I do a lot of googling.
Every week, I receive emails asking me if qigong can help with a particular rare disorder.
I’ve never heard of most of them.
For example, just this week I got emails asking about following disorders:
- acoustic neurinoma
- dermatillomania
- benign prostatic hyperplasia
- endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia
That was this week. Next week, it will be 4-5 different ones.
Look, I’m no dummy. I’ve got a couple thousand hours of training in both Eastern and Western medicine. And for nearly a decade I’ve worked in a health clinic alongside acupuncture physicians, chiropractors, and therapists.
But there are so many rare disorders out there.
So I use google. I enjoy learning, and I like to expand my knowledge.
But the truth is that I don’t need to. The truth is that qigong can help you, no matter what disorder you have.
Cure vs. Help
Let me explain.
Qigong is not a panacea. It’s not a cure-all, and it shouldn’t be viewed as such. It is, however, a help-all.
There’s a huge difference between “helping” and “curing”.
Unfortunately, “helping” isn’t as sexy. It doesn’t sell as well as snake oil.
I don’t use the word “cure” because a) it’s illegal, and b) it’s untrue.
I prefer to give you the uncomfortable truth rather than a reassuring lie.
Luckily, with qigong the truth is still pretty damn amazing.
The Hard Truth About Healing
Healing is messy. That’s a hard truth.
It’s tempting to avoid this truth. It’s tempting to chase after neat and simple solutions. We all want that magic pill.
Been there. Done that.
And yet, I have witnessed miraculous cases of healing. Truly jaw-dropping cases, by any standard of measurement, Eastern or Western.
All of these cases had one thing in common: they all involved messiness.
It’s never as simple as “if ____ then just do ____.”
It’s always a messy journey.
The image below is often used in business circles, but it applies equally well for healing.
The Quest for the Holy Grail of Healing
Many people with rare disorders often go on a healing quest, like the quest for the Holy Grail.
Patients usually arrived at my brick-and-mortar studio somewhere in the middle of all the messiness. They were lost. They saw all the doctors, went to all the clinics, tried all the snake oil.
And more often than not, I was able to help them.
Here’s one big reason why I’m able to help so many people: I embrace the messiness.
Embracing the Messiness
I work hard to guide my students through the messiness of the healing journey. For example, I often talk about the things that are blocking my students from healing.
I embrace the messiness. That’s why I don’t give overly simplistic answers to people asking about rare conditions.
I know that some qigong teachers prefer to give magic bullet answers like, “Yes, qigong can cure anything!!!”
Unfortunately, it’s not true. I’ve seen dozens of people pursue that path with qigong teachers, only to be disappointed in the end.
And the worst part is that they got great results with qigong! It’s just that they were expecting a cure rather than great results.
The Dangers of Perfectionism
Expecting qigong to cure everything and anything is setting your expectations too high. You’re doomed to fail.
This is perfectionism at its worst. With perfectionism, we set unrealistic standards that we can never reach. This creates internal conflict in the heart and mind.
It’s better to shoot for excellence than to shoot for perfection. You can achieve excellence. It’s possible.
The same is true with qigong. We can set high standards for healing without falling into the trap of perfectionism.
How MUCH Can Qigong Help?
Rather than look for a cure, look for things that help.
And qigong definitely helps. A lot.
In fact, many people describe qigong as the missing piece of their healing puzzle.
Once you understand why this is true, then you’ll be in a better position to understand exactly how much you can expect qigong to help with your particular disorder.
If all you want to know is whether or not qigong will help, then the answer is yes. It will help. If you practice, it will definitely help.
But if you want to know how much it will help, then let’s dig a little deeper.
Can Qigong Help Regrow an Amputated Limb?
Years ago, a woman in her 20s asked me a tough question.
As a child, she had lost her leg to a rare disorder. She walked with a prosthetic and was otherwise active and healthy.
After class, she came to me and asked if qigong could help her to regrow her missing leg.
I like to give people hope. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job — watching a person’s eyes light up as they start to feel hopeful again.
But not false hope.
“No, I’m afraid not,” I told her.
I’ve taught many amputees over the years, and not one has regrown a limb, or even part of a limb. More importantly, I don’t know of a single case in the medical literature of someone regrowing a limb. The human body doesn’t seem capable of doing this.
Does that mean that this young woman shouldn’t practice qigong?
Hell no. She should definitely practice!
There are so many ways that qigong can help her. For example, amputees have told me that qigong is incredibly effective at treating phantom limb pain. (Phantom limb pain is common among amputees and is more severe than you might imagine.)
In other words, we should be happy that qigong is so awesome at treating phantom pain rather than being upset that qigong can’t regrow a limb.
Can Qigong Reverse Cancer?
