmycine 25 mg. tid. 4 weeks was a course of treatment.
Criteria of therapeutic effect:
1) Marked effectiveness: Arthralgia and arthroncus were relieved. Functional activity and erythrocyte sedimentation were normal and the rheumatoid factor was turned to negative.
2) Effectiveness: The effect of cure was worse than the criterion, but still had some relief in arthralgia, arthroncus and improvement of functional activity. Erythrocyte sedimentation was markedly decreased compared with pretreatment, but the rheumatoid factor was still positive.
3) Failure: No improvement. The difference between the two groups were statistically analyzed by using X**2 test.
Results:
The therapeutic effects of emitted qi and indolmycin on rheumatoid arthritis were summarized in the following table.
Table: Comparison of therapeutic effects between the group treated by emitted qi and group treated by indolmycin

Therapeutic effects group treated by group treated by
emitted qi(n=30) indolmycin(n=30)
Marked effectiveness 10 (33.3%)* 4 (13.3%)
Effectiveness 15 (50%) 13(43.3%)
Failure 5 (16.7%) 13(43.3%)
*: p<0.05, compared with the group treated by indolmycin

1) Erythrocyte sedimentation: 75% patients' erythrocyte sedimentation in the group treated by emitted qi decreased to normal (18/24), while only 42.1% in the group treated by indolmycin (8/19) was found.
2) Rheumatoid factor: 79.1% (19/24) cases in the group treated by emitted qi turned to negative, while the group treated by indolmycin was only 47.6% (10/21).
The results above showed that 83.3% of cases treated by emitted qi had effective results, while in the group treated by indolmycine only 56.6% of the cases had effective results.

Discussion:
The results we observed suggested that qigong therapy may be effective in curing rheumatoid arthritis.