1. What Is Qigong Acupressure Therapy
2. Scope and Effects of Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
3. Characteristics of Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
4. Therapeutic Mechanism of Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
5. Healing Application and Contraindications of Qigong
Acupressure Therapy
6. Times and Courses of Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
7. How to Learn and Practice Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
8. Cautions and Comments
What Is Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
Qigong acupressure therapy is a particular form of qigong
therapy. According to the nature and severity of diseases, common
techniques of massage, such as finger-pressing, vibrating,
knocking, patting, grasping, kneading, push-rubbing and rolling are
used to stimulate appropriate acupoints, meridians or special
places on the body surface. Therapists use their hands (or other
body parts), reinforced by concentrated qi, to promote circulation
of qi and blood in the body and to restore normal functioning of
impaired organs. This mode of treatment is called qigong
acupressure therapy because fingers or palms are used to apply
pressure with concentrated qi to acupoints or meridians for curing
diseases.
Qi is always applied in combination with concentration and
awareness to the acupoint. Qigong acupressure with concentrated qi
to cure diseases is a complicated therapeutic technique: it can
only be practiced by a few qualified qigong experts.
Scope and Effects of Qigong
Acupressure Therapy
Qigong acupressure is a medical application of the qigong and
martial arts (gongfu) practiced in ancient China. Qigong
acupressure therapy contains the same finger-pressing, hitting,
grasping and kicking techniques used by martial artists to attack
enemies and protect themselves from injury. Qigong acupressure
skillfully transfers this knowledge to the medical field to treat
diseases.
Nowadays, qigong acupressure is widely used in Chinese medical
clinics and is welcomed by the masses because of its simple
techniques, good results and lack of side-effects. Through many
years of clinical practice (treating over 10,000 patients), rich
knowledge and experience have accumulated about its healing
applications.
We have had excellent clinical results with patients suffering
from paralysis, cervical spondylosis, periarthritis of the
shoulder, prolapse of lumbar vertebral disc, arthropathy of limbs,
gastrointestinal neurosis, insomnia, neurasthenia, diabetes
mellitus, hypertrophy of prostate gland, andropathy and cancers.
For example, the cure rate was 89 percent in 68 cases of hemiplagia
and paraplegia; 100 percent total effectiveness rate and 78 percent
excellence rate in 61 cases of junior myopia; 89 percent total
effectiveness rate and 78 percent excellence rate in 60 cases of
neurasthenia; 100 percent total effectiveness rate and 95 percent
excellence rate in 40 cases of pain syndrome; 100 percent total
effectiveness rate and 88 percent excellence rate in 72 cases of
gynecological diseases; 90 percent total effectiveness rate and 61
percent excellence rate in 106 cases of lower back and leg pain; 96
percent total effectiveness rate and 81 percent excellence rate in
218 cases of soft tissue injury; and 96 percent total effectiveness
rate and 77 percent excellence rate in 48 cases of soft tissue
injury of neck and arm.
Characteristics of Qigong Acupressure
Therapy
Qigong acupressure is a therapeutic to cure diseases by applying
thermal energy, derived from concentrated qi to the meridians,
joints, nerves and blood vessels on the body surface by means of
various techniques of massage. It may adjust neural and humoral
functions and balance yin and yang in the body to
cure disease. The characteristics of qigong acupressure are as
follows:
1. Wide applications: Qigong acupressure is useful to treat
many diseases, belonging to different branches of medicine, but it
is most effective in treating patients with chronic functional
disturbance or those in the recovery stage. For example, it may
produce a good result in chronic patients with paralysis.
2. Simple to learn and practice: In general, beginners may
use it for clinical practice after studying hard for three to five
months.
3. Safety and effectiveness: It is a safe, comfortable and
effective treatment for many internal and external diseases, but
the application of pressure and qi to the acupoints should be
adequate in intensity.
4. Easy application and inexpensive: An inexpensive, simple
and effective therapeutic treatment, qigong acupressure may be used
anywhere and at any time. No special equipment or medical
instruments are required.
5. Disease prevention and health maintenance: Once the
technique of qigong acupressure therapy has been mastered, people
may use it for themselves or on others to prevent diseases and
maintain health.
Therapeutic Mechanism of Qigong
Acupressure Therapy
Because qigong acupressure originated from ancient martial arts
and traditional Chinese medicine, it should be practiced following
traditional Chinese medical theories and principles of diagnosis
and treatment on overall analysis of the illness and the patient's
condition. This therapy has been combined with modern medicine in
clinical practice and its therapeutic mechanism can be explained by
modern medical theories.
