The Efficacy of QiGong Practice as a Treatment
for Vertigo
Case Study on a Single Patient by Dr. Maryann
DiEdwardo
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that practicing QiGong may improve
weakened immune response. This study is intended to examine whether QiGong
practice can control and cure the symptoms associated with inner ear infection
and severe dizziness which may be a weakened immune response that causes of
vestibular sense, vertigo, in a single female patient. The patient, who is also
the researcher for the study, suffered from extreme vertigo and applied QiGong
as a therapy. Maryann DiEdwardo, age 57 at the onset of the vertigo in 2011
practiced QiGong meditation, QiGong sequences and QiGong walking meditations
from August 29, 2011 to August 29, 2012. The purpose of the case study on one
patient is to understand why the patient regained balance and full functioning
of the vestibular sense by practicing QiGong three times per day over a period
of one year. From August 29, 2011 to August 29, 2012, she participated in
qigong personal practice daily in her home studio until the spring of 2012 when
she consulted an EMT specialist ,Dr. Lemberg in Allentown, PA and an Allergy
Immunologist Dr. Shannon Kearney of Bethlehem, PA to confirm the diagnosis,
qigong treatment as physical therapy with the patient as the practitioner, and
simultaneous recovery to change the immune response. The patient experienced
simultaneous recovery from vertigo and vestibular symptoms that included
dizziness from slight symptoms noticed during regular activities to severe and
debilitating dizziness that could have stopped her ability to function, lack of
balance, and overall weakness which “cannot be explained by any known medical
theories, and call for formal clinical trials to closely qigong self-healing
therapy (Chen and Turner).” The study suggests that the process of healing was
based upon healing through concentrated qigong practice for three sessions per
day for one year. The results suggest that the strengthening of the body may
have occurred through the experience of regimented qigong practice routines
that took place at least three times per day for one year to engage and to
change the immune response.
Key Words: qigong, meditation, immune response,
vertigo, vestibular sense, dizziness, self-healing therapy
Background
Methodology includes a health
journal to record the symptomatic and chronic vertigo, qigong practice, and
subsequent simultaneous recovery. Previous research studies such the 2004 case
study by KW Chen and FD Turner of the Department of Psychiatry, University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in
Piscataway, NJ, simultaneous recovery from multiple physical symptoms with
medical qigong who report “the story of a 58-year-old Caucasian male patient
with a series of chronic conditions, including high prostate-specific antigen
(PSA) levels (but not a confirmed cancer), atrial septal defect, asthma,
allergies, multiple injuries following an automobile accident, high blood
pressure, and edema in the legs (Chen and Turner).” In “The Effects of Taiji and
QiGong Intervention on the Antibody Response to Influenza Vaccine Response in
Older Adults” in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2007. Yang
Yang et al. find that the Taiji and QiGong improved the antibody
response in older adults to the influenza vaccine but suggest that further
study is needed.
" Cancer patients often experience
diminished cognitive function (CF) and quality of life (QOL) due to the side
effects of treatment and the disease symptoms. This study evaluates the effects
of medical Qigong (MQ; combination of gentle exercise and meditation) on CF,
QOL, and inflammation in cancer patients.bMETHODS: Eighty-one cancer patients
recruited between October 2007 and May 2008 were randomly assigned to two
groups: a control group (n = 44) who received the usual health care and an
intervention group (n = 37) who participated in a 10-week MQ program.
Self-reported CF was measured by the European Organization for Research and
Treatment of Cancer (EORTC-CF) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive
(FACT-Cog). The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) was
used to measure QOL. C-reactive protein (CRP) was assessed as a biomarker of
inflammation. Results suggest that QiGong benefits cancer patients'
self-reported CF, QOL, and inflammation" (Oh).
Method
From August 2011
to August 2012, the patient participated in qigong energy healing modalities
that included qigong sequences, qigong meditation, and study of qigong
scholarly books, articles, and research, as healing modalities without eastern
medical advice until the spring of 2012 when she consulted an EMT specialist
Dr. Lemberg in Allentown, PA and an Allergy Immunologist Dr. Shannon Kearney of
Bethlehem, PA to confirm the diagnosis and spontaneous healing.
The patient had the most
beneficial healing with energy qigong meditations for home study; applications
of techniques in scholarship in peer reviewed books and articles on QiGong as a
healing modality. Chen and Turner used “intensive qigong workshop involved the
training and practice of gathering qi, magnifying qi energy and using it for
self-healing with visualization and guided imaginary; plus supervised energetic
fasting. The patient practiced qigong 4-plus hours per day during intensive
training, and approximately 1 to 2 hours daily thereafter. About 10 sessions of
external qi healing were performed by a qigong master for his pain and
systematic adjustment (Chen and Turner).”
