arthritis and Tai Chi & qigong (scroll down for yoga, qigong, meditation, mindfulness)

OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEE/TAI CHI!

Achy knees? Tai chi may work as well as - or better than - physical therapy
Read article at Washington Post, May 16, 2016


(Reuters Health) - Tai chi may work as well as traditional physical therapy for easing pain in people with knee osteoarthritis, a small study suggests ... findings suggest that tai chi may offer some relief to patients without the potential cost of attending physical therapy or side effects of medications, said Romy Lauche of the Australian Research Center in Complimentary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Technology Sydney.
Read entire Reuter's article ...


(HealthDay News) -- Legions of arthritis sufferers try physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs to no avail. Now, a new study looks East for relief -- to the martial art tai chi ... 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.
HealthDay news ...


TUFTS UNIVERSITY PUBLICATION: TAI CHI MATCHES MORE EXPENSIVE PHYSICAL THERAPY IN OSTEOARTRITIC KNEE TREATEMENT -- The group of patients who received tai chi therapy for knee pain due to osteoarthritis also showed significant improvement when it came to depression and quality of life.
By Monica Jimenez, June 9, 2016

Tai chi produces the same benefits as physical therapy for patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis, according to a new study by researchers at the Tufts School of Medicine.
http://now.tufts.edu/articles/tai-chi-and-ailing-joints



Tai Chi Shows Relief for Arthritis Pain, Improves Well-Being and Enhances Sleep
In the largest study to date of the Arthritis Foundation's Tai Chi program, participants showed improvement in pain, fatigue, stiffness and sense of well-being. Older adults also improved their ability to reach while maintaining balance, said Leigh Callahan, PhD, the study's lead author and professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. "Our study shows that there are significant benefits of the Tai Chi course for individuals with all types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis," Callahan said.

In the study, 354 participants were recruited from 20 sites in North Carolina and New Jersey and randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received the 8-week, twice-weekly Tai Chi course immediately while the other group was a delayed control group.
-- Global Health Aging, February 27, 2015


ARTHRITIS. T'ai Chi's low impact causes no joint damage (unlike other higher impact exercises), while its weight-bearing aspect may encourage development of bone mass and connective tissue. WTCQD Note: Those with arthritic knees may want to do modified Tai Chi forms sharing weight on both legs rather than fully centering the weight over one knee.


Harvard Health Publications
