Tai Chi - Chi Gong - Handicap

[Guest guest]

Tai Chi is a favored way of introducing a regimen of excersise and proper

breathing to your daily routine. Tai chi is a familiar term to most TCM healers.

Chi is also a term that is used to descibe inhaling proper gasses as life

sustainer and energy builder. Mental health and and physical health are closley

linked and some TCM points are used to treat a combination of illness. The TCM

healer is a bit of a psycologist as well and can treat mental illness. Exercise

and proper breathing are a good beginning for any treatment program.

 

Frederic Lecut <fredlecut wrote:I am trying to collect

information related to the effect of the practice

of Tai Chi on people with mental and physical handicap. Although Tai Chi

has been in numerous occasions used to help people fight their

handicaps, No systematic documentation or research has been done in this

area, and i would like create a sort of data base of the various

experiences available from professional or volunteer instructors or

family members having practiced Tai CHi with people with disabilities

I teach myself to people with mental handicap.

If you have experience in this domain, would you share it with me, I

would gladly share the results of my experience with you and make all

the information available to all those who shared theirs.

Thank your

Frederic Lecut

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I am trying to collect information related to the effect of the practice

of Tai Chi on people with mental and physical handicap. Although Tai Chi

has been in numerous occasions used to help people fight their

handicaps, No systematic documentation or research has been done in this

area, and i would like create a sort of data base of the various

experiences available from professional or volunteer instructors or

family members having practiced Tai CHi with people with disabilities

I teach myself to people with mental handicap.

If you have experience in this domain, would you share it with me, I

would gladly share the results of my experience with you and make all

the information available to all those who shared theirs.

Thank your

Frederic Lecut

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Frederic Lecut

<fredlecut@e...> wrote:

> I am trying to collect information related to the effect of the

practice

> of Tai Chi on people with mental and physical handicap.

 

Frederic, I have CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome),

and Tai Chi is the only exercise that I can do that not only doesn't

tire/ exhaust me but energizes me. With other exercise I feel worse

afterwards, but with Tai Chi I feel better afterwards.

 

One of the hallmarks of CFIDS (not depression misdiagnosed as CFIDS)

is that exercise (particularly aerobic excercise) or overdoing

physically makes the person sicker. You'll often hear PWCs (People

With CFIDS) talk about having to rest up to do something special and

then rest up afterwards to recover.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

How can you tell the difference between depression and CFS? I am suspecting I

have one or both. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in the past, but it

doesn't show up much as pain...hasn't for years except when I've really been

stressed...for years. I can tolerate a lot (mountains) of stress before it

shows up as pain. Although I get migraines.

Michelle

-

victoria_dragon

Chinese Traditional Medicine

Saturday, May 03, 2003 10:29 PM

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] Re: Tai Chi - Chi Gong - Handicap

 

 

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Frederic Lecut

<fredlecut@e...> wrote:

> I am trying to collect information related to the effect of the

practice

> of Tai Chi on people with mental and physical handicap.

 

Frederic, I have CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome),

and Tai Chi is the only exercise that I can do that not only doesn't

tire/ exhaust me but energizes me. With other exercise I feel worse

afterwards, but with Tai Chi I feel better afterwards.

 

One of the hallmarks of CFIDS (not depression misdiagnosed as CFIDS)

is that exercise (particularly aerobic excercise) or overdoing

physically makes the person sicker. You'll often hear PWCs (People

With CFIDS) talk about having to rest up to do something special and

then rest up afterwards to recover.

 

Victoria

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/4/2003 4:07:35 PM Eastern Standard Time, Victoria of

Chinese Traditional Medicine writes:

 

 

> One of the hallmarks of CFIDS (not depression misdiagnosed as CFIDS)

> is that exercise (particularly aerobic excercise) or overdoing

> physically makes the person sicker. You'll often hear PWCs (People

> With CFIDS) talk about having to rest up to do something special and

> then rest up afterwards to recover.

 

I wonder if this could be tied to a possible heart dysfunction in some with

CFS, which was discussed a Western article I recently posted here about a CFS

study? I have this same problem when exercising for longer periods of time.

Some people will say this reaction is tied into adrenal insufficiency, but

the possible heart problem could tie in as well. This could be especially

true if what my TCM practitioner told me about thyroid patients is valid. He

felt that heart dysfunction or damage was behind thyroid disease.

