Where's My Qi Gone???

The ancient art of Qi Gong has become all the rage in Halifax. It comes complete with extraordinary claims and even a modicum of evidence. I want to be very clear that I think it is a wonderful form of movement therapy and can benefit many. Its focus on movement and breathing addresses two of the fundamental issues so important for people experiencing persistent pain. And it is here that the ancient art intersects with modern science.

There is a growing body of research literature that demonstrates the efficacy of acupuncture and other related modalities - at least in some circumstances. However, one must be careful not to leap to an acceptance of the theories behind these methods. Traditional approaches claim that energy or qi (chi) flows along channels called meridians and that blockages can cause illness or dysfunction of various sorts. In spite of claims to effectiveness, there is no support for this theoretical model. Meridians have never been identified by scientific method and far more plausible mechanisms, such as endorphin release and neuromodulation, are offered by neurophysiological investigations. One need not depend on outdated theory and magical thinking to understand empirical observations.

Dr. Harriet Hall helps shed light on such matters in discussing what she calls Tooth Fairy Science:
"You could measure how much money the Tooth Fairy leaves under the pillow, whether she leaves more cash for the first or last tooth, whether the payoff is greater if you leave the tooth in a plastic baggie versus wrapped in Kleenex. You can get all kinds of good data that is reproducible and statistically significant. Yes, you have learned something. But you haven’t learned what you think you’ve learned, because you haven’t bothered to establish whether the Tooth Fairy really exists."
For instance, Qi Gong or acupuncture or many other similar treatments may produce measurable outcomes (even good ones), but that does not establish the existence of some vital energy that can be manipulated by a practitioner claiming to have special powers. No one has bothered to establish whether qi and meridians even exist.

Here is the protocol for treatment outlined in a pilot study for Qi Gong for people with fibromyalgia (THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
Volume 12, Number 9, 2006, pp. 851–856)
"EQT treatment by this specific healer consisted of administering acupressure, qi emission, qi balancing, and magnetic cupping on each individual. The following is a briefdescription of the main steps in the specific EQT of this healer, and the presumed functions of these various steps in the treatment process:
(a) The fully clothed patient lies down on her back on the examination table; the healer lightly touches the abdominal area to sense the blockage of qi flow in the major organs, allegedly moving the qi around, and driving the stagnant qi out via the bottom of the patient’s feet.
(b) The healer examines the key acupoints (not necessarily the tender points) to sense the extent of the blockages at each point and in the internal organs. He uses his palm(s) movements to generate the flow of qi in each blocked area, driving the stagnant qi out through the patient’s feet (Yongchuan acupoint).
(c) The patient turns around facing down on the examination bed and raises the back of her shirt;
(d) The healer examines major organs from the patient’s back with his palm to locate any deficiency in function and qi balance.
(e) The healer moves his own qi to the organs and verifies that the organ is functioning normally with balanced energy. He drives the stagnant qi out, and supplies healthy qi energy to the major organs.
(f) After the qi adjustment, small magnetic cupping is often used to directly take the excessive stagnant qi out from a specific organ (through acupoints)."


I'm leaving it to you readers to spot the Tooth Fairy here. Let me know if you see her. I'll be back with more later.