In the ancient the effects of acupuncture and daoyin (Qigong) were highly estimated in China, Qigong and acupuncture nay improve the life energy stream, in the aspect the two has the same function. They all can give brain a-rest, promote endocrine activities, balance the autonomic nerve, strengthen body force and spirit force. They are not only the automatic control keeping healthy method which is used everywhere and every time, but have the obvious curing effects for nervous diseases, hypertension gasp, intestine diseases, stomach disease and etc. The following is the progress in Japan in acupuncture and Qigong therapy, we hope that the deep research can be continued in theory and practice about this problem.
1. Introduction
So called Qigong is the energy stream exercise or treatment of energy stress. The energy stream cultivated which is needed for life if run to whole body and is adjusted thus it is also called regulation exercise of energy stream. In the exercise because the slow, repeated and natural abdominal breathing is used 80 that idea can be focused on one point to make brain at the inhibition state and inhibit the body ability, true energy is produced around the body to be in behalf of health and 80 called running energy stream therapy. Setting spirit, tapping internal solid and hollow organs, improving and keeping the balance of Yin and Yang produce energy in body to cure diseases, to enhance the body ability and to get longevity. Two thousands years and three hundred ago in the ancient Chinese medical classics 'Nei Jing' 'Qigong' had been recorded. at that time Qigong was called 'guiding and running energy stream'. It war written in the book that there are guiding, gas through therapy, massotherapy, acupuncture, fire baking therapy of vegetation of hot medicinal herbs drinking fired medical soup therapy and etc. 'among them guiding is the first, it indicated that Qigong was emphasized on at that time. Moreover pictures made from tough silk were unearthed in Ma Wang Qui tomb of Han Dynasty Chang Sha, the most important of them was the moving actions compared with meditation, it may be seen that this kind of guiding was very popular two thousand years ago and one hundred.
Further more the problem of guiding and breathing out and was dealt with in 'Jin Bian Collections written by famous doctor Zhang ZhongJing one thousand and eight hundred years ago. Breathing out and in is that chaotic gas is breathed out from abdomen and fresh air is taken in called breathing method which is a kind of Qigong therapy. Ten years' Chaos of cultural revolution past, now China is marching on modernization, Qigong from the ancient is combined with modern scientific technology, some new equipment and devices and therapy are investigated. Qigong Infrared Information Treatment Device has been used in curing diseases. There are 22 departments and guidance which have special Qigong exercise only in Beijing where masters give advises, it cure diseases in digestive system, breathing system, hypertension, heart disease and nervous disease and even if it gives a new life for 8 cancer transferring patient, wonders have been worked. Recently masters of Qigong give external energy stream to the specified points of patient and carried out Qigong anaesthesia which was the first. One hundred and twenty Qigong scientific workers had made exchanges of scientific research in 9,1981 China.
Since 1973 three international conferences on Qigong has been held. During the period of ten years Qigong research is very popular in Europe U.S.A, thinking therapy with eyes closed, creatures' feedback therapy, relaxation therapy, breathing automatic control therapy, Japanese meditation and breathing keeping health similar to Yoga of India and etc. are all very popular.
2. Investigation methods.
The combination of Qigong and acupuncture was developed long, long ago, acupuncture doctor combined breathing stream into the practice of acupuncture to cure diseases. For example, it was written in 'Acupuncture Guide' by Yu Chunyi that 'the first thing to learn acupuncture well is to exercise Qigong well, only can knowing the stream flow in meridians and the energy stream's on and off obtain exact foundation and select points of meridians.
Recently I feel the energy stream flows in body when exercise taijiquan in the peace and quiet, man can get the sensitive physical constitution of circulation along meridians through Qigong exercises.
From the beginning of April, 1981; I advises Qigong exercises for patients when they were cured by acupuncture therapy. Patients took prone position with eyes gently closed, attention focused on dantian below navel, and abdominal breathing carried out slowly and repeatedly. In the light of clinical symptom and patients' statement in breathing, following patients' breathing and selecting points which make breathing fluent, I pressed on points with fingers to find the true fluent points And acupuncture at them under the Qigong exercise. Another method is that in the light of clinical-situation, following the principle of 'idea first', patients were told to pay attention to some needed points in the treatment and meanwhile operators focused energy stream on the operating and combined the patients stream with the operators' stream to acupuncture with language inducing patients.
