ISSN: 2167-0846

Journal of Pain & Relief

The International Open Access

Journal of Pain & Relief

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Brendan Carvalho
Stanford University, USA

Patricia Dalby
University of Pittsburgh, USA

Inna Belfer
University of Pittsburgh, USA

Sergio D. Bergese
The Ohio State University, USA

Shan Ping Yu
Emory University, USA

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 Rhoads, J Pain Relief 2013, 2:1
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-0846.1000115
Pain & Relief
Review Article Open Access

Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong

Rhoads CJ*
Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, Kutztown University, USA

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to outline the academic and medical evidence for Tai Chi and Qigong impact on pain,
and describe the hypothesized mechanism that enables Tai chi and Qigong to work so well at relieving pain - often
better than opioid pain medication, and with fewer side effects. This paper also describes a paradigm for research
which will increase the likelihood that researchers doing projects in this ield can synergize their efforts and start
building a foundational body of knowledge rather than continue to do independent and disconnected studies on the
phenomenon that enables Tai Chi and Qigong to work.

Keywords: Pain management; Pain mechanism; Tai Chi; Qigong; meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong. he initial 11,030 studies were
Movement; Breathe; Research guidelines; Behaviorial practices; reduced to the 2285 studies that followed standard scientiic guidelines.
Integrative medicine Ater applying even more meticulous scientiic rigor criteria, the authors
further reduced the number to 813 studies described in 803 articles. he
Tai Chi vs. Qigong articles that were included were primary research utilizing a control
Decades ago there were not very many health studies on Tai chi and group and measureable, clearly deined health-related outcomes with
Qigong1. hose that did exist were not highly controlled or validated. a sample size greater than 10 subjects. Of these articles the authors did
But slowly this has begun to change. In the last six years there have a “deep dive” to ascertain the characteristics and beneits of each of the
been hundreds of studies that explored the health beneits of Tai Chi meditative health practices. For example, one inding focused on the
and Qigong [1]. impact of the diferent alternative health treatments on blood pressure.
Tai Chi was a highly efective at lowering systolic blood pressure
To achieve the goal of demonstrating clear evidence of the impact
(though the evidence pointed to Yoga being slightly more efective for
on the health and well being of human beings from Tai Chi and/or
reducing diastolic blood pressure). he resulting tables (Tables 1 and
Qigong, irst we must deine what we mean by those terms. Qigong is
2) shows the probability of each treatment being the best intervention.
an “integrative health exercise”, and is generally comprised of a series
of repetitive movements practiced in combination with proper body he indings of the meta-analysis were extremely enlightening, but
alignment, coordinated deep breathing and focused attention (i.e. did not include pain relief speciically. Research that investigates the
“intention”). Staying relaxed and moving in ways that are aligned while efectiveness of Tai Chi or Qigong on general pain is scarce.
being able to enhance strength and lexibility are very much central to
the practice. he “focused attention”, or “intention” is generally using Recommendations by Medical Centers
either external imagery (i.e. Raising the Sun, Gazing at the Moon, Bring Unfortunately, until recently, few doctors learned about integrative
Heaven to Earth, etc.) or internal imagery (i.e. Imagine the light lowing health practices in medical school. he efects were thought to be limited
down through your body, Pull in to the dantien (lower abdomen), etc. to the placebo efect [9] and were, for the most part, not considered to
[2].1 be part of established standard of care practices.
Tai Chi is oten considered a speciic type of Qigong [3]. Tai Chi he most inluential medical schools have revised their thinking
is a practice that involves memorizing speciic postures in sequence, on that point, however, in face of the growing evidence to the contrary.
known as a form, which was originally developed as a practice for self Despite the lack of double-blind studies that provide strong scientiic
defense moves. In order to achieve advantage over their opponents, Tai evidence, Qigong, Tai Chi and Yoga are all noted by many highly
Chi practitioners must remain balanced and in alignment at all times, respected medical centers as efective pain relievers2. he metabolic
breathing optimally, and remaining calm and clear headed. he Tai changes inluenced by these practices are also known to prevent or
Chi practitioners must be able to “sense” or “listen” to the intention slow down the onset of viruses, lus, and cancers as well as metabolic
of the opponent. hey must then be able to move with intention, dysfunctions, autoimmune disorders and blood diseases [10,11].
while remaining completely relaxed, in such a way that whatever their
opponent tries to do is neutralized. Movements require both strength Mayo Clinic doctors recommend Tai Chi [12]. As stated on their
and lexibility, and imagery is focused on the self defense of what the website:
opponent is doing. Generally the movements of the form are practiced
slowly, though they are done “at speed” in a martial or combat situation.
*Corresponding author: Dr. CJ Rhoads, Associate Professor, Department of
Current Research Business Administration, College of Business, Kutztown University, USA, E-mail:
rhoads@kutztown.edu
Since 2004 there have been several meta analyses of studies of
Received December 22, 2012; Accepted April 15, 2013; Published April 17, 2013
the health beneits of Tai Chi and Qigong [1,4-8] did an exhaustive
literature search in order to compare mantra meditation, mindfulness Citation: Rhoads CJ (2013) Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong.
J Pain Relief 2: 115. doi:10.4172/2167-0846.1000115
1
“Intention” or the “image” or “thought pattern” is an essential component of Copyright: © 2013 Rhoads CJ. This is an open-access article distributed under
Taijiquan and Qigong practices. Further information can be found regarding the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
this aspect at The Role of Imagery in Practice of Tai Chi Hong Kong Journal of use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and
Occupational Therapy by Chen W and Chan C [2]. source are credited.

