Tai Chi potential treatment for common knee osteoarthritis
A new study has looked at the marital art of tai chi for its potential to relieve symptoms of arthritis. The researchers concluded that tai chi offers an alternative to physical therapy for common knee osteoarthritis – and it might also boost wellbeing.
The study was carried out by Dr Chenchen Wang, director of the Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine in the division of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, US. Dr Wang and her team followed 200 people, with an average age of 60. Most were overweight or obese and had endured knee osteoarthritis for an average of eight years.
Participants in Wang’s study either received tai chi or standard physical therapy. The tai chi group performed the exercise with a trained instructor twice a week for 12 weeks. The others got standard physical therapy twice a week for six weeks, followed by six weeks of monitored home exercise.
Throughout the study, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, participants in both groups were permitted to take routine medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen, and maintain their usual doctor visits.
At the end of 12 weeks, Wang and her team used questionnaires to evaluate patients for pain, stiffness and joint functioning. Both groups showed similar significant improvements, which lasted up to a year.
The investigators noted that the tai chi group also had significantly greater relief from depression than those in physical therapy. Past studies have shown that tai chi can be effective in helping sleep, while reducing stress, anxiety and depression.
“The mind component [of tai chi] promotes psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and improved perceptions of health,” said Wang.
“This research strengthened the evidence that the effectiveness and durability of both tai chi and physical therapy extend to obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis,” says Dr. Chenchen Wang.
She says older patients typically find tai chi very easy to learn and perform. She recommended that older people get training from an experienced instructor. A local gym or athletic club might be able to recommend a practitioner, she suggests.
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