Tai-Chi would have beneficial effects in relieving the pain of people affected by the fibromyalgia and would be as effective as aerobic exercise, according to results of a study published in the medical journal British Medical Journal.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain. It causes extreme fatigue, muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping and may increase the risk of depression. This pathology affects approximately 2-4% of the population worldwide.
The researchers compared the effectiveness of tai chia Chinese martial art practiced with slow, choreographed movements and aerobic exercises (bike, fast walk) on pain management in fibromyalgia patients and investigated whether frequency and duration modified the effects.
The study was conducted with 226 volunteers, aged 52, 92% of whom were women, who had suffered from fibromyalgia for 9 years and who had never chosen alternative medicine to treat chronic pain.
At the start of the trial, participants completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, which measures physical and psychological symptoms such as pain intensity, physical function, tiredthe depressionL’anxiety and the well-being general.
Tai-Chi improves the well-being of patients
Participants were then randomly assigned to do supervised aerobic exercise twice a week for 24 weeks or take Tai-Chi classes once or twice a week.
The evolution of symptoms was estimated at 12, 24 and then 52 weeks.
The results of the study showed that the practice of Tai-Chi in the long term (24 weeks) allowed a better improvement than for 12 weeks. There was no significant increase in benefits for those who took the classes twice a week.
The effects of Tai Chi were similar for all volunteers and no adverse events were reported.
“Tai-Chi body-mind treatment results in similar or greater symptom improvement than aerobic exercise, the most commonly prescribed non-drug treatment for patients with fibromyalgia,” the authors explain. “This mind-body approach can be considered as a therapeutic option in the multidisciplinary management of fibromyalgia,” they conclude.
This new study echoes canadian research published in 2011 which revealed that yoga practiced at a rate of twice a week for two months, could reduce the symptoms of chronic pain and the stress psychology in women with fibromyalgia.
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