Effect of Shaolin internal qigong exercise on the surface electromyography signals of shoulder muscle groups in patients with capsulitis of the shoulder / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To unveil the efficacy of Shaolin internal qigong exercise in treating capsulitis of the shoulder (CS) and explore objective outcome measures by observing the changes in the surface electromyography (sEMG) signals of shoulder muscle groups after regular practice of Shaolin internal qigong exercise in CS patients. Methods: Sixty CS patients were randomized into two groups by the random number table method, with 30 cases in each group. Patients in the qigong group practiced Shaolin internal qigong exercise on a regular basis, while patients in the electroacupuncture (EA) group received EA treatment. Before and after treatment, the sEMG signals of six muscles, i.e. biceps brachii, triceps brachii, deltoid, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles, of the affected side were recorded at 45° abduction of the shoulder, 60° forward flexion and 90° internal rotation with the elbow flexed during maximal isometric contraction, and the integrated electromyography (iEMG) of each muscle was calculated. Results: The total effective rate was 93.3％ in the qigong group, higher than 83.3％ in the EA group (P<0.05). Intra-group comparison showed that the iEMG of biceps brachii, triceps brachii, pectoralis major and deltoid muscles in the qigong group increased significantly after intervention at 45° abduction of the shoulder, 60° forward flexion and 90° internal rotation with the elbow flexed (all P<0.05), and the iEMG of trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles decreased (both P<0.05); in the EA group, the iEMG of biceps brachii, pectoralis major and deltoid muscles increased significantly during contraction (all P<0.05), while the iEMG of triceps brachii, trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles had no significant changes (all P>0.05). After intervention, there were significant differences in the iEMG of most of muscles between the two groups (all P<0.05), except for the iEMG of deltoid muscle at 45° of abduction of the shoulder joint during isometric contraction (P>0.05). Conclusion: Shaolin internal qigong exercise can effectively increase the motion intensity of the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, pectoralis major and deltoid muscles and reduce the compensation of the latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles in CS patients; compared with EA, it produces a better result in improving the coordination and stability in shoulder joint movements.

Some Important Issues about Internal Strength Massage / 中国中医药信息杂志

Several important issues about internal strength massage and Shaolin Internal Qigong were discussed in this article, which verified the following aspects:Shaolin Internal Qigong was written into the massage textbook formally in 1960; Special material Shaolin Internal Qigong was first proposed in 1963; Internal strength massage schools were first proposed in 1979's National Massage Symposium. The author holds that Shaolin Internal Qigong is not the Kungfu from Shaolin Temple, and it has nothing to do with Dharma; Shaolin Internal Qigong of Massage exercises belongs to external Gong, the internal Qigong content of Xingqi Neishi need to be excavated; The method of stick-beating with mulberry stick of Internal Strength Massage is closely related to the patting method of Yi Jin Jing school in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and Zhen Ting method ofThe Golden Mirror of Medicine.

Effects of Shaolin Internal Qigong on Physiological Changes / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: The physiological changes of the respiro-circulatory functions between skilled subject and unskilled subjects during the practice of Up-right Standing Posture of Shaolin Internal Qigong were compared. Method: The heart rate (HR), maximum oxygen uptake (VO2), respiratory efficiency (RE), and respiratory rate (RR), blood pressure, and lactic acid in the blood were measured.Results: The high correlations between the HR and the VO2 values obtained from the exhaustion test were observed in all subjects. The higher values than at the rest were observed in the average HR and the average VO2 during practicing the Up-right Standing Posture both in the skilled subject and unskilled subjects. However, both HR and VO2 levels were almost constant during the practice in both the skilled subjectand unskilled subjects. The RE values changed in the time course of the practice, whereas the RR values were almost constant during the practice. The average RE showed different patterns between the skilled subject and unskilled subjects, the former increased and the latter decreased their RE levels.In addition, the average values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the skilled subject increased each 10 mmHg approximately at pre- and post- Up-right Standing Posture, and the increasing tendency was also recognized in the unskilled subjects. The values of the lactic acid in the blood of the skilled subject increased slightly, whereas the average values of the unskilled subjects increased by 3.4 mmol/1. Conclusion: Shaolin Internal Qigong could improve respiratory efficiency by the maximum isometric muscle contraction while the skilled subject maintained natural breathing. In addition, Shaolin Internal Qigong was considered to influence the reflex system because it inhibited both blood pressure increase and respiratory rate change. Shaolin Internal Qigong fit very well with Tuina doctor training course for promoting the physical ability and manipulation abilities of them.