How Chi Kung affects bone growth

Piezoelectric effect is the ability of some materials to convert change of pressure applied through that material into electricity. And vice versa, these materials spontaneously contract and expand with the frequency of an alternating electric current which passes through them. Up until recently it was commonly thought that only inorganic crystals posses piezoelectric properties.

Recent scientific experiments have confirmed that biological systems also posses this property. And very interestingly human bones present piezoelectric properties. If human bone is exposed to a continuous variable pressure, it creates an electric current going from joint to joint through the centre of the bone marrow. And it gets even better. This electric field stimulates bone growth.

Bone

The majority of bones consist of bone matrix that is inorganic and organic in nature. Hydroxyapatite, which is crystalline, forms the inorganic part of the bone matrix. On the other hand, Type I collagen is the organic part of the matrix. Hydroxyapatite has been discovered to be responsible for piezoelectricity in bones.

Origin of Piezoelectricity in Bones

When collagen molecules, consisting of charge carriers, are stressed, these charge carriers from the inside move to the surface of the specimen. This produces electric potential across the bone.

Bone Density and Piezoelectric Effect

The stress acting on the bone produces the piezoelectric effect. This effect, in turn, attracts bone-building cells (called osteoblasts) because of the formation of electrical dipoles. This subsequently deposits minerals--primarily calcium--on the stressed side of the bone. Hence, the piezoelectric effect increases bone density.

Significance for internal martial arts and Chi Kung

Internal martial arts and Chi kung exercises are supposed to be performed in slow continuous and smooth fashion. They are also supposed to be performed in synchronization with your breath and your heartbeat. Stepping should be performed without stomping. During weight transfer a leg goes from yin or empty leg with no weight to yang or full leg with all the weight.

Performing chi kung or internal martial arts exercises in this way creates continuous piezoelectric effect inside the bones, which produces continuous variable electric field with near constant frequency. This stimulates bone building and repair.

Many studies have been undertaken which prove that practicing chi kung increases bone density. Osteoporosis is unheard of in old tai chi practitioners. Again, modern science confirms ancient Taoist knowledge.

 

Cool, so my forearm smash should be even more smashier when I'm an old dude. Awesome!

 

Sources for this effect being in chi gung are....?

If you are referring to the 9 effects study it also showed the same results with regular exercise

 

Certain types of qigong have been used for increasing bone density for quite some time.

I doubt you will find any evidence other than anything anecdotal though. However, I'm pretty sure you can find evidence for weight lifting having this effect too... of course, post menopausal women prefer wearing silk PJ's and arm waving over grunting and cold steel.

 

I think the study said it was best used a low-impact exercise rather than because of any inherent "wisdom from the ancients"

Certainly there is nothing miraculous in any of the studies, and qi/chi/ki is still an unproven commodity as far as being "energy" rather than "feel"

 

I knew a woman in her 70s who swore by going out into her garden and moving large rocks from one side of the lawn to the other. Big, painted rocks. Every day. She was amazingly limber and strong like ox for her age!

 

Well we have "Old Man Strength" so why not the same or women?

 

Yeah, now that I think about it, she wasn't strong 'for her age', she was just strong!

 

To be honest with you, I think the whole Chi/Qi = Energy is a Western invention or misinterpretation. The more classic text I read, the more I think that Chi/Qi is a reference to breath, breathing and awareness of its effects or "feel" as you put it. .

Yeah, a lot of older folk tend to slow down the older they get. Our bodies are made to move and everything other than the blood, requires some physical movement for effective circulation. Hence, for someone whose body is lacking in movement (not saying that is the case with the lady you mention), most physical activity will have a positive impact.

 

hi in the spirit

Piezoelectric effect only happens during the change of pressure vector. Constant pressure of the same intensity, no matter how strong will not induce any electricity in the bone. When you lift weights, the period of change between minimum and maximum pressure is very short, and so the amount of electricity generated in the bone is very smal and lasts very short period of time. The same goes for walking, running and so on. With all these activities you also have a shocking force that actually damages the cartilage, and if you add torsion can actually shatter the bone.To maximize the effect you want a continuous change of pressure, which is what you get in slow weight shifting exercises in chi kung and tai chi. You can of course do the same slow weight shifting while lifting weights, but you would be just doing tai chi with weights.

