Novice Seeks Advice

[johnboy554]

Hello all,

Firstly let me apologise for a long first post, and secondly for placing it in perhaps the wrong forum topic!

I class myself as a complete novice in Qi Gong/Chi Kung and have been 'training' solo for the past 4 months as I am unable to locate any classes in my location.

I have discovered Qi Gong in an attempt to find an altenative method of injury/ailment management (or even cure!) for a few problems I have suffered with for years. During my search I was lead to this forum and I find the threads informative and helpful, written by people who seem to really care and know what they're talking about. Hopefully some of you will be able to offer some advice... however, let me give you a bit of background:

I am a 40 year old male who suffers from some 'unknown' lower back pain and left knee pain. I am reasonably active (walking daily and cycling) but overweight probably hefting around an extra 20-25 Kg which is proving difficult to lose.

My back pain has bothered me for over 20 years. I do not recall ever having any kind of accident or trauma to cause this and I've had x-rays, MRI scans, CAT scans and numerous consultations with doctors and physiotherapists - all concluding that there is structurally nothing wrong with me! I know I have pain as I suffer from it daily! The pain feels a bit like a thick belt of stiffness around the rear part of my waist (lumbar area). Stretching and traditional Thai massage relieve it temporarily.

My knee pain is the result of an ACL reconstruction I had in 1998 (and 3 subsequent operations for complications due to an infection during the ACL operation). I am able to walk pain free and sometimes jog. My knee tends to lock and give way on occasion and the nerves seem to be damaged (numb) where all scar tissue is. I have been told (and believe this is correct) that I suffer from a tracking problem with the patella riding incorrectly. This too is alleviated by stretching and traditional Thai massage. I gained the extra weight following my knee operations.

I have bought 2 books by Master Lam Kam-Chuen (The Way of Energy & The Way of Power) and have been practising the Zhan Zhuang exercises daily from these books. In The Way of Energy there is a variation of the The Eight Pieces of Silk Brocade which I also practice.

Now, with regard to these 2 injuries I am happy to report that my damaged nerves around my knee seem to be 'tingling' back to life which is encouraging. I am also able to relax the patella during standing and suffer no pain during my training sessions. Similarly, I have learnt to adjust and relax my hips and as a result my back pain is somewhat lessened. The more I practice standing, the more focussed my back pain is - it seems to emanate from a point inside my right hip or buttock and tends to 'shoot' down my right hamstring. My Thai massuer has told me that my glutes and hamstrings are tight and need lots of work and it is these tight muscles that are 'pulling' on my lower back.

The problem I have is that no matter what stretches I do, I can't seem to pin-point the correct ones for targeting my problem areas. Some days one stretch seems to do the trick, other days it does nothing or even seems to cause more stiffness.

So after all that, here are my questions...

1. Am I doing the right exercise system (Zhan Zhuang)?

2. Is there another Qi Gong practice that I could do? I am unsure as there are so many - as I said I have no classes or clubs nearby.

3. What about yoga stretches? I mean would these be of more benefit at this stage of my recovery than attempting to learn a Qi Gong form.

I hope I haven't bored you too much and that someone is willing to offer some advice or suggestions.

Oh, as a side note - I also regularly suffer from 'restless legs' syndrome! I have been told that doctors do not really know the cause of this. I now believe it is something to do with Chi or energy - too much of it perhaps...

Thanks for reading.

[Josh Young]

I think you are on the right path so to speak.

I have an acquaintance online who battled an infection for years, he was going to have his leg amputated. He ran out of option till he found and tried one more, Qi-gong, largely Zhan Zhuang.

It saved his leg and bewildered his doctor, a great combination of events!

I believe it can help you a great deal.

[Dvivid]

Hi

I highly recommend this DVD for your back:
http://www.ymaa.com/publishing/dvd/qigong_DVD/simple_qigong_back_painDVD
This spine qigong healed and strengthened my own back in about a year, after a life of back problems.

and this for the knee (and joints in general):
http://www.ymaa.com/publishing/dvd/qigo ... hritis_DVD
The self-massage taught in there can really help.

They are a couple of Dr. Yang's older video titles which are sometimes overlooked - but in fact, they contain a number of very effective qigong exercises you can follow along with.

Hope this helps,
David Silver
YMAA Video Director

[johnboy554]

Thank you gentlemen for your replies. I will look at purchasing the DVDs you recommended David. As you say Josh - I too believe I'm on the right path. So, in short it's more of the same with perserverence and dedication - along with some specific exercises from the DVDs. I am encouraged by your comments.

Thanks. I hope to report further improvements in time...