1. As mentioned in ancient classical medical books, The
Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor: "The qi, blood, essence
and spirit in human body may circulate through meridians and spread
all over the body to adjust yin and yang, nourish muscles, bones
and joints and save the organism's life"; and "the 12 meridians in
the body can adjust the functions of five Zang Organs (five
internal organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys) and six
Fu Organs (vital organs of the human body) to keep a harmonious
coordination between the human body and surrounding environment."
Under normal physiological conditions, the meridians are a network
of channels for qi and blood to circulate and spread all over the
body and to hold the organism as an integrate living entity; but
under pathological conditions, they may transmit pathogenic factors
and pathological influence between organs and structures in the
body to cause imbalance between yin and yang;
disturbance and stagnation of ying (nutrients),
wei (defensive energy), qi and blood and finally to cause
sickness. As mentioned in ancient medical books: "If the closed
'door' or 'window' of meridians can be reopened and qi and blood
may recover normal circulation, then the disease can be cured.
Therefore, stagnated qi, proximal to the closed segment of meridian
should be led forward to overcome the obstacle by applying adequate
stimulation to the appropriate acupoints." After the acupoints are
stimulated by finger-pressing, vibrating, knocking, patting,
grasping, kneading, push-rubbing and rolling maneuvers, the
meridianal qi can be activated, the blockage of meridian can be
relieved, the circulation of qi and blood can be promoted, the
balance between ying, wei, qi and blood can be restored and the
functions of internal organs can be adjusted and integrated.
2. Under normal conditions, yin and yang
in the body are balanced and the functions of organs are
harmonious. If the balance between yin and yang
is disturbed by noxious factors, the body is likely to attract
illness. For example, influenza fever in children is usually caused
by a deficiency in vital energy, impairment of wei qi
(body resistance) and invasion by external wind and heat evils
(pathogenic factors). As traditional Chinese physicians say,
"External evils always attack people deficient in qi." The
techniques of qigong acupressure deal with this situation by
enhancing vital energy and expelling external evils from the body,
thus maintaining health and curing diseases.
3. According to modern medicine, qigong acupressure cures
diseases because it adjusts the functioning of the central nervous
system, improves blood circulation and metabolism in the focus of
disease and enhances the recovery and regeneration of damaged
tissues of the lesion.
In brief, qigong acupressure therapy may produce multiple
effects: relieving meridian blockages, promoting circulation of qi
and blood, adjusting yin and yang imbalance,
restoring vital energy, expelling external evils, postponing the
aging process and prolonging life span.
Healing Application and
Contraindications of Qigong Acupressure Therapy
Healing Applications
Common Diseases:
Surgical diseases: diseases of shoulder, elbow, wrist,
phalangeal joints, cervical spondylosis, stiff neck, diseases of
lower back, muscular sprain of lower back, prolapse of lumbar
vertebral disc, sciatica neuralgia, soft tissue injury of buttocks,
and injury of iliosacral joint.
Internal diseases: headaches, stomachaches,
neurasthenia, neurogenic vomiting, hiccups, hydrocephalus,
hysteria, infantile indigestion, incontinence of urine in children,
impotence, nocturnal emission, myopia, dysmenorrhea, acute
gastroenteritis, heat stroke and syncope.
Complicated diseases: cerebral hemiplegia,
paraplegia, sequelae of encephalitis, polyneuritis, Bell's palsy,
cerebral contusion and injury of sciatic nerve.
Other diseases: brain tumors, cancer of the
intestine, pulmonary fibrosis and qigong psychoneurosis.
Contraindications:
Acute diseases: acute stages of inflammation,
acute abdomen, febrile and infectious diseases.
Serious diseases: severe hypertension, heart
disease and late stages of cancer.
Hemorrhagic diseases: hemophilia, allergic
purpura and thrombocytopenic purpura.
Skin diseases: severe skin diseases.
Times and Courses of Qigong
Acupressure Therapy
In general, qigong acupressure may be applied once a day. A
routine therapeutic course includes 6-18 treatments. In patients
with mild diseases and short clinical course, a therapeutic course
may contain 6-24 treatments. In chronic patients, a therapeutic
course may last for 1-3 months, and in paraplegic patients, 3-6
months. The acupressure treatment may be discontinued, if the
patient's health improves enough. In order to increase the
therapeutic effect, it is best if patients complete the entire
therapeutic course.