J Pain Relief
ISSN: 2167-0846 JPAR an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000115
Citation: Rhoads CJ (2013) Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong. J Pain Relief 2: 115. doi:10.4172/2167-0846.1000115

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Probability of being Harvard Medical School doctors also recommend Tai chi [13].
95% credible
Intervention Point estimate
interval
“best”intervention Peter M. Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical
(%) School and director of the Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Program
Tai Chi -21.9 -37.9, -5.7 32.0 at Harvard Medical School’s Osher Research Center has stated:
Yoga + BF -20.1 -36.9, -3.1 23.8
Qi Gong -18.4 -47.4, 10.7 27.2 A growing body of carefully conducted research is building a
CMBT -14.9 -30.6, 0.9 8.1 compelling case for tai chi as an adjunct3 to standard medical treatment
Biofeedback -13.2 .35.9, 9.4 5.1 for the prevention and rehabilitation of many conditions commonly
Yoga -13.1 -21.7, -4.4 0.6 associated with age.”
RR -10.8 -30.5, 8.9 0.9 Harvard Women’s Health Watch [14], states
Zen Buddhist medidation -7.3 -22.1, 7.6 0.9
Rest/ Relaxation -5.9 -22.4, 11.0 0.3 his gentle form of exercise can prevent or ease many ills of aging
Mantra meditation (NS) -5.6 -21.8, 10.5 1.0 and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. Tai chi is
TM® -2.5 -14.0, 8.7 0.0 oten described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called
PMR -2.4 -15.0, 9.6 0.0 “medication in motion.”
HE -0.5 -11.8, 10.6 0.0 WebMD (2011) also recommends Tai Chi. he website states:
WL -0.3 -26.9, 26.3 0.0
NT 0.0 NA 0.0 Some people believe that tai chi improves the low of energy
through the body, leading to better wellness and a wide range of
BF: Biofeedback; CMBT: Contemplative meditation breathing techniques; HE:
Health education; NA: Not applicable; NS: not speciied; NT: no treatment; PMR:
potential beneits. hose beneits include:
Progressive muscle relaxation; RR: Relaxation response; SBP: Systolic blood
pressure; TM®: Transcendental Meditation®; WL: waiting list
• Improved strength, conditioning, coordination, and lexibility

