Qigong, Strokes & General Health: A Medical Study

Dr. Sancier reviewed a 30-year follow-up study on hypertensive patients who were divided into a Qigong group and a control group. All patients had been given drug therapy to control blood pressure. The experimental group also practiced Qigong. The mortality rate in the Qigong group was nearly half of the group who did not practice Qigong. The incidence of stroke as well as death due to stroke was half for those who practiced Qigong. In other words, people who did not practice Qigong suffered a stroke or died from stroke at a rate twice that of those who practiced Qigong.

“Researchers also reported that over the 20-year period, blood pressure of the Qigong group stabilized, whereas that of the control group increased. Remarkably, during this period the drug dosage for the Qigong group could be decreased and for 30% of the patients, could be eliminated. However, the drug dosage for the control group had to be increased.”

(Citations for this study as well as other other studies noted in this section can be found in the above-mentioned article.)

Sex Hormone Levels improved with Qigong

Dr. Sancier cited three studies that indicate the trend of estrogen increasing in males and decreasing in females with age “can be reversed by Qigong exercise. In an auxiliary study, “changes were accompanied by improvements in symptoms such as soreness, dizziness, insomnia, hair loss, impotence, and incontinence associated with Kidney deficiency hypertension (a TCM diagnosis.)”

Bone Density increased with Qigong

Dr. Sancier reviewed a study related to aging that found, “bone density was found to increase in male subjects who practiced Qigong for one year.”He conjectured, “That Qigong therapy also would help restore the bone density of women, especially menopausal women, seems likely.” Cancer and Drug Treatment improved with Qigong practice.

Dr. Sancier referenced a study of patients with “medically diagnosed malignant cancer.” They were divided into two groups, and all received drugs. One group, however, practiced Qigong. “Both groups improved, but the Qigong group showed improvement in strength, appetite, freedom from diarrhea, and weight gain four to nine times greater than the control group.” Additionally, a measure of the immune function improved for the Qigong group and decreased for the control group.

Senility Symptoms Reduced with Qigong Practice

Dr. Sancier reported, “To study the mechanism of keeping fit by Qigong, a controlled study was made of 100 subjects classified either as pre-senile or with cerebral function impaired by senility.” The control group, which did not practice Qigong, exercised by walking, walking fast, or running slowly. “Criteria for judging outcome were based on measuring clinical signs and symptoms including cerebral function, sexual function, serum lipid levels, and function of
endocrine glands.”

The results: “After six months, eight of the 14 main clinical signs and symptoms in the Qigong group had improved more than 80%, whereas none of the symptoms in the control group had improved more than 45%.”

Dr. Sancier wrote, “A tenet of Qigong is that the mind leads the Qi, and the Qi leads the blood.”