 

Here are two quotes from that article. The web site page itself which

contains the whole article follows the two quotes:

 

" The main symptom of the CFS patient (i.e., chronic fatigue that is greatly

exacerbated by even minor effort) is similar to that of a patient with left

ventricular dysfunction. "

 

" The researchers note that their findings may also be explained by

abnormalities other than those with the heart, including problems with the

distribution of cardiac output, reduced blood volume, and neurogenic and

endocrinologic abnormalities. Accordingly, further studies capable of

defining more precisely the causes of altered cardiac stress responses are

required. "

 

http://www.the-aps.org/press_room/eb03/13.htm

 

Sarah

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you Victoria

THis is an interesting testimony - right now i am trying to collect this

kind of thing. Could you tell me a little more about your practice of

Tai CHi, any form in particular, ? when do you practice, how long...

every detail can be important ! Thank you

Frederic

 

victoria_dragon wrote:

 

> Chinese Traditional Medicine , Frederic Lecut

> <fredlecut@e...> wrote:

> > I am trying to collect information related to the effect of the

> practice

> > of Tai Chi on people with mental and physical handicap.

>

> Frederic, I have CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome),

> and Tai Chi is the only exercise that I can do that not only doesn't

> tire/ exhaust me but energizes me. With other exercise I feel worse

> afterwards, but with Tai Chi I feel better afterwards.

>

> One of the hallmarks of CFIDS (not depression misdiagnosed as CFIDS)

> is that exercise (particularly aerobic excercise) or overdoing

> physically makes the person sicker. You'll often hear PWCs (People

> With CFIDS) talk about having to rest up to do something special and

> then rest up afterwards to recover.

>

> Victoria

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

HI,I am interetsed to know more about tai chi. I am working acupoints with help

of a electronic massager which has 6 diferent functions like qi gong,

acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, infrared and massage. im waitng for more info

plzthnak youtanveer

 

Frederic Lecut <fredlecut wrote:Thank you Victoria

THis is an interesting testimony - right now i am trying to collect this

kind of thing. Could you tell me a little more about your practice of

Tai CHi, any form in particular, ? when do you practice, how long...

every detail can be important ! Thank you

Frederic

 

victoria_dragon wrote:

 

> Chinese Traditional Medicine , Frederic Lecut

> <fredlecut@e...> wrote:

> > I am trying to collect information related to the effect of the

> practice

> > of Tai Chi on people with mental and physical handicap.

>

> Frederic, I have CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome),

> and Tai Chi is the only exercise that I can do that not only doesn't

> tire/ exhaust me but energizes me. With other exercise I feel worse

> afterwards, but with Tai Chi I feel better afterwards.

>

> One of the hallmarks of CFIDS (not depression misdiagnosed as CFIDS)

> is that exercise (particularly aerobic excercise) or overdoing

> physically makes the person sicker. You'll often hear PWCs (People

> With CFIDS) talk about having to rest up to do something special and

> then rest up afterwards to recover.

>

> Victoria

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> How can you tell the difference between depression and CFS? I am

suspecting I have one or both.

 

One of the most revealing questions is " If you were well, what would

you do that you don't do now? " As a general rule, people with FMS

and CFIDS give specific answers. The specific answers may be odd

depending on how sick the person is, but they are specific. For

example, when I was the sickest my big goals were to walk to the

bathroom at night instead of crawling, and to be able to sit up and

watch some television (and comprehend it).

 

In contrast, people who are depressed tend to be very general.

You'll get replies like, " I don't know. I guess be a better wife

(husband, parent, etc.) When you press the person as to what

a " good " spouse (parent, etc.) is, you still get vague answers.

 

These are general trends, and there are exceptions.

 

> I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in the past, but it doesn't

show up much as pain...hasn't for years except when I've really been

stressed...for years. I can tolerate a lot (mountains) of stress

before it shows up as pain. Although I get migraines.

 

There is an amazing overlap between the symptoms of CFIDS and those

of FMS. Some doctors believe the two are the same. If the pain

dominates, the person gets the FMS diagnosis. If the fatigue

dominates, the person gets the CFIDS diagnosis. Something like 85%

of people diagnosed with CFIDS also are diagnosed with FMS.

 

The pain was not a problem for me at first. That's because my other

problems were so bad that I wasn't moving around very much. As I

improved and was able to do more things, the pain became more of a

problem. For me, usually the pain isn't a problem unless I overdo

physically.

 

The TCM understanding of the mind-body (emotions-spirit) connection

is far more sophisticated than the Western. It's recognized that any

physical imbalance will result in both physical and mental/ emotional

symptoms. For example, Liver Yang Rising often manifests as

headaches and irritability.

 

TCM recognizes that excessive, blocked, or inappropriate emotions can

trigger physical imbalances. Each Organ is particularly vulneralbe

to one or more emotions. In the case of the Kidneys, it's fear. The

Lungs are particularly vulneralbe to grief. The Liver to anger and

frustration. Liver imbalance frequently will be a factor in

depression.

