Tai Chi Research » Headaches http://www.taichiresearch.com The Source for Tai Chi Research, Tai Chi Articles and Tai Chi Videos Sat, 12 Mar 2011 19:06:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Study finds tai chi effective at reducing the impact of tension headaches. http://www.taichiresearch.com/723/study-finds-tai-chi-effective-at-reducing-the-impact-of-tension-headaches/ http://www.taichiresearch.com/723/study-finds-tai-chi-effective-at-reducing-the-impact-of-tension-headaches/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:16:48 +0000 David Bendall http://www.taichiresearch.com/?p=723 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.

Abstract

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