Effects of Qi-therapy (external qigong) on autonomic nervous system: a randomized placebo controlled pilot trial

External Qi-therapy is a process by which vital energy (Qi) is transmitted from a Qi-master to another person for the purpose of preventing and curing disease, as well as protecting and improving health through regulation of mind and body. Some believe that Qi-therapy is effective because it not only reduces sympathetic activity, but also enhances parasympathetic activity. Hence, the autonomic nervous function has been a subject of interest in the physiological studies of Qi-training. Forty normal healthy subjects were recruited and randomly assigned into intervention and placebo control group. The power spectrum of heart rate was examined pre and post-interventions. It was found that Qi-therapy increase the high frequency power (HF) and decreases the low frequency power (LF)and LF/HF ratio of heart rate of variability. These results support the hypothesis that Qi-therapy increase cardiac parasympathetic tone. Our study reveals that Qi-therapy in healthy young subjects increases the HF power and decreases the LF/HF ratio of HRV. These results support that Qi-therapy increases the cardiac parasympathetic tone in healthy young subjects compare to placebo control. The augmented HRV in Qi-therapy group provides further support for Qi-therapy as a possible nonpharmacological cardio-protective maneuver.