For example: When breathing in, you should suck in oxygen and fresh air, when breathing out, put out chaotic gas and carbon dioxide. When true energy is produced in dantian below navel like a fire ball, moves from the below of belly, along huiyin, anus, waist, spinal column, neck to the head top. With energy stream reaching eyes, tired eyes become clear, with energy stream arriving at the nose, the nose ability of air passing is better, with energy stream arriving at the mouth, saliva is quickly secreted, with energy stream arriving at the throat, larynx is comfortable, with energy stream getting the brain, breathing becomes fluent, previous vexation on wham is brought is diminishing. One is full of spirit force, feels happy, and also filled with fervor. Abdomen may get warmer with energy stream arriving just above the belly, one becomes good minded, gastric juice is quickly secreted, and finally energy stream returns back to dantian below navel.
Moreover I treated the patients with left hand's paralysis, letting them pay attention to hegu and quchi points of left hand and do Qigong. I acupuncture the points, with the combination of Qigong and acupuncture being made wait for energy stream reaching hegu and quchi points of patients.
3. Results
Since April 1981 during the period of one year had 95 patients for acupuncture been given lessens about Qigong, 30 patients of which listened to lectures of Qigong. The survey results for 30 patients are shown in table lo training schedule of participants is shown in table 2.
Reaction: In the beginning of training, because of undue breathing, extra-force, being impatient there were some reaction cases: one of vertigo, two of light breathing difficulties, two of the feeling of the oppression in chest; total five cases belonging to light reactions. With the understanding of main points and advising, after one week reactions disappeared and patients continued to do exercises.
Among 30 patients looked into there were 14 patients which felt the flowing of energy stream during the training and 16 patients which didn't. The feeling of flowing were generally warm feeling, wind passing feeling, numbness feeling and eta. most of them felt warmer and wind.
Table 1. Effects of Qigong and acupuncture therapy
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effects person -- time percentage .
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sleeping better 28 26.6
easy to sleep
better appetite 15 14.2
disappearance 14 13.3
of constipation
spirit, joyful 14 13.3
better body regulation 10 9.5
drop in blood pressure 2 1.9
disappearance of brain ache 2
other 20 19.0
105 100
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Table 2. Training schedule
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time person_time percentage
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evening before 20 45.5
sleeping
get up 10 22.7
time zone dinner time 8 18.2
(am. pm.)
period of waiting 5 11.4
for diagnosis
noon rest 1 2.2
total 44 100
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average training time person_time percentage
each day
3 -- 10 min 14 46.7
10 -- 20 min 11 36.7
time 20 -- 30 min 2 6.7
main.-- 1 hour 2 6.7
above 1 hour 1 3.3
total 30 100
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period month person_time percentage
6 14 46.7
4 2 6.6
duration of
months 3 3 10.0
2 11 36.7
total 30 100
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In the 28 cases acupuncture at the points which-were fixed according to the statements mentioned by patients, there were 14 cases of more difficult inspiration and the same of expiration, for the former neiguan was in acupuncture 9 cases breathed in fluently the rate of which was 69%, lieque, taizhong, cusnzhu, zugu and hegu were in acupuncture, only one case for each point breathed in fluently, for the latter 14 cases when sanyinyiao and tsixi were acupunctured, there were 8 cases whose expiration became fluent, the rate was 57.1%, when zusanli was acupunctured, 5 cases, the rate was 35.7%.
4. Summary
I think that the combination of Qigong and acupuncture should get into the three regulations of adjusting mind, body and breathing, it can not departure regulations, acupuncture therapy should be one behalf of mind peace and quiet, blood and energy stream regulations in body and fluent breathing, acupuncture therapy with Qigong training can enhance the treatment effects, they have a close relationship undivided. The flow of energy stream in exercise and in acupuncture in meridians can play a role in conducting blood add energy stream in meridians and in the balance of yin and yang. So they may be combined.
The theory of Qigong may be studied from medicine, life science, economics, biophysics and bioelectronics and etc. From the dialectical view points of spirit changing into matter and matter changing into spirit under the investigation of this problem can people's mind and spirit not be set aside.
Paying attention to one position in body causes brain limitation, excitation of subcortical centre to regulate blood and energy stress to produce stronger spirit energy, that is the beginning of humankind carrying out automatic control.
In the complicated society diseases of stress nerve are increasing rapidly, the combination. therapy of Qigong and acupuncture gives more patients happy sounds, more medical researchers, doctors, masters of Qigong, doctor of acupuncture are concern with the problem the scientific exploration of humankind automatic control will be pushed forward one step, the mystery of life and the real state of meridians and other key problems can be hope to be further investigated.
