Medical Qi Gong and Depression

Depression is mood disorder that may include feeling sad, anxious, irritable, hopeless, and losing interest in activities once found pleasurable. Medication is often used to treat depression, but many people do not respond fully to medication alone.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in October of 2011 looked at elderly patients with depression who were partially responding to a typical antidepressant medication. When researchers added Qi Gong to their treatment, patients showed:

A greater reduction of depressive symptoms
Improvement in physical functioning
Improvement in cognitive tests
A decline in inflammation throughout the body
Numerous studies have shown that any sort of exercise has a positive impact on mood. Qi Gong as a gentle exercise, with its emphasis on deep breathing and a meditative state of mind, makes it an ideal treatment for mood disorders. Click to learn how Chinese medicine treats Insomnia.