I need to tread carefully here. In the U.S., only oncologists can treat cancer. Even acupuncturists, who are primary care physicians, cannot legally treat cancer. They can only offer cancer support.
I don’t want the medical Gestapo coming after me, so let me be clear that I’m talking about theory here, not actually treatment.
In theory, cancer can be reversed. This is not woo woo. It’s science. There are many documented cases in the medical literature of spontaneous remissions of various cancers.
Does this mean that qigong will reverse cancer?
No. That’s not my point at all.
I want you to compare cancer to the amputated limb. With one, there is a possibility of reversal, however remote. With the other, there is no possibility.
Can Your Disorder Be Reversed?
There’s a simple way to figure out if, in theory, a particular disorder can be reversed. Forget about qigong. We’re just trying to get a clearer picture of your disorder.
Ask yourself this question: Is the human body capable of healing your particular issue?
Do your research. Find out if there are documented cases of spontaneous remission with your disorder. For example, there are no documented cases that I know of showing that a limb can be regrown in adulthood.
There are, however, cases that show that cancer can spontaneously go into remission. And MS. And fibromyalgia. And diabetes. And so on.
Once we have this general spectrum of possibility, we’re in a better position to actually get down to business.
How Much Will Qigong Help?
If there are cases — any cases, ever, in any language — of people reversing your disorder, then you can assume that qigong will be a major part of helping you to reach for that goal.
This is because qigong empowers your natural self-healing system. If your natural, self-healing system is capable of healing your disorder, then you definitely want qigong in your toolbox. There’s just nothing better than qigong for this.
But how much will qigong help?
That depends on a lot of factors.
How much do you practice? What is the quality of your practice? What style of qigong do you practice? Do you have a healthy lifestyle? How is your diet? How’s your sleep hygiene?
For example, the human body is definitely capable of reversing Type II Diabetes, and there are many documented cases of this.
If you want to reverse your diabetes, then I think qigong is an awesome tool. But don’t kid yourself.
To reverse diabetes, you’re going to need to make big changes to your diet. You can’t continue eating Snicker’s bars and expect qigong to just fix your insulin.
Practice Anyway
What if there are no cases of spontaneous remission for your disorder?
I say practice anyway.
Think about the woman I mentioned above. Just because qigong can’t regrow her limb doesn’t mean she shouldn’t practice!
Imagine a TV commercial for qigong similar to the pharmaceutical commercials. But instead of the nasty side effects that they always mention, imagine this:
Side effects may include higher energy levels, better immune resistance, improved digestion, and elevated mood.
If You Want Things Simple
Healing is messy. If you prefer things neat and tidy, then I can do that for you. Here’s a simple flowchart for you:
Best regards, Sifu Anthony 
I’m Anthony Korahais, and I used qigong (pronounced "chee gung") to heal from clinical depression, low back pain, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. Today, I'm the director of Flowing Zen, an international organization with students in 48 counties. I've been teaching qigong since 2005, I've served on the board for the National Qigong Association, and I’ve helped thousands of people to use qigong for their own stubborn health challenges. If you're ready to get started with qigong, there's no better way than my best selling book, which comes with free videos and meditations. The sooner you read my book, the sooner you can start healing! Click here to see my book on Amazon.
Personally I would never tell anyone that growing back a limb or any other condition that seems to us a far out reality, is impossible. I feel our thoughts and beliefs are powerful. We create health or illness with our beliefs. If one believes that being around sick people makes you sick, then you will get sick. If you believe in your heart that qigong will heal some condition, then it will. If you totally believe a doctor will help you, he or she will help you. In fact, it may be that qigong or yoga or some other practice really does nothing for your health. It may be one’s belief that heals or keeps one sick.
Ss far as no documentation of growing back a limb; in these days there are more and more stories with miraculous healings including growing back organs. Qigong has been here for thousands of years. We do not really know if someone grew back a limb or not on the distsnt past. However, society’s beliefs about not growing back a limb are very powerful and it would take quite a leap of faith to overcome this belief but who can say it can’t be done.
Finally, there is so much we do not know about life. For example, with our eyes we perceive a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. So what do we not see? When we look at each other, what is invisible makes up 99% of who we are. How many of us can see that part of each other?
I hope everyone has a wonderful day! Irwin
Hi Irwin.
You’re talking about the power of mind-body healing, which is also connected to the placebo effect.
Of course, this is a big part of my teaching. I wrote about the connection between the mind-body techniques of qigong and the Western placebo effect in my ebook.
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as “if you believe you’ll be cured, then you’ll be cured.” It’s a nice theory, but it doesn’t work that way in reality.
