Osteoporosis, Qigong and Chinese Medicine


The osteoporosis (deterioration of bone tissue) is becoming a more and
more increasingly occuring disease, which leads to risk of fractures,
particularly of the hip, spine and wrist.

The Western medicine defines as one of the main causes of the disease
the abnormal metabolism: the inssuficient reserves of calcium in the
bones, fast lost of mineral and vitaminal content in the bone tissue
due to shortage of estrogen formation and other hormones in the body.

For prevention and treatment og ostetoporosis mainly are used methods
for regulation of the metabolism process and the hormonal balance, as
well as increase of the calcium and estrogen intake in the body.

The Chinese medicine examines two factors as main causes of
osteoporosis: deficinecy of energy (qi) in the kidneys and disharmony
between the functions of the spleen and stomach.

The energy deficiency in the kidneys is the most important precondition
for developing osteoporosis. It is manifested in such symptoms as an
overall weakness and fatigue, pains in the lower back, waist and knees;
easy bone fragility, dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, frequent urination,
night sweating, dry mouth, sensitivity to cold, cold extremities, and
asthma.

According to the principles of Chinese medicine and qigong therapy, the
kidneys are in charge of the condition of body fluids, part of which
are used for the formation of bone marrow. The bone marrow nourishes
the bones and maintains them healthy and strong. That is why, in the
ancient medical treatises of China it is said that "the condition of
the kidneys defines the condition of the bones" and "the kidneys
stimulate the formation of bone marrow". If the vital energy and the
body fluids are insufficient, then the bone system would suffer as
well, and there will present conditions for developing osteoporosis and
fragile, soft bones with frequent fractures even in the lightest
traumas.

If the roots of a tree are strong, then the trunk and the branches
would be strong and unbreakable. The same happens within the human
body: the kidneys represent the roots that give power to the bone
system (the branches) and the whole body.

When the spleen and stomach functions are in disharmony, the body
cannot adequately derive nutrients from the intaken food, which by
itself leads to shortage of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, acids,
hormones, and other important components.

The cause of disbalance in the work of the digestive system are many,
but the most frequently seen are: qi and blood deficiency;
insufficiency of energy in the spleen due to improper eating;
overanxiety and stress; prolonged ilness; pathogenic Dampness and Heat
in the spleen; pathogenic Fire in the liver, which supresses the normal
work of the digestive system; accumulation of pathogenic Cold in the
stomach due to intake of cold food and drinks.

Prevention and Treatment

For prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are used foods and herbs
that have the action to tonify and warm the kidney qi, regulate the
functions of the spleen and stomach, restore the body fluids and
stimulate the formation of bone marrow. These are: soy and soy
products, green beans, chives, nettle, avocado, black ear mushrooms
(Jew's ear, also known as mu er) and tremella ("Silver ears", or yin
er), fragrant mushrooms (shiitake, or xiang gu), corn, yams (dioscorea,
or shan yao), carp, clams, cuttlefish, eel, cummin, trigonella,
rosemary, cinnamon, anise seed, clove, fennel, curcuma, grapefruit,
pomello, tangerines, plumes, jojoba (Chinese dates), grapes, cherry,
lotus root and seeds, chestnuts, walnuts, ginseng, royal jelly,
ganoderma (spiritual mushroom, or ling zhi), astragalus, Chinese
angelica dong kuai (dan gui), woldberries (lycium, or gou qi zi),
schizandra berries (wu wei zi), hip, drinaria (gu sui bu), etc.

From another point, in order to have healthy bone system, it is
necessary to use methods for increasing the pure energy in the body.
The energy (qi) is that which maintains all vital processes and
regulates the functions of the inner organs. Its deficiency in the body
weakens the immune system and leads to various disbalances,
disturbances in the work of the bodily organs and condition for disease
formation.

The thousand-year old experience of Chinese medicine proves that the
methods of the qigong science and practice for increasing the inner
energy through training of the quiet exercise (qigong meditation)
represent one of the most natural, certain and effective ways of
prevention and treatment of diseases.

There exist not a few examples with qigong practitioners who by
replenishing the vital energy, have got rid of different bone diseases,
including osteoporosis.

The increase of energy circulation within the body enhances trhe
quality of the inner organs and their activity, improves and
strengthens the bone marrow, straightens the position of bones and
joints, removes the pains and the pathogenic conditions. Day by day,
the qigong practitioners become more vital, more capable of working and
rejuvenated. The osteoporosis patients who use the method of qigong
increase in a natural way their kidney energy and regulate metabolism.
Gradually, the bone tissue is replenished and it becomes possible to
maintain healthy and powerful bone system.

The holistic approach for preserving health and treatment of
osteoporosis is based on active use both of inner methods for
self-regulation of the vital processes in organism and increase of more
pure energy (such as the training of qigong) and outer, complementary
methods, such as nutrition and fitotherapy, fitness, massage, and
others, along with the curative methods of Western medicine, with which
they can completely combine.


Anna Pecheva

=====

Hanlin Academy

http://www.hanlin.hit.bg

hanlin_academy@...




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