Table 1: Mixed Treatment comparisons on Systolic Blood Pressure reductions • Reduced pain and stifness
compared to No Treatment [8].
• Better balance and lower risk of falls
Intervention Point estimate
95% credible Probability of • Enhanced sleep
interval “best” (%)
Yoga + Biofeedback -17.1 -30.9, -3.0 34.0 • Greater awareness, calmness, and overall sense of well being
Qi Gong -15.2 -40.4, 9.3 30.6
Tai Chi -12.1 -25.8, 1.5 12.5 Diiculties of Scientiic Research on Tai Chi and Qigong
Zen Buddhist medidation -12.0 -24.4, 0.2 9.1 he pain relieving aspects of Tai Chi and Qigong have been diicult
Yoga -11.8 -19.1, -4.6 1.8 to quantify. As shown by the meta-analysis by Ospina et al. [8], for
BF -11.4 -32.1, 8.5 9.2 the scientiic/medical community, the real evidence is in well-designed
Rest/ Relaxation -8.5 -22.0, 5.0 1.3 double-blind research and practice trials. Predictably, research studies
RR -7.4 -24.2, 8.6 0.8 on health practices associated with Tai Chi and Qigong are rare for
TM® -3.4 -13.3, 5.9 0.1 many reasons, the two most inluential are lack of funding and diiculty
WL -3.3 -26.4, 19.3 0.0 in research design.
PMR -2.2 -12.8, 7.7 0.1
HE -1.9 -11.8, 7.3 0.0 Lack of funding
Mantra meditation (NS) -1.0 -14.4, 12.4 0.6
First, who would pay for such studies? Most medical research is
NT 0.0 NA 0.0
supported by pharmaceutical companies who typically get a return on
BF: Biofeedback; DBP: Diastolic blood pressure; HE: Health education; NA: their investment for drugs when they are successful (which is proitable
Not applicable; NS: not speciied; NT: no treatment; PMR: Progressive muscle
relaxation; RR: Relaxation response; TM®: Transcendental Meditation®; WL:
enough to also cover the costs of the unsuccessful trials). Getting an
waiting list investment return is much more diicult within the fragmented
organizations which deliver physical treatments such as Tai chi,
Table 2: Tables mixed treatment comparisons on Diastolic Blood Pressure
reductions compared to No Treatment [8]. Qigong, or other exercise therapies.

Preliminary evidence suggests that tai chi may ofer numerous Funding is not an insigniicant obstacle. Funding oten determines
beneits beyond stress reduction, including: which treatment will be more prevalent (regardless of efectiveness).
Imagine that there were two equally efective treatments for pain
• Reducing anxiety and depression relief. Treatment #1 would provide 12 billion dollars in revenues to a
• Improving balance, lexibility and muscle strength 2
Keep in mind that often the term Tai Chi, because it is more well-known, is used
as a synonym for Qigong. Most research points to the common elements of both
• Reducing falls in older adults Tai Chi and Qigong (the magic combination of deep breathing, slow, aligned,
movements and open focused thought/intention ) rather than any speciic form or
• Improving sleep quality style.
• Lowering blood pressure 3
An adjunct therapy is one that is used together with primary medical treatments,
either to address a disease itself or its primary symptoms, or, more generally,
• Improving cardiovascular itness in older adult to improve a patient’s functioning and quality of life. Tai Chi or Qigong will not
overcome the impact of an unhealthy lifestyle. In order to be effective, Tai Chi
• Relieving chronic pain or Qigong must be combined with nutritional food, high quality sleep, and high-
intensity cardiovascular exercise that lasts more than 15 minutes or so, at a
• Increasing energy, endurance and agility relatively high heart rate (i.e. 80% of maximum heart rate). Additionally, Tai Chi
and Qigong work more effectively as a preventative activity than a treatment for
• Improving overall feelings of well-being injury or acute disease.

J Pain Relief
ISSN: 2167-0846 JPAR an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000115
Citation: Rhoads CJ (2013) Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong. J Pain Relief 2: 115. doi:10.4172/2167-0846.1000115

