Skeptics
There is little controversy in the benefit of qigong when the definition of qigong is limited to a series of physical movements and a set of relaxation exercises. Conflict arises between Western views and qigong systems when the claims of qigong practice exceed the capabilities and understanding of traditional science and at an extreme make claims that border on the supernatural.The same skepticism towards qigong practice can also be applied to the field of Traditional Chinese medicine and extends to the broader subject of alternative medicine and complementary medicine. The basic problem is that the information available from those fields does not fit the Western paradigm suitable for scientific acceptability or medical interpretation.
Skeptics contend that most of the benefits derived from Alternative medicine are, at best, derived from a placebo effect.
The main arguments from the view of skeptics against the correlation between qigong practices and health-related results are:
* The existence of qi, or any form of vitalism, has not been independently verified in a experimental setting to the satisfaction of the general scientific community. Such a concept is not recognized in traditional biological sciences.
* Demonstrations in martial arts such as breaking hard objects with strikes can be fully-explained using physics, without reference to the concept of qi.
* Reported claims of supernatural abilities appear to be tricks more suited to magic shows than to any genuine scientific discipline.
* Explanations that involve the supernatural or that require a spiritual element are beyond the scope of the scientific method.
* Personal benefits for some qigong masters might have provided them with an incentive to exaggerate their claims
Mental disorders
In some cases, the practice of qigong can result in mental disorders. Within the qigong community, this condition is known as ''Zouhuo rumo'' or "qigong deviation" and is characterized by the perception of the practitioner that there is an uncontrolled flow of qi in the body. Other complaints include localized pains, headache, insomnia and uncontrolled spontaneous movements.The diagnosis of “Qigong Deviation Syndrome” is based upon the following criteria :
# The subject being demonstrably-normal before doing qigong exercises
# Psychological and physiological reactions appearing during or after qigong exercises (suggestion and autosuggestion may play an important role in these reactions)
# Complaints of abnormal sensations during or after qigong exercises
# Diagnostic criteria do not meet other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, affective disorder and neuroses.
It is a psychiatric disorder recognized by the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders (CCMD) (中国精神疾病分类方案与诊断标准) published by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry (CSP) (中华医学会精神病学).
In the west, there was no equivalent experience until the adoption of qigong practices by the public. When the western medical community encountered abnormal conditions presenting in patients practicing qigong, they used the term "Qi Gong-Induced Psychosis" and classified the disorder as a Culture-bound syndrome in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
Within the qigong community, Qigong Deviation is believed to be caused by :
* An inexperienced or unqualified instructor
* Incorrect instructions
* Impatience
* Becoming frightened, irritated, confused or suspicious during the course of qigong practice
* Inappropriate manipulation or channeling of qi
In the psychiatric community, such conditions are regarded as being self-induced and may be the result of an underlying physiological condition, a type of reactive psychosis or the precipitation of an underlying mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder.
Within the qigong community, there are specific treatments for addressing different forms of qigong deviations. In western psychiatry, the use of an antipsychotic may be required.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article Qigong, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