What would you say to qigong students who deeply believed that the art would cure them, practiced diligently for years, but didn’t receive the cure that they were promised? Would you say that they just didn’t believe enough?
I choose to be ethical and responsible in my teaching. Telling someone that they can regrow a limb when I’ve never seen it, when I’ve never met anyone who has done it, and when there are no documented cases of it ever happening — that’s irresponsible. I just won’t do it.
Warmly,
Anthony
P.S. If your mind is so incredibly powerful that you can regrow a limb — then certainly a blog post like this won’t rattle your belief in the slightest. Right?
Hello Anthony,
Beliefs are powerful and if we look at our lives we can see their manifestations in our health and general outlook. It is just that most of us, me included, think we believe one way but deep down we carry doubts. Its the doubts that express themselves and are hard to uproot.
For me the first step is seeing the truth. The first step is the most important. I am not in any health care business so I have more leeway to say what I feel and most people do not feel authority coming from me. They are more likely to see you or another health care person as an authority and hopefully for them, they do not see you or another as absolute authority.
I just hold out not to believe anthing any one says but take that information deep within, allowing the truth of the matter to reveal itself. So I would say to someone that wants to know if they can regrow a limb, go inside and ask your higher self if it is possible. Don’t believe me or anyone else. Don’t even do research on it, just go inside.
Take care, Irwin
Hi Irwin,
You said: “So I would say to someone that wants to know if they can regrow a limb, go inside and ask your higher self if it is possible. Don’t believe me or anyone else. Don’t even do research on it, just go inside.”
As a teacher, I just can’t accept this kind of answer.
First of all — why is this person asking you for advice in the first place? In my case, people come to me because they recognize me as an authority with years of personal experience, as well as years of experience helping people.
They also come to me because I’m a straight shooter. I’m a “No BS” kind of teacher.
If I gave an answer like yours, then I would be lying to my student. I would be using my authority to imply — however subtly — that my experience has led me to believe that regrowing a limb is possible.
My experience has not led me to believe that. My experience has led me to believe the opposite. I have students who have been practicing qigong for years who have not regrown a missing limb, or finger, or toe.
Warmly,
Anthony
Irwin, it not as simple, the belief system works when the relaxation response comes in, Qigong and Vipassana or other sorts of internal arts help in calming the mind, especially the NON- Judgmental aspect of it! When the mind is calm, energy can go through the throat chakra and you can perform miracles on yourself, but it is very important to abstain from any sort of s******** activity, esepcially if you do not have a partner, in tcm kidneys are responsable for the jing which is related somehow to the men’s well you know white stuff….
So great to be healed :D, I do standing only by the way, and sitting at night 😀
I know it can heal sleep apnea, insomnia, breathing disorders, but Irwin, what Anthony here is trying to say is that by having lower expectations we will enjoy life more. The power of belief is not as simple as it is, being an x-apnea patient (thank god and the universe thats gone). If you are constantly thinking ” ah man, oh god, im not sleeping or blahblahb,” you are putting more stress on the mind and not being able to see beyond the disease. Qi-gong,tai chi vipassana or whatever, do a big job to “CALM the MIND” and that’s where the power of belief sets in. I have read cases about regrowing limbs, but they somehow disappeared on the internet, and no one seems to want to write about it, such as teeth and organs but, for anthony’s safety it is better that he dosn’t say it is a cure all. We all have the capacity to heal ourselves, but it starts from the mind, and with the mind, the energy system in the body will be re balanced and start it’s healing process. do you understand? Power of belief is weak when your mind is weak, that is why you need to nurture your strength of spirit and calming the mind (VERY IMPORTANT). The idea is for the person not be attached and to let go, ( main concept of all these meditation practices,) and when that happens the body is able to call in the relaxation response and starts its healing, but “the cure all” is a dangerous word for medical institutions. Check out Bruno Greoning, the more the person has bad beliefs the more energetic blocks will he or she have.
peace out,
Alexei
can it help pagets disease? thank you Rebecca
Rebecca, use the chart! 🙂
Hey anthony, I did not get a reply, I’m I more or less correct, on what I wrote on the relaxation reponse? I know that in TCM and I completely 100% agree, if jing is wasted on personnal **. activities the body becomes weak, it is primordial to have exchange yin and yang but not to go over the top.
Hi Alex. Sorry. I’m not clear on your question. I agree with you that calming the mind (we call that Entering Zen) is what sets the stage for mind-body healing. Was that your question?
Well, sorry for formulating it wrong, the monkey mind still needs to be tamed. My question was this : Do practices such as sitting and standing meditation (or moving) calm the mind by always trying to focus either on breath or a certain acu point, and by doing so, the body induces the relaxation response, therefore leading to a more relaxed state by constantly focusing the mind, the body begins to heal? Is that right? And also does abstinence from any sort of misbehavior increase jing and qi leading to a better well being?
