Alternative therapies have not been well documented from a conventional prospective but they have existed for thousands of years and millions of people are being treated by these systems daily. You have to wonder why the general population is turning to acupuncture, medical Qi Gong, Homeopathic medicine and Reiki therapy for their health care.
Could it be 
According to Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif 94304-1583, USA. astin@scrdp.stanford.edu
Abstract
CONTEXT:
Research both in the United States and abroad suggests that significant numbers of people are involved with various forms of alternative medicine. However, the reasons for such use are, at present, poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate possible predictors of alternative health care use.
METHODS:
Three primary hypotheses were tested. People seek out these alternatives because (1) they are dissatisfied in some way with conventional treatment; (2) they see alternative treatments as offering more personal autonomy and control over health care decisions; and (3) the alternatives are seen as more compatible with the patients’ values, worldview, or beliefs regarding the nature and meaning of health and illness. Additional predictor variables explored included demographics and health status.
DESIGN:
A written survey examining use of alternative health care, health status, values, and attitudes toward conventional medicine. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used in an effort to identify predictors of alternative health care use.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:
A total of 1035 individuals randomly selected from a panel who had agreed to participate in mail surveys and who live throughout the United States.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:
Use of alternative medicine within the previous year.
RESULTS:
The response rate was 69%. The following variables emerged as predictors of alternative health care use: more education (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.3); poorer health status (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.5); a holistic orientation to health (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9); having had a transformational experience that changed the person’s worldview (OR, 1 .8; 95% CI, 1 .3-2.5); any of the following health problems: anxiety (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6-6.0); back problems (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1 .7-3.2); chronic pain (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1 -3.5); urinarytract problems (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.5); and classification in a cultural group identifiable by their commitment to environmentalism, commitment to feminism, and interest in spirituality and personal growth psychology (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.7). Dissatisfaction with conventional medicine did not predict use of alternative medicine. Only 4.4% of those surveyed reported relying primarily on alternative therapies.
CONCLUSION:
Along with being more educated and reporting poorer health status, the majority of alternative medicine users appear to be doing so not so much as a result of being dissatisfied with conventional medicine but largely because they find these health care alternatives to be more congruent with their own values, beliefs, and philosophical orientations toward health and life.
The field of alternative medicine involves both the physical body and psychological processes of thoughts, emotions, beliefs and attitudes which are all expressions of Energy or Life Force.
In traditional Chinese medicine this Life Force is called (Qi). In Japanese it’s called (Ki) and in Ayurveda medicine, practiced in India for thousands of years it’s called (Prana) all these age-old systems work with Energy. Although they’re related, they’re not precisely the same thing as the scientific concept of energy. The word ENERGY used in this context is something that can be felt.
Our health is determined by the overall flow and balance of a person’s vital life force energy. If there is an imbalance or blockage in the natural flow of the subtle energy fields in the body there will be some form of disease, mentally, physical, emotional or spiritually. Therapies like acupuncture and Qi Gong work by correcting imbalances in the flow of subtle energy along the meridian pathways. In therapies such as Qi Gong, Healing touch, and even prayer, a practitioner can emit or transmit the vital energy to a recipient as a way to restore health.
Traditional Chinese Medical System (TCM), maybe the true forefather of “Energy medicine” it has five branches. The one most of us are familiar with is acupuncture. This treatment involves the (virtually) painless insertion of very fine needles into the skin at points that follow the meridians pathways.
Another branch of TCM is Qi Gong
It involves the use of meditation, movement and breath regulation to improve or rebalance the flow of vital energy (Qi). These movements can be performed by virtually anyone, regardless of age or fragility. Research has shown that regular use of Qi Gong exercises can improve circulation, improve immune function and promote a relaxation response in the body. In China today, these therapies are used in many hospitals along with conventional medicine to treat cancer, heart disease and digestive problems, etc.
In Medical Qi Gong the doctor or practitioner emit or transmit energy (Qi) from their hands into the patient to rebuild health. This takes many years of training and practice to develop these skills, practitioners uses their hands to feel imbalances of energy and to strengthen, correct or redirect the energy flow (Qi) to promoting health. There is evidence that a wide variety of illnesses such as stress related physical symptoms, pain, high blood pressure and heart conditions are treated and resolved. The goal of Medical Qigong is to correct these bio-energetic imbalances and blockages. This enables the body to strengthen and regulate the internal organs, the nervous system and the immune system, relieve pain, regulate hormones, and strengthen and release deep-seated emotions and stress.
The client will be given Medical Qi Gong Prescription Exercises after the treatment to assist in their ongoing healing.
Medical Qigong is a complete system of Health Care that recognizes the root causes of symptoms or disease, and treats the client as a whole. Practiced as an excellent adjunct to Western Medicine, Chinese Medicine may successfully treat people with conditions that Western Medicine finds resistant or ambiguous.
Like any other system of health care, Medical Qi Gong is not a panacea but can be a highly effective Health Care practice. Many Health Care Professionals recommend Medical Qigong as an important form of complementary and Alternative Medicine.
“My goal is to educate my patients so that once I get them to the healing point they can keep themselves there without me.”
My patients are encouraged to practice Qi Gong on a daily basis. Programs like the Flying Crane Qi Gong that is practiced all through China to promote health and to build a strong immune system and The Recharging Qi Gong program that has helped thousands of people to stay fit and keep both the body and mind young.
Flying Crane Qi Gong Program:
http://rechargingqigong.com/flying-crane-qi-gong.html
Recharging Qi Gong Program:
http://www.rechargingqigong.com/recharging-qi-gong.html
I wish you the best in your health, wealth and happiness
Dr. Wu Dhi
