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A new randomized trial of tai chi and its effects on fibromyalgia patients has surfaced in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, conducted by eight top doctors and scientists in their field, was interested in understanding the therapeutic benefits of tai chi on fibromyalgia sufferers.
Fibromyalgia is a common chronic illness characterized by its widespread musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and mental impairment. While there is no cure for the disease, avenues of treatment are available to patients who wish to explore medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and exercise.
The researchers who created this study wanted to combine elements of both exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy by focusing on the mind-body practice of tai chi.
Originating from China as a martial art, the study states tai chi, “…combines meditation with slow, gentle, graceful movements, as well as deep breathing and relaxation, to move vital energy (or qi) throughout the body. It is considered a complex, multicomponent intervention that integrates physical, psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, and behavioral elements.”
It was the combination of mind and body elements that led the researches to believe that tai chi would be an effective therapeutic treatment for fibromyalgia. And the results they got agreed with their hypothesis.
For the test, the scientists assigned fibromyalgia patients to take tai chi classes twice a week for twelve weeks. Before they began classes, they were given a Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) that asked about the effects of fibromyalgia on their daily lives. Questions included: intensity of pain, anxiety, job difficulty, fatigue, stiffness, and overall well-being.
The class was taught by a tai chi master of over twenty years and he spent the first class discussing the background, history, and mind-body nature of the practice. Each session included warm up self-massages, overviews of breathing techniques, and tai chi relaxation and movement. Participants were also assigned to practice tai chi for twenty minutes at home each day.
After the twelve week study, the participants were given another copy of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire for the researchers to compare. The results were illuminating: a clear 50% of participants had clinically important improvements in the overall FIQ score and specifically in the “quality of life” category. And it’s important to note that zero adverse results were reported.
Would you consider tai chi as a supplemental therapeutic treatment for your fibromyalgia pain? If so, let us know in the comments!
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