Pilot study finds suggests tai chi benefits individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
December 31, 2009 by David Bendall · Leave a Comment
Researchers at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston conducted a pilot study of twenty individuals with functional class I or II rheumatoid arthritis. Half of the individuals were randomly assigned to tai chi and half to an attention control group. Both groups met twice per week for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks there was a statistically significant difference in the number of individuals who achieved an American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 response, with 5 of the 10 individuals assigned to the tai chi group achieving it compared to none in the control group. An ACR 20 response indicates that there has been a 20% improvement in a well-accepted set of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as tender and swollen joints, pain, etc.
The tai chi group also had statistically significant improvements in measures of disability, vitality and depression. There were also signs of improvements in disease activity, functional capacity and health-related quality of life. The results of this study suggest that tai chi may be a safe and effective complementary treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
Subscribe to Receive A FREE "TAI CHI SECRETS" SPECIAL REPORT 2.0 & Join the Energy Arts Mailing List