Course prepared by ESP-MG, SES-MG and IFMG trains professionals from Health Gym Centers to practice Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong

Advances in the field of public health in Minas Gerais have been significant, demonstrating a commitment not only to treating diseases, but also to promoting the well-being and quality of life of the population. In this context, one of the examples is the course “Body Practices at the Centers of Health Academies in Minas Gerais: training of Tai Chi Chuan (Taiji Quan) and Qi Gong instructors”, promoted by the School of Public Health of the State of Minas Gerais (ESP-MG), in partnership with the State Department of Health of Minas Gerais (SES-MG) and the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais (IFMG – Campus Sabará).

The training, which began in February 2023, aims to contribute to the strengthening of Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS) at the Health Academy Centers in the municipalities of Minas Gerais and also train health professionals to act as instructors in these locations. The course currently has its fifth class underway, completing module 3.

To date, 85 health professionals have been trained, who can now apply and share their knowledge in health services in Minas Gerais. In addition to in-person classes, the training also includes six hours of remote teaching, which take place after the third module and are distributed over three meetings, aiming for more comprehensive and continuous monitoring.

The course coordinator at ESP-MG, Fernanda Maciel, explains that this action strengthens two important care policies present in Primary Health Care in the SUS: the practice of physical activities in health academy centers and integrative and complementary health practice . “The School of Public Health and partner institutions collaborate with this course so that health-promoting practices can be inserted in several municipalities in the state, as it is a training that reaches many regions”, highlights Fernanda.

The coordinator also states that the initiative not only diversifies the therapeutic options available, but also promotes a more holistic and humanized approach to providing care to users of the Unified Health System (SUS). “There is a lot of scientific evidence that has demonstrated that Chinese body practices, such as Tai Chi Chuan, promote many benefits in quality of life, acting in a complementary way in treatments for hypertension, diabetes, mental disorders, preventing falls in the elderly, etc. Furthermore, with this course, we contribute to the insertion of health-promoting practices in several municipalities in the state, as it is a training that reaches different regions”, she adds.

Professional Practice and Patient Care

The results obtained so far are being important both for training and for the inclusion of these practices in the state’s health services. Former student Aline Francielle de Magalhães, a nurse from Patos de Minas, highlighted the relevance of the course and emphasized how valuable the experience was, as she expanded her professional knowledge by learning more about mobility and being able to offer it to her patients. According to Aline, “the course provided me with greater technical and practical knowledge about Tai Chi Chuan, enabling me to better explain the benefits of this practice”, she comments.

According to Aline Magalhães, her experiences in the health service have demonstrated a series of benefits for her patients, including “significant improvement in anxious and depressive symptoms, improved concentration and improved motor coordination”. Furthermore, she highlights the need for a balance between physical and mental health, strengthening the immune system and the search for natural healing, through Traditional Chinese Medicine, which not only treats illnesses, but also helps prevent illnesses.

The project foresees the holding of 12 classes by 2025. Throughout 2023, four classes were held, covering the municipalities of the health macro-regions Centro, Jequitinhonha, Vale do Aço, Noroeste and Nordeste. In 2024, four classes of the course will be offered throughout the year, one of which is already underway.

Now in April, Module 03 of Class 05 takes place, which took place at ESP-MG, between 23/04 and 25/04, from Tuesday to Thursday, from 8am to 5pm. Furthermore, on 04/23 and 04/25, Tuesday and Thursday, also at ESP-MG, activities were carried out related to the production of data for the research “Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong: body experiments in a formative process and practices in the centers of the Health Academies”.

According to the project coordinator at ESP-MG, Fernanda Maciel, there are some challenges to be faced, such as the release of professionals by municipal managers and the cost of student expenses, such as food and accommodation. The context of municipal elections can also influence the participation of professionals, requiring joint work between partner institutions to overcome these obstacles and guarantee the success of the program.

Tai Chi Chuan

The term Tai Chi Chuan can be translated as: Tai Chi = Movement of the Universe and Chuan = Fists/Fight, the Fight of the Movement of the Universe, a Chinese martial art whose circular movements and deep, slow breathing provide mental and physical balance. Tai Chi Chuan is a collective body practice of Eastern origin that consists of postures for body balance and the performance of slow and continuous movements that work, simultaneously, the physical and energetic aspects of the body. The body practices of traditional Chinese Medicine, such as Tai Chi Chuan, are associated with the prevention of the main risk factors for chronic diseases with a reduction in body weight, a decrease in blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol among its practitioners.

Find out more at: https://www.saude.mg.gov.br/pics

By Ascom/ESP-MG