 

for hannibal

i hate repeating myself but unfortunately i have to do it after all thei spamming:

Ok guys. Anshu Sabharwal is recommended as the official Physician of the descendants of the masters by Paul Vunak to treat and heal members of his club only. So he believes in her work and her knowledge. She is also medical Chi Qung practitioner and uses chi to heal members of your club, under the approval, actually recommendation by Paul Vunak. So obviously Paul Vunak also believes in chi and its medical usage.
And none of you do. You think this is all rubbish. How can this be? Either Paul Vunak is wrong or you are wrong. Which will it be?
I think in order to solve this mystery, I will write to Paul Vunak and ask him to explain his understanding of chi and its medical and martial properties. How about that?

A quote from Paul Vunak official site (main page):


Quote:

Here is a quote from Anshu Sabharwal website:


Quote:

and here is the definition of chi qung

With roots in Chinese medicine, martial arts, and philosophy, qigong is traditionally viewed as a practice to balance qi (chi) or what has been translated as "intrinsic life energy."[2] Typically a qigong practice involves rhythmic breathing, coordinated with slow stylized repetition of fluid movement, and a calm mindful state.[3] Qigong is now practiced throughout China and worldwide, and is considered by some to be exercise, and by others to be a type of alternative medicine or meditative practice.[4] From a philosophical perspective qigong is believed to help develop human potential, allow access to higher realms of awareness, and awaken one's "true nature

 

And I hate repeating myself but you do not know WHAT you are talking about nor the people involved - you are in fact barking up the wrong tree. These people are FRIENDS of mine so I think I can safely state when you are wrong on it. You apparently think otherwise

Nice logic

Not all practitioners agree on a definition, and Anshu is in the same camp as her husband Singh - have you googled yet?

Why you call chi has no definition or actual proof for it's veracity beyond anecdote or very weak testing protocols.

 

In addition to your little wiki hunt you also missed the following;

and

 

Will this cure my broken bone in under five minutes?

 

Could you give us the references for these papers?

What is the source of this information? Would you be able to give us the references for these papers?

Would you be able to tell us the journal references for these studies?

School holidays are about to begin, and I could do with a bit of light reading.

 

Some bloke in a pub...but he WAS Chinese

 

So I'm still waiting around to hear about how Chi Kung and other arts are more beneficial for bone growth compared to other activities.

 

Don't hold your "chi"









See what I did there?

 

It may be just me... but before I went jumping on the 'Chi influences bone growth' I'd try to make sure I had a solid understanding of how the skeletal system works. Not only in terms of grow but also in terms of bone loss and a whole host of other issues that can happen with bone.

I've spent a long time studying the skeletal system to try and determine just how big the effects of conditioning the shins via the Thai pad and heavy bag influence bone density. Little did I know that I'd basically have to learn a whole new language.

And of the peer reviewed articles related to bone growth and it's various issues are definitely not written for the layman. Get onto the JStor/JAMA/Lancet databases and take a look at what I mean. Just getting your head around the methodology involved in scientific testing takes a fair bit... not to mention interpretation of the results. Often times on many studies there will be several different interpretations of the same study/data.

I've written a few in depth posts (in depth according to me but certainly not a scientific level) on the subject of the skeletal system here at MAP regarding Wolf's Law/the Utah paradigm/Mechanostat and all the variations related to ossification and osteoporosis. They didn't get much traffic because frankly:

1) most people don't care

2) most people don't understand the terms and issues being discussed

3) most people aren't willing spend time reading rather dry scientific studies

So 99% of the time you have a situation where the only way things do get discussed is when they're in editorial/opinion form. Which is fair enough. We all have lives and some of the papers are so exceedingly dry you could die of thirst if you weren't careful...

Anywho... interesting topic. From what I recall... there overall isn't very much positive change in bone density for the vast majority of humans beyond the adolescent growth spurt...

Typically starts in girls around the ages of 10 or 11 and has peaked by the age of 12. 15 or 16 is the age girls typically stop growing. With boys, the growth spurt begins at 12 or 13, pretty much reaches it's peak by 14. So if you haven't massively influenced your bone density by then (good nutrition, exercise, loading etc.) you're not going to see any major shifts in positive bone growth. Not everyone starts from the same starting line unfortunately. This not only is interesting light of nak muays who argue that kicking the heavy bag promotes massive bone growth and strengthening of the shins... but also anyone else who thinks they are going majorly change their skeletal system beyond the adolescent growth spurt.

I'm all ears if anyone has any citable references that show otherwise. I'm not really interested in anecdotal evidence.

 

Slip I've told you before they don't want facts intefering with delusions.....

As for affecting bone density