Study finds tai chi effective at reducing the impact of tension headaches.
March 19, 2009 by David Bendall · 1 Comment
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles studied examined the benefits of tai chi for individuals suffering from tension headaches. 47 individuals were randomly assigned to 15-weeks of tai chi or to a wait-list control group. The tai chi group showed significant improvements compared to the control group in headache status, pain, energy/fatigue, social functioning, emotional well-being and mental health.
The researchers note that tai chi has a number of benefits compared to pharmaceutical intervention. Virtually all pharmaceutical-based interventions include some level of risk of side effects and some patients find them only partially effective and/or may unable to tolerate them. Tai chi does more than alleviate pain or provide symptomatic relief; it benefits health related quality of life. This suggests that tai chi may address the underlying cause of the pain associated with tension headaches, namely stress.
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I am particularly interested in the health benefits tai chi has to offer, which are many. I began practicing tai chi when undergoing treatment for cancer, which was a very stressful time. I found it an enormous help and would recommend it to anyone else going through a stressful time in their life.