Allergia 1999:2

In "Allergia", the Asthma- and allergy association member paper tells about the positive effects asthma patients have got from practicing with European Zhineng Qigong Center. Marlene Lilja, information secretary at the county association, tells that she had noticed a great interest among the members to try to influence their health in another way than through medicines, which led to a Qigong project. Asthmatics got the possibility to practice Qigong 80 hours during a period of two months. A doctor was contacted who could check the method from a medical point of view and the effect from the training. The about 30 participants didn't only suffer from asthma problems, several also had different kind of pain, mental problems and several were long term sick listed. In the paper it was told that the project showed good results. The general health condition among the group members was improved and also the tests at Karolinska hospital showed significant improvements in lung functions, even though the project run late autumn – when asthmatics usually get worse. The participants told that the training was worth the effort. Several could reduce their medicines and also made progress in other ways. Marlene Lilja also thinks that the atmosphere in the group improved in a good way with more happiness and openness.