Tai Chi, Qigong, and the Treatment of Hypertension

Qigong and tai chi are both considered tools in the toolbox of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Qigong has been in existence for thousands of years, whereas tai chi is of a more recent origin. Both are considered low-impact exercises that have numerous health benefits. The present article reviews some studies on the treatment of hypertension and high blood pressure using one or both of these tools of TCM. Numerous studies have found that tai chi and qigong exercises can have a significant positive impact on pressure, oxide and levels.


Introduction
Tai chi, also referred to as taiji or taijiquan, is considered both a martial art and a kind of low-impact exercise. Its origins are unclear, but it apparently dates back at least to the thirteenth century. The oldest style is the Chen style, which originated in the Chen village in China [1,2]. The second oldest style, and also the most popular style, practiced by more people than any other style, is the Yang style [3]. The other main styles are the Wu and Wu Hao styles [4], and the Sun style [5], which is the youngest of the five main styles. The various styles of tai chi have much in common, although there are some differences, which we need not discuss in this article. One of the main common features of all styles of tai chi is that they generate healing life energy (qi, pronounced chee), which serves to boost the body's immune system and prevent the onset of illness and disease. Qi energy also has a beneficial effect on treating existing illness. Many articles and books have been written about the health benefits of tai chi [6][7], so we need not go into the details here. Suffice it to say that many medical studies have found that the regular practice of tai chi can lead to many health benefits, including the treatment of existing diseases and illnesses.

Methodology
The PubMed.gov database [148] was searched to find studies that had been done to determine the effectiveness of tai chi and qigong exercises on blood pressure and hypertension.

Findings
The findings reported upon in this article are representative of the numerous studies that have been done examining the effects of tai chi and qigong on blood pressure and hypertension. Additional studies on this topic are cited in the reference section below Liu et al. [149] conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of tai chi and qigong exercises in the treatment of essential hypertension (EH). Specifically, they looked at blood pressure (BP), levels of nitric oxide (NO), and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Exercises were performed from 1.5 to 6 months. Nine randomized controlled tests (RCTs) of 516 EH patients in China found that those who did the exercises were able to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The exercises also contributed to higher NO blood levels and lower ET-1 blood levels. Although the difference in treatment outcomes using tai chi and qigong exercises versus antihypertensive drugs was statistically insignificant, combining the two therapies An examination of different subgroups found that some tai chi and qigong exercises were more effective than others in lowering diastolic blood pressure. The ranking, from most to least effective, was:

a.
Chen-style tai chi b.
Self-compiled qigong The ranking from most to least effective was: Baduanjin Qigong c.

Mawangdui Daoyinshu Qigong
Chen-style tai chi and self-compiled qigong were not statistically significant in improving NO levels. The authors also analyzed subgroup data on the effectiveness of tai chi and qigong in reducing ET-1. The ranking from most to least effective was:

b.
Yang-style tai chi c.

Mawangdui Daoyinshu Qigong
Self-compiled qigong was found not to be statistically significant in lowering ET-1 levels. Thus, it appears that Baduanjin and Yangstyle tai chi may be more effective than other exercises in improving NO and ET-1 scores.
If one were to interpret the findings of this study, one might conclude that choosing qigong and or tai chi therapy might be superior to drug therapy for the treatment of EH for two reasons.
Although the study found that qigong/tai chi therapy and drug therapy are equally effective in treating EH, qigong/tai chi therapy has two distinct advantages over drug therapy: qigong/tai chi therapy has no adverse side-effects, and it does not cost anything.
Drug therapy, on the other hand, sometimes has adverse sideeffects, and it is not free. The study also found that combining qigong/tai chi therapy with drugs might be superior to choosing just one of the two options.