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single company (the typical revenues on a blockbuster drug such as 3. Intention: Focused attention
Oxycontin according to Berenson) [15]. Treatment #2 would provide
4. Breathing: Deep (either natural or reverse breathing)
several million dollars in revenue to several thousand unrelated
disconnected health providers (integrative health centers and martial 5. Repetition
arts schools). Furthermore, Treatment #1 is covered by health
insurance. Treatment #2 must be covered directly out of the patient’s Using non-traditional descriptions for the movements, breath,
pocket. Which treatment do you think might garner research funding, and intention would “defrock” Tai Chi and Qigong practices from
and from whom? Which treatment would be prescribed more oten their mystical foundations without losing the essential nature of the
by physicians? Which treatment would be utilized more oten? Even exercise. Adopting this method of description would make it much
if Treatment #2 is demonstrably more efective at a quarter of the cost easier to conduct research, and would enable the researchers to
without the side efects of Treatment #1, the number of people who conduct double-blind studies that could provide stronger evidence
would choose treatment #2 over treatment #1 will be very limited of the eicacy and efectiveness of Tai chi and Qigong for health (or,
simply because of who is paying the bill. Funding sources, even in alternatively, prove the practices immaterial in health improvement).
medical research, are not abundant without a clear path to return on
investment. An example would allow us to see how this might work. he
researcher might establish that Treatment 1 is movement/breath/
Study design diiculties intention sequence A plus movement/breath/intention sequence B plus
Second, the requirements of a scientiic study are oten at odds with (etc.). Treatment 2 would be movement/breath/intention sequence P
the treatment itself. How do you keep the daily practice of Tai chi or plus movement/breath/intention sequence Q (etc.), and Treatment 3
Qigong “blind”? In a drug trial you can give sugar pills that look exactly would be movement/breath/intention sequence X, Y (etc.). In actuality,
the same as the treatment so the subjects can’t tell if they are getting the the sequences of Treatment 1 may be the same as a particular Taijiquan
treatment or not. In a “double blind” study the doctors and researchers form, whereas the sequences of Treatment 2 might be the same as a
don’t know which subjects are getting the treatment, either. With a particular Yoga style, and the sequences of Treatment 3 might be
daily practice treatment, it is more diicult to “hide” who’s getting the a classic Qigong. As long as the terminology is only Treatment (i.e.
treatment. People usually can tell if they are doing Tai Chi or Qigong the subjects are not told if they are following treatment 1 or treatment
or Yoga or just plain exercise. Bias for or against the treatment can 2 or treatment 3, and they are deinitely not told which domain the
interfere with the results. treatments are based upon), subjects would be blind to which group
hird, to complicate matters, as noted earlier, Tai Chi is not easily they are in. Of course, another group, Treatment 4, would be required
deined, and can mean diferent things to diferent people [16]. he which might do nothing at all, perform movements that are unrelated
problem of deining Tai Chi is dwarfed by the problems of deining to either Tai Chi or Qigong or Yoga, or perhaps just sit in a room as a
Qigong. here are probably hundreds of thousands of diferent control.
activities and behaviors that fall under the umbrella term of Qigong.
Additionally, when the outcomes are measured (whether it is blood
Despite progress in this area, the lack of a common deinition pressure, immune response, pain levels, etc.) the researcher measuring
makes inding clear and unadulterated evidence extremely diicult. the outcome should be unaware of which treatment the subject is in.
One method to overcome this problem may be to avoid the his study design would result in double blind, reproducible veriiable
terminology typically used when teaching Qigong and Tai Chi, and
research that would further the agenda of establishing practices based
instead focus purely on the speciic movements and behaviors. Ospina
upon clear evidence.
et al. [8] discussed the Efect Modiiers, (dose, duration, direction of
attention, rhythmic pattern, and individual variables) which should Furthermore, the framework of movement, breathe, and intention,
be described in every research article. Even more simply, researchers would enable the practices to be quantiied in such a way that they
could describe the movement/breath/intention sequence. Deining Tai could, eventually be prescribed. “Go do Tai Chi” or “Go do Yoga” is
Chi and Qigong through the sum of their parts (movement, breath, not a prescription. “Perform these speciic movement sequences with
and intention) rather than the speciic terms and practices commonly accompanying intention and breathe practices three times a day for 10
called Tai Chi or Qigong, it would be possible to identify the speciic minutes, seven days a week” is a prescription. If the goal is to decrease
underlying stimulus and response of the practice. By doing so the
pain, being able to quantify exactly how much they need to do, with
features of the diferent practices can be identiied as either common
what intensity, and how oten is critical. Yet this information is sadly
or distinguishing, and those features can be tested to see if there is a
lacking in our current state of research [8]. Only when therapeutic
diference in therapeutic value for each one of them. Most studies, for
example, completely ignore the imagery or martial applications in their levels of the practice/sequence can be veriied and replicated can Tai
description of the movements, yet the intention aspect of Tai Chi or Chi and Qigong take a place among the prescriptions and medical
Qigong may be important for these practices to work.4 advice coming from primary physicians.