 

TCM goes beyond recognizing that emotions can impact the body. Once

a physical imbalance has occured, the person is going to be more

prone to feeling a particular emotion. Regardless of the original

trigger. A person with Liver imbalance is going to be more prone to

feeling anger than a person without Liver imbalance. It doesn't

matter if the original assault was bacterial, viral, trauma,

alchohol, toxins, or excessive anger. Once the imbalance occurs, the

person is going to be more prone to feeling anger and frustration

than before. And this extra anger is going to result in further

imbalance. It's a snowballing situation.

 

A word about chronic medical conditions that medicine doesn't have an

adequate treatments for. They are frustrating! Especially something

like CFIDS and/or FMS because symptoms tend to wax and wane in

severity, often without apparent reason. So always be mindful of

possible Liver imbalance in people who are chronically ill and have

been so for some time.

 

" Headaches from hell " (as one PWC described them) are very common in

both CFIDS and FMS. And I've yet to know a person with FMS who didn't

have a lot more sore points than the 18 (?) used for diagnosis. Very

often these sore or trigger points correspond to acupoints. (TCM

healers learn to pay attention to any pain, soreness, redness,

feelings of heat or cold, numbness or tingling along the course of a

meridian and pain at an acupoint.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

> I wonder if this could be tied to a possible heart dysfunction in

some with

> CFS, which was discussed a Western article I recently posted here

about a CFS

> study?

 

It very well could be. Bob Flaws talks about the most common

imbalances in FMS being Kidneys, Spleen, Liver, and Heart. Not that

others can't occur, but these are the Organs most often affected.

[Guest guest]

> Could you tell me a little more about your practice of

> Tai CHi, any form in particular, ? when do you practice, how

long...

> every detail can be important !

 

It is very basic. I don't have access to a Qi Gong teacher. I got

the exercises out of a book called (I think) The Way of the Dragon.

It's a book on weight loss, but I'm not very impressed with most of

the book, just the exercises. It's too dumbed down for American

readers, and the author doesn't cover exceptions. He gives some

advice that could be dangerous for some people.

 

I practice at night. When I slack off, after a few days I start to

feel worse and have more problems with muscle pain.

 

I'm not doing a lot. It takes about 10 minutes.

 

It also helps the colonic inertia problem.

 

Without a teacher, my form probably leaves a lot to be desired, but

the exercises help anyway. These particular exercises were well

chosen because evidently they work even if every move isn't perfect.

 

Hara breathing helps my energy levels a lot.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

> > How can you tell the difference between depression and CFS? I am

> suspecting I have one or both.

>

> One of the most revealing questions is " If you were well, what would

> you do that you don't do now? "

 

How interesting, I can see that - I know EXACTLY what I want to do!

 

I thought it worth mentioning that hypothyroidism is strongly associated

with depression, and vice versa, so if that has not been checked it's worth

ruling it out.

 

Jackie

[Guest guest]

--- victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon

wrote:

> He gives some

> advice that could be dangerous for some people.

 

I've read this book - could you share what could be

dangerous?

 

THanks,

Hugo

 

 

Plus

For a better Internet experience

http://www..co.uk/btoffer

[Guest guest]

> > He gives some

> > advice that could be dangerous for some people.

>

> I've read this book - could you share what could be

> dangerous?

 

The part that really stood out for me is where he talks about not

drinking water unless one is thirsty. (I'm paraphasing here.)

 

As someone who was severely Yang Deficient, I kept winding up in ER

with dehydration. I thought I was getting enough water because I

drank when I was thirsty. (Also, liquids ran through me quickly.)

Doctors would ask, " Are you getting enough liquids, " and I would

answer " Yes " because I though I was because I drank when I was

thirsty. I just didn't feel thirsty very often because of the Yang

Deficiency. Also, even room temperature liquids made me feel colder

than I already was.

 

There also were Dampness problems (in addition to Dryness problems).

I not only didn't feel thirsty when I should, I had an adversion to

drinking liquids.

 

A nurse finally realized what was going on, did some tests, led me

out to the water cooler, handed me a cup, and instructed, " Drink

until you feel better. " I was skeptical, but it worked. She taught

me the warning signs of dehydration.

 

For a while I only drank when the symptoms began to appear. I was

having to force myself to drink. Then I began to take preventive

action and drink before the symptoms appeared so they wouldn't

appear. Eventually I saw the TCM herbalist, started on the herbs he

recommended, and thirst gradually began to return. For a while there

I was amazed every time I felt thirsty. It was a sensation I wasn't

used to.

 

Something else that stuck me about the book is that his

recommendations were geared only to a few of the possible underlying

Roots that can result in weight gain and obesity. His

recommendations could have made other underlying imbalances worse if

the person didn't happen to have the one he primarily was

addressing. I don't remember the details because it's been a long

time since I read the book. The thing about the water stood out for

me because of the dehydration problems I experienced because I didn't

feel thirsty and had an aversion to drinking.

 

Victoria