Category Archives: tai chi health

tai chi, tai chi fibromyalgia, tai chi immune system

Dr. Anthony Alessi: Tai chi effective in treatment of fibromyalgia

 Dr. Anthony Alessi is a neurologist at William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich.    DR. ANTHONY ALESSI For the Norwich Bulletin Posted Sep 07, 2010 @ 08:27 PM

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at the effectiveness of tai chi in the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Tai chi is a form of self-defense developed in China more than 2,000 years ago. It consists of flowing, circular movements that emphasize balance and meditation.

Fibromyalgia is a common, painful clinical syndrome. Typical symptoms include muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances and mood changes. It affects about 200 million people throughout the world. Symptoms vary with levels of stress, climactic conditions and other triggering events.

Tai chi has been described as an effective way of relieving painful musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain. It has also provided a complementary treatment for cardiovascular conditions. This is the first time it has been studied in conjunction with fibromyalgia.

The study reported on 66 patients randomly assigned to a group participating in either tai chi classes or a wellness education and stretching session. At least 79 percent of the tai chi participants reported improvement of symptoms, while only 39 percent of the wellness group felt they had improved….

Medications used to treat fibromyalgia include antidepressants, anticonvulsants and anti-inflammatory agents. The response to long-term medical treatment alone has been disappointing. Despite the need for further research, the potential benefits of a combined treatment approach that includes tai chi are encouraging. Dr. Anthony Alessi is medical director of The William W. Backus Hospital Stroke Center and in private practice at NeuroDiagnostics, LLC, in Norwich. E-mail him at aalessi@wwbh.org Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin. Some rights reserved

tai chi fibromyalgia, tai chi immune system, tai chi mood

Fibromyalgia Symptoms and Tai Chi via NLM

1. Orthop Nurs. 2003 Sep-Oct;22(5):353-60.

Effects of T'ai Chi exercise on fibromyalgia symptoms and health-related quality
of life.

Taggart HM, Arslanian CL, Bae S, Singh K.

Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA, USA.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM), one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders,
is associated with high levels of impaired health and inadequate or limited
symptom relief. The cause of this complex syndrome is unknown, and there is no
known cure. Numerous research results indicate that a combination of physical
exercise and mind-body therapy is effective in symptom management. T'ai Chi, an
ancient Chinese exercise, combines physical exercise with mindbody therapy.
PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of T'ai Chi exercise on FM symptoms and
health-related quality of life. DESIGN: Pilot study, one group pre-to-post
posttest design. METHODS: Participants with FM (n = 39) formed a single group for
6 weeks of 1-hour, twice weekly T'ai Chi exercise classes. FM symptoms and
health-related quality of life were measured before and after exercise. FINDINGS:
Twenty-one participants completed at least 10 of the 12 exercise sessions.
Although the dropout rate was higher than expected, measurements on both the
Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) (Buckhardt, Clark, & Bennett, 1991) and
the Short Form-36 (SE-36) (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992) revealed statistically
significant improvement in symptom management and health-related quality of life.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING RESEARCH: Knowledge of interventions to enhance health
for the patient with musculoskeletal problems is a National Association of
Orthopaedic Nurses priority. Tai Chi is potentially beneficial to patients with
FM. Further research is needed to support evidence-based practice.

PMID: 14595996 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Fibromyalgia


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