he three components can be broken down into diferent aspects of Another step towards scientiic inquiry would be to hypothesize
their development for purposes of the research; why Tai Chi and Qigong work. he traditional explanations regarding
chi and energy channels are insuicient in order to establish and test
1. Movement: Strength development
hypotheses. In order to ind supporting evidence we need to look at a
2. Movement: Flexibility development molecular, measurable, level. It is not essential to establish how Tai Chi
and Qigong work in order to use it (indeed, the mechanism behind
why aspirin reduces pain was only established in 1971, yet physicians
4
As noted earlier, the focus of attention may be an essential ingredient in why Tai have been prescribing aspirin since Felix Hofman synthesized the
Chi and Qigong work, which may be why research studies produce varied results;
not all practitioners include the “mind-thought” control as part of the exercise. compound in 1897 [17]5. But starting with a potential framework

J Pain Relief
ISSN: 2167-0846 JPAR an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000115
Citation: Rhoads CJ (2013) Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong. J Pain Relief 2: 115. doi:10.4172/2167-0846.1000115

Page 4 of 6

might help identify the most promising avenues for research. To that eliminating muscular tension. Deep relaxation makes the muscles so
end, the next section will propose some potential frameworks for how relaxed that they do not alarm the Dorsal Horn and wake the dragon
and why Tai Chi and Qigong work to decrease pain. of pain. At the base level, this is one way that behavior can change pain
levels.
Brain and Metabolic Mechanisms of Pain
Another natural way to relieve pain is through endogenous opiates,
Mechanism of pain also known as endorphins. Nerve cells have a “protein seat” that
To understand the impact of Tai Chi and Qigong on pain, it will protrudes from its surfaces. When an endorphin settles into the seat
be helpful to irst consider the feedback loop between the muscles, the (by virtue of its shape), it trips another molecule, a protein dangling in
nerves, the brain, and the metabolic system controlled by the brain. the root of the nerve cell. hat triggers a cascade of protein molecules
his feedback loop determines how much pain is “felt”. he physical tripping, which results in electrical activity in the cell.
manifestation of pain is when a muscle or nerve tenses or is damaged, Oxycontin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone - these are opoids,
the nerve endings send a signal up through bundles of nerves called drugs which mimic the efect of endorphins naturally produced in the
“nerve trunks” to the Dorsal Horn. he Dorsal Horn is a bulbous bundle body. hey work because they have the exact same three-dimensional
of nerves that serves as a switching station at the base of the spine. he “shape” as the endorphins. he nerve cell doesn’t care if the molecule
Dorsal Horn sends the message up the wire-like nerve bundles that are sitting in the protein seat is an endorphin or an opoid. It works the
threaded up the spinal cord to another switching station at the base of same.
the brain. hat switching station in the brain stem relays the signal to
the thalamus region of the brain, just above the hypothalamus [18,19]. When endorphins are plentiful in the dorsal horn, they block the
electrical activity of the nerve ibers going up the spine to the brain,
he amount of pain we feel is based upon the sensitivity of the stopping the pain. When endorphins are plentiful in the brain, they
Dorsal Horn, and the direction of the switch in the brain stem. increase the activity of the nerve bundles traveling down the spinal
With repeated use, the Dorsal Horn becomes very sensitive, dialing cord, which blocks the pain messages traveling upward. his happens
up the amount of pain [20]. People who experience chronic pain have because of the switch in the brain stem. he brain stem controls
a Dorsal Horn which acts like a loaded gun with a tricky trigger inger; the direction of the pain pathway between the Dorsal Horn and the
it is tensed up to ire pain sensation at the least provocation. he pain thalamus by turning each pathway “on” or “of”. When endorphins
sensation then causes the nerves to tell the muscles to contract, which are plentiful, the “of” pathways are more plentiful and work harder,