The chronometric (time-related) phenomenon described in
traditional medicine is quite similar to the biological clock in
modern medicine and it is usually used to explain the time-related
circulation of qi through the meridian system. Because the qigong
acupressure therapy is applied at the acupoints of the meridians,
it is of course closely relate to flow of qi through the meridian
and the qigong acupressure practioners may choose an adequate time
to treat the patient. For example, at noon (11-13 o'clock), i.e. Wu
o'clock in Chinese chronometry, qi is flowing through the Heart
Meridian, it is the best time to treat patients with heart diseases
by qigong acupressure therapy. The time table of qi circulation in
the meridian system is shown as follows:
| Chinese Clock |
Western Clock |
Meridian |
| Zi |
23-1 |
Gallbladder |
| Chou |
1-3 |
Liver |
| Yin |
3-5 |
Lung |
| Mao |
5-7 |
Large intestine |
| Chen |
7-9 |
Stomach |
| Si |
9-11 |
Spleen |
| Wu |
11-13 |
Heart |
| Wei |
13-15 |
Small intestine |
| Shen |
15-17 |
Urinary bladder |
| You |
17-19 |
Kidney |
| Xu |
19-21 |
Pericardium |
| Hai |
21-23 |
Sanjiao |
How to Learn and Practice Qigong
Acupressure Therapy
1. In order to master qigong acupressure therapy, the
acupoints must be kept firmly in mind and the techniques and other
fundamental skills should be correctly executed and gradually
improved over years of practice.
2. Qigong acupressure therapy practioners can excel if they
have a forceful and robust physique and accomplished skill. There
are three basic exercises to practice for fulfilling above
requirement: (1) arm exercises for strengthening arm force; (2)
wrist exercises for improving skillfulness and elasticity....(3)
fingers exercises for increasing firmness and endurance. A good
therapeutic result can be obtained only after the concentration of
thought and application of qi and pressure by the finger can be
carried out simultaneously and coordinately. If the beginners want
to use qigong acupressure therapy in clinic after a short training
course, they are better to : (1) read hard the basic knowledge
about the fundamental exercise of qigong and the therapeutic
techniques of qigong acupressure in textbooks and carry on
earnestly and persistently the physical exercise following the
directions about the action, posture and other requirements of
physical exercise emphasized in the textbooks until they are
qualified; (2) carefully, seriously and preoccupiedly accomplish
the performance of qigong acupressure with their visual line and
finger pressure concentrated at the acupoints; and 3) select
correct acupoints and adequate techniques to treat patients and
watch their response to your treatment over time. A good
therapeutic result can be obtained only after a successful
treatment at correct acupoints with appropriate techniques to apply
necessary amount of qi.
Cautions and
Comments
1. Before the qigong acupressure treatment, a correct
differential diagnosis of both modern and traditional medicine must
be made after conscientiously collecting the information of disease
and defining the exact location of lesion by careful palpation and
comparison with the normal side for establishing a proper
therapeutic principle and arranging a useful therapeutic program. A
satisfactory therapeutic result can be obtained only after correct
selection of acupoints and adequate application of therapeutic
maneuvers.
2. Before the application of qigong acupressure therapy,
the finger nails of physicians should be cut short to avoid any
injury to the patients' skin. The pressure applied by the finger
and the amount of qi delivered to the acupoints should be
determined and gradually increased according to the duration of
disease and the condition of patients. For example, acupressure
manipulation must be very gentle in patients with chronic diseases,
in starvation or after a heavy meal; qigong acupressure is
prohibited in pregnant women and should be postponed in drunken or
overfatiqued patients; and acupressure must be very gentle to avoid
bone fracture, in patients with bone deformity.
3. After qigong acupressure therapy, most patients
experience a relief of symptoms, a comfortable and relaxed feeling,
sound sleep, improved appetite and increased body weight. However,
some patients may show signs of a worsening condition. In general,
it is only a temporary response to the treatment and may disappear
after the treatment is continued for 2-3 more days. An explanation
is necessary to relieve the patients' worry about the temporary
setback.
4. After qigong acupressure therapy treatments, patients
may feel hot, sore, numb and distending sensations around the
acupoints with some local redness, heat, sweating and twitches.
These are normal response to the treatment and need not cause
concern: they will soon spontaneously disappear. In some patients
acupressure may produce ecchymoses, which will also spontaneously
subside after one week. If patients develop severe side effects,
such as dizziness, nausea, pale complexion or syncope,
nail-pinching at the nasal septum or base of finger nails or toes
may help relieve these reactions.
5. Treatment of complications: (1) Temporary arrest of
respiration caused by extraordinary strong stimulation of
acupressure applied over the back may be relieved by patting with
concentrated qi over the neck, shoulder and back, by
finger-pressing with concentrated qi at Yaoyan (EX-B 7) or by
grasping abdominal oblique muscles. (2) Temporary weakness or
paralysis of the arm caused by extraordinary strong stimulation
applied over the scapular region may be relieved by patting with
concentrated qi over the shoulder, elbow or wrist. (3) Temporary
weakness or paralysis of the leg caused by extraordinary strong
stimulation over the lateral side of buttocks may be relieved by
patting with concentrated qi over the lower back, buttocks and
popliteal fossa.
(Source: Chinese Qigong Acupressure Therapy, Foreign Languages Press, 1997)