The Arizona Center asked Master Hong to design Qi Gong medical exercises for heart disease and hypertension patients, and to do a pilot research project to measure the effectiveness of the exercises. The research team included Master Hong, Dr. Nancy Roberts, Tanya Altmeyer, and Laurha Frankfort.
Master Hong's Qi Gong medical exercises are designed to open up blockages in specific meridians or energy channels that are directly related to a person's particular disease. In this case, the exercises were for people with heart disease/hypertension. The exercises differ in form and function to extant Qi Gong and Tai Chi health exercises seen practiced in parks and other venues. Qi Gong medical exercises are simple, low-stress exercises that work quite differently than western exercise. Qi Gong medical exercises work from the inside out, meaning exercising muscle regions to open blockages in specific meridians leading to improved health. Traditional western exercise works from the outside in.
The 1st phase of research period was carried out from Feb.18, 2003 to March 02. The 2nd phase was from March 03-March 24. The three subjects were taught Qi Gong medical exercises and asked to practicing them every day. In the 2nd phase they were led by Laurha Frankfort, the lead instructor for Qi Gong medical exercises for heart diseases to corroborate that they were doing the exercises accurately. The purpose of the 2nd phase was to see the effect of the accuracy on the subjects' improvement.
Master Hong showed the subjects four different Qi Gong medical exercises for heart disease/hypertension. The three subjects were all sufferers of heart disease/hypertension and differed in age, sex, and the severity of their conditions. All three were taking conventional medicine. The shortest span of time they had been on medication was three years, and the longest was 33 years. The medical regimens were changed by their doctors 1-3 times during the period of taking conventional medicine due to lack of effectiveness and side-effects. All subjects had a history of heart disease/hypertension, one of who had lost 4 family members to the disease, the youngest being 46 years old. During the research period, no aspect of their lifestyle was changed other than adding 20 minutes per day of Qi Gong medical exercises. The subjects were also asked to keep a journal over the research period covering specific areas of interest.
The subjects' blood pressure and pulse were taken on Feb.18, and before/after doing the exercises were measured every week thereafter. The first two weeks showed minimal improvement. On March 03, Laurha Frankfort met with them once a week over the next three weeks to insure they were doing the exercises accurately, and followed up on measurements each time before/after. During these three meetings with Laurha, they practiced as a group.
The results confirmed that during the 3 weeks of practice from March 03-March 24, the subjects showed statistically significant progress. The results listed below show that the subjects' blood pressure and pulse readings were lowered into the normal range.
There was additional improvement in the following areas from the log kept by each of the subjects:
- There was no tightness in the chest for any of the subjects during the research
period.
- There was reduced tightness/soreness in the following areas associated with heart disease/hypertension: shoulders/scapula, numbness in the fingers, lower back
- All subjects experienced weight-loss during the research period.
- Increased sexual desire and performance.
- Quality/quantity of sleep improved.
- Increased joint/muscle/tendon flexibility
- Improvement in bowel movements; no constipation.
- Decreased anxiety, anger, and better overall emotional stability
The subjects had the following conclusions regarding the research program:
- Qi Gong medical exercises in tandem with their conventional therapy would be best for them.
- The simple, low-stress Qi Gong medical exercises were easier than western exercise programs, required less time, no fatigue or pain, and most importantly, were more effective.
- Working with an instructor was a vital aspect of their improvement, which maintained the accuracy of their exercises.
- Group practice was more effective than practicing on their own. It helped them to overcome laziness, motivated them to encourage each other, and united them in their determination to improve.
This basic research project is part of an on-going research effort. The next stage will use additional measuring devices to substantiate the results.