Settings and locations
include the following: August and September of 2011 upon onset of symptoms, the
patient used her home meditation studio to practice qigong through resources in
my home library; October 2011, the patient attended a ten day yoga training to complete
the 500 hour certification at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA when she
added QiGong practice outside in the morning, noon and evening to continue her
personal practice; November and December 2011, the patient continued to study
qigong at the home studio, taught QiGong for a local hospital, and studied
QiGong through resources from my home library. January, February 2012, the
patient practiced in the foothills of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, outside
which was a factor that changed the symptoms and accelerated the recovery;
March of 2012, the patient studied qigong through home study with
emphasis on Tibetan Theory of Mindfulness and more training with a
certification home study programs; Authentic Teachings of Shaolin QiGong: A
Complete Home Study Course by Sifu Dan Freeman and the critically acclaimed
book The Way of QiGong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing by
Kenneth Cohen. April and May I taught a Tai Chi and QiGong class for a local
hospital and practiced outside in a natural setting in my backyard with two fir
trees enclosing a natural private space, before the classes for 6-8 hours per
day when I received the most healing from the symptoms; June 2011, I
attended the workshop in Mensch Mill Retreat Center in Barto, Pennsylvania with
QiGong scholars when we practiced outside all day; July and August 2011, I
continue the 6-8 hour per day training in QiGong outside in my backyard and
continued to teach at the local hospital.
Settings
and Locations
Settings and locations
include the following: August, September 2011, home studio; October 2011,
Himalayan Institute meditation room and outdoor grounds in Honesdale, PA; November,
December, January 2011, home studio, yoga class studio in local hospital before
sessions; February, 2012 home studio for 20 days and last 8 days in natural
settings in the ground of the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire outside;
April, May practiced outside in my backyard, before the classes for 6-8 hours
per day, when I received the most healing from the symptoms; June 2011, I
attended the 3 day workshop in meditation facility in Pennsylvania with QiGong
scholars and practiced outside in natural settings for most classes; July,
August 2011, I continue the 6-8 hour per day training outside in natural
settings in my backyard.
Active
QiGong Morning Practice 8 Brocades
Relaxation and Centering
Yoga Stretching
Detoxification
Gathering and Storing Qi
Disperse Stagnations
Meditation and QiGong
Mid
Day Taijiquan
37 short form
Evening
Mindfulness Meditation
What were the limitations of the study?
Most of the patients had minor disease
activity and relatively mild manifestations. Additional studies with more
patients who have greater disease activity and more severe vestibular
manifestations may be necessary to determine whether the current findings are
applicable to other populations.
Results
After one year of daily
qigong practice, I discontinued to feel symptoms of vertigo daily. The
symptoms occurred acutely upon the onset of the immune response when I\the
patient was under stress such as weakened immune system due to fatigue or cold.
However, as of September 2012, the symptoms have disappeared.
Conclusion
I experienced simultaneous
recovery from vertigo and vestibular symptoms that included dizziness from
slight symptoms noticed during regular activities to severe and debilitating
dizziness that stopped my ability to function, lack of balance, and overall
weakness which “cannot be explained by any known medical theories, and call for
formal clinical trials to closely qigong self-healing therapy (Chen and
Turner).” I suggest that the process of healing was based upon healing through
concentrated qigong practice for three sessions per day for one year.
References
Chen, KW, Turner, FD. Department of Psychiatry,
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School, Piscataway, NJ. Journal of Complementary Medicine. 2004.
Feb;10(1);159-162.
DiEdwardo, Maryann. Restorative
Yoga, QiGong, and Tai Chi. Kindle. Amazon. Ebook. 2013.
Oh B et al. Effect of
medical Qigong on cognitive function, quality of life, and a biomarker of
inflammation in cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial. Journal
Support Care Cancer. 2012
Jun;20(6):1235-42. doi: 10.1007/s00520-011-1209-6. Epub 2011 Jun 19.Affiliation
Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital &
Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
byeong.oh@sydney.edu.au
Hole, Linda, M.D. and
Sancier, Kenneth Ph.D. QiGong and Neurological Illness. Qigong Institute 561
Berkeley Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA and Linda Hole, M.D. (Reprinted in
2001). This article was published in Alternative and Complementary Treatments
in Neurologic Illness. By Michael I. Weintraub,, Chapter 15, pp 197-220 (2001),
and reprinted with the permission from Elsevier
Yang Yang et al. “The
Effects of Taiji and QiGong Intervention on the Antibody Response to Influenza
Vaccine Response in Older Adults” in The American Journal of Chinese
Medicine, 2007. Vol. 34, No. 4, 597-607, World Scientific Publishing
Company, Institute for Advanced Research in Asian Science and Medicine.
TABLE 1
Maryann DiEdwardo Ed.D.
Research
Variables
QiGong
Therapy for Treatment of Vestibular Function
Manipulated Independent
Variable Musicality
Contextual Framework
Non-manipulated Independent
Variables Preexisting Characteristics of Participant
Dependent Variables
qigong,
meditation, immune response, vertigo,
vestibular
sense, dizziness, self-healing therapy
Musicality
Contextual Framework
Define Purpose of Lesson
Identify Transformational
Qualities
List Transformational Goals
Music Selection or
Selections
QiGong Practices
Contextual Patterns of
Music and Practices
Annotation of Song
Selections and QiGong Practices
Meditation in Context of
Music and Practices
Compare and Contrast Music
and Practices
Types of Practice
warm
up
seated
meditation
intent
5
treasures
8
brocades
active
qigong
passive
qigong
vibration
rootedness
expansiveness
Shamanism
standing
meditation
Taiji
Yin
Yang
Taiji
Quan
Yang
Style
Upper
Burner head and chest
Middle
Burner solar plexus to navel
Lower
Burner Lower abdomen
Jounaling
The Healing Practice
Wellness
