by 
The Curious Bag
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Alternative medical practices often incorporate energy medicine, which comes from Asia. The types of energy medicine are derived from individual cultures, including qi gong, which originated in China.
Energy Medicine
The belief that a vital life energy force permeates all living things forms the basis for energy medicine, according to a report from the Ohio University Medical Center. Energy medicine provides therapies to manipulate this energy for better health.
Qi Gong
"Qi" is the Chinese term for life energy. "Gong" means skill or accomplishment. According to qi gong master Kenneth S. Cohen on his Qigong Research and Practice Center website, qi gong combines movement, breathing techniques and meditation to circulate qi in the body.
Basics
Qi gong, alternatively spelled qigong, began in China some 2,500 years ago. Qi gong provides the foundation for the Chinese martial arts systems of Tai Chi and Kung Fu.
Healing Considerations
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine includes qi gong as an unproven but potentially useful healing therapy, pending further scientific research as of 2010.
Benefits
Medical experts debate the healing properties of qi gong. But its practioners, estimated to be in the millions, claim improved health, vitality and relaxation.
Source:
Ohio State University Medical Center: Energy Medicine
Qigong Research and Practice Center: What is Qigong?
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: What Is CAM?
More Information:
NaturalHealthWeb.com: What Is Qigong?
National Institutes of Health: Introduction to Medical Qigong
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