causes tension, which is felt by the Dorsal Horn (danger, danger!) which stopping the pain.
sends the message to the brain that there is more pain. his feedback When a person is in pain, their brain is in a constant state of
loop keeps escalating causing an unending pain-tension-pain-tension attention, what Fehmi and Robbins [21] calls Narrow Focus, which
cycle. releases CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone), causing a constant
his cycle is enabled through the body’s method of signaling pain, stream of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Blood
which is done through neuropeptides, also known as neurotransmitters. pressure and heart rate goes up. Respiration becomes shallow and the
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that move the message of pain rate increases. he capillaries contract. Over long term, these hormones
through the nerve bundles. hey cause the “Morse code of electrical begin to cause damage; inhibiting the digestive system, restricting
discharge” that enables the pain message to travel from nerve bundle nutritional absorption, causing muscle fatigue and increasing pain.
to nerve bundle and through the two switches on the way to the brain. Open Focus attention, on the other hand, is the opposite. Open
If we paralyze the electrical activity of the short inhibitor neurons focus is a relaxed state of attention associated with enhanced critical
in the Dorsal Horn, we stop the pain. We “desensitize” the Dorsal thinking, complemented by ultra-awareness of the environment. his
Horn. Similarly, if we prevent the neurotransmitters from traveling open focus has also been called being “in the zone” or “low” within
up the spinal cord to the brain stem, we stop the pain. Sternberg [19] the realm of sports medicine [22]. Focus (either narrow or open) is
explains that the same channels of switches and relays that convey the measured using brain waves. Narrow focus is characterized by beta
pain signal in a fraction of the second up to the thalamus also include waves, whereas open focus tends toward alpha waves and gamma
nerve pathways that travel downward through the spinal cord. hose waves.
electrical spikes are governed by the brain stem, which is in turn
governed by the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and other regions of the he existence of certain types of brainwaves has a domino efect
brain which are controlled by thoughts and emotions. Sternberg [19] on the body. When the brain exhibits alpha and gamma waves,
provides evidence that the circuitry of pain not only includes a sensory neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline,
element (i.e. the “feeling” of pain), but also a psychological factor (i.e. acetylcholine, GABA, and endorphins are released into the bloodstream.
the thought process). he psychological factor is inluential through the hese are oten called the “feel good” hormones because they cause a
physiological changes that occur in the brain through repeated learning feeling of contentment and well-being. hey do more than make people
and association. In other words, the brain can be conditioned to relieve feel good, however. he increased neurotransmitters prompt the vagus
pain anywhere in the body by changing the chemicals surrounding the nerve to activate, which lowers the heart rate and blood pressure. (he
cells receiving the pain messages. vagus nerve is one of the largest, and wanders around the body from the
brain stem to the colon. It can be seen in igure 1). When the heart rate
Mechanism of pain relief and blood pressure are lowered, that prompts the lungs to expand more
When pain is exacerbated by muscle tension, the un-ending fully and breathe more deeply, which activates the digestive system. A
feedback loop of pain can be broken by reducing or completely smooth-working digestive system, when combined with nutritional
food, improves nutritional absorption [23].
5
Of course, since the early Greeks prescribed willow bark in 400 BC, one could say
that we’ve been using aspirin for over 2000 years. While these changes are healthy for the body in the long term,

J Pain Relief
ISSN: 2167-0846 JPAR an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000115
Citation: Rhoads CJ (2013) Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong. J Pain Relief 2: 115. doi:10.4172/2167-0846.1000115