Thanks for taking the time.
Regards!
Irwin, I think no one can grow an arm through Qi Gong. Only God could do that miracle. But if practiced, I believe Qi Gong could help a lot like Sifu Anthony said.
As an integrative medicine (and Sethian) physician who teaches Medical Tai Chi and Qigong at Stanford, including research reviews, all I can say is Wow! Just Wow! This is the best-written piece I’ve ever read on the subject. Please make sure it stays up on the web for the fore-see-able ever.
Wow, thank you so much, Dr. Kane! I’m so glad it was helpful! And yes, it will be on the web for as long as I’m on the web (and probably longer). 🙂
Hello Sifu Anthony Korahais,
For the record… I do know someone (a medical doctor in Germany whom I known through a separate activity we both take part in) who has regrown a part of a limb – his knee. Or maybe more accurately had it grown for him using his own stem cell body parts. Oh the joys of Biomedical Engineering. Then had the grown knee medically inserted to replace the original knee.
If a knee can be grown then it is not a big leap of faith to think the whole limb can be regrown. Although it would take years to accomplish with medical and biomedical engineering intervention.
This is not probably what the person asking about re-growing a limb was wanting to know. Yet re-growing a limb is possible. Note there was medical intervention when they ‘lost’ the limb so it is not unreasonably to think medical intervention would be needed to restore the limb. If they choose to go this route to regrow the limb then I am also quite sure that qigong would help with the process.
Best Regards
Carol Moreland
Engineer, Reike Master (and instructor) and
Professional Skeptic.
привет! Hi carol, would you mind if I get the sources or articles please, I lost so muchinformation on that!
Hi Carol.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I don’t think it’s a fair example, though. Growing a limb with stem cells and biomedical engineering isn’t the same as using the body’s own healing system.
It’s a bit like saying that a badly broken leg can be healed. Perhaps so, but it’s misleading give qigong practitioners the idea that a broken leg can heal with only qigong, and without medical intervention.
The combination of qigong with medical therapies is wonderful. And I have a high hopes for the combination with future therapies, like stem cells. But my goal with this post, and with my teaching, is to separate reality from fantasy.
Warmly,
Anthony
Hi Sifu, how are you ? Do you Know of cases where someone have used qigong along with biochemical treatments like human growth hormone, or stem cells and / or steroids ? if so, how doesit worked? if you do not known cases like this, what would be your hypothesis on the results of a similar combination ? thanks
Hi Luis. I’m not sure what you’re asking. What disorder or condition are we talking about?
I suspect that my chart will answer the question though. 🙂
why would you even want to take **** like that? it is contrary to what qigong has to offer, qigong is an egoless internal art to help you developp spiritually and physically setting those nasty ideas and goals to the side. You can take it, your risk, It will do you more harm than good.
Hey Sifu, I have a circulatory problem, also a vestibucular problem. Can qigong practice help me get better???
Hi Juelz. Yes, qigong is wonderful for circulation, and also for the vestibular system. But I think the article above will answer your question more thoroughly!
Can qigong help if you have bppv? I keep getting reacurring vertigo due to loose crystals in my ears. Can qigong help correct this. Please do respond Sifu, I need your take on this problem!
Thanks
Rebby
Hi Rebecca. I think the article above will answer your question. Regarding vertigo, I’ve had several students get results with qigong. I don’t know if it was BBPV or not.
I had emailed you earlier about my lung disease. What Im looking for is not lungs or transplants or anything that is just to far out there. Were my issues lye is lost of stableness, lack of attitude,ambition and motivation. I can hardly walk thru the house without shortness of breath. I was able to walk up to a mile a year ago but no longer do to illness. Not embarrassed it comes to us all but the loss of bladder and bowl is there at times. I take average 30 pills a day for what t f ever. Now that has been said, how to I restore or regain some of the strength and coordination and balance I used to have. I know it will not all be back and peach but to walk thru the mall without feeling like rubber band legs sure would be nice. No money, running out of time and can’t pay for physical and trainer just because we are old and sick does not mean that we are just disposable and doctors don’t want to spend time with us.
Hi Ken. Yes, I saw your email and replied. Thanks for clarifying your situation.
My advice is to start with Lifting The Sky. You can learn it for free here: https://flowingzen.mykajabi.com/p/learn-the-best-qigong-exercise-ever
Do it seated if you need to, but just get started.
After that, I recommend that you wait a few weeks for my summer promos. I’ll be offering some big discounts, and also a new beginner’s course.
My blog is also a good resource, and there are a lot of freebies all over it: https://flowingzen.com/blog-index/