Page 5 of 6

hat the stress escalation process increases pain levels is well

Glassopharyngeal known. What was not previously known was how to initiate the
Vagus relaxation response which changes the brain waves and how to elicit
Accessory the brain to manufacture more endorphins.
When drugs that mimic endorphins are introduced into the system
it stops the pain in the short term. Unfortunately, the brain tends to
stop manufacturing endorphins when opoids are introduced. Reliance
on opoids rather than endorphins leads to drug tolerance, addiction,
and a host of other side efects that eventually decrease the pain
relieving efectiveness of the treatment. Eventually, the pain always
returns. he natural endorphins don’t have those side efects, and the
body does not develop a tolerance for them. Conditioning the brain
to maintain a constant level of endorphins would decrease pain and
eliminate the side efects.
Internal branch of
sup. laryngeal
Manufacturing Endorphins
External branch of
sup. laryngeal Research shows that meditation can shut down narrow focus and
lead to open focus. Biofeedback is the medical treatment’s name for
Recurrent meditation. When a person is connected to a bio-feedback machine, a
visual illustration of tension appears on the computer screen. In order
Cardiac to “lower” the amount of tension, the person must breathe deeply, and
relax their muscles. Relaxing the muscles sends a signal to the brain
that there is no danger. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin
are reduced or stopped. Blood pressure and heart rate go down.
Respiration becomes deep and the rate decreases. Capillaries expand.
Digestive systems resume normal processes, increasing nutritional
Pulmonary
brs. absorption, increasing muscle endurance, and decreasing pain.
Research shows that Buddhist monks who are regular meditative
practitioners have diferent brain wave patterns [24]. Because these
brain waves cause chemical changes, the brain switches from narrow
focus to open focus quickly and easily. Tai chi and Qigong induces the
same impact as medition, causing the same chemical changes in the
brain, and the same ease of switching from narrow focus to open focus.
DIAPHRAGM
A
here is some evidence that this open focus is not only good for
relieving pain, but enhances the body’s ability to move rapidly by
changing the perception of time. Bradley [25] proposed that the
pineal gland is impacted by chanting meditation and visualization
techniques in martial artists to release dimethyltryptamine (DMT).
DMT is a hallucinogenic compound formed by the combination of the
neurotransmitter serotonin and the amino acid tryptophan. Bradley
ior conjecture that DMT enables martial artists to change the perception
per
ro -su ce of time (making time appear to slow down when defending and speed
te a
An surf mach up when attacking) as well as help them deal efectively with stress,
Sto
of
overcome spiritual blocks, or reach another level of training.6
Similar to the way Tai Chi and Qigong can decrease the amount
of pain felt, the metabolic changes in the body can also decrease the
Figure 1: Vagus Nerve threading and wandering throughout the body [26]. impact of illness, especially metabolic dysfunctions such as diabetes
and obesity, autoimmune disorders such as Graves disease, rheumatoid
they also have an impact in the short term; an impact that can modify arthritis, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, and blood disorders such as
pain sensations. his process indirectly causes the body to decrease porphyria and leukemia. All of these chronic problems are exacerbated
the amount of pain felt by over-riding the body’s response to pain. by the stress response of the body, and tempering that response can
Instead of allowing the body to go into hyper drive, increasing tension not only alleviate symptoms, but cause them to disappear entirely.
and stress hormones (which actually increase the pain by getting the he same physiological response to increased endorphins that allows
individual into the pain-escalating feedback loop), the response is short pain relief also blocks inlammation and balances the immune system
circuited and the brain is convinced of the reality; there is no danger, [19,26].
no tension, and no reason to elicit the stress response. Over time the
6
override becomes the norm and the stress response decreases. he Bradley also postulates that the pineal gland enables Tai Chi and Qigong
practitioners to “experience chi”, because it is a “vehicle to consciously experience
Doral Horn becomes less sensitive to perceived threats of pain, and the the movement of our life-force in its most extreme manifestations” (to quote Rick
pain dissipates. Strassman, the leader medical doctor involved in DMT research).

J Pain Relief
ISSN: 2167-0846 JPAR an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000115
Citation: Rhoads CJ (2013) Mechanism of Pain Relief through Tai Chi and Qigong. J Pain Relief 2: 115. doi:10.4172/2167-0846.1000115

Page 6 of 6

In Summary he goal must be to use double-blind statistical studies to prove

beyond a shadow of a doubt, if possible, of the eicacy, eiciency, and
In summary, the medical community in the past has dismissed efectiveness of integrative health practices such as Tai Chi and Qigong.
as anecdotal any efectiveness Tai Chi and Qigong might have as a
treatment for pain relief. However, there is now growing evidence References
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J Pain Relief
ISSN: 2167-0846 JPAR an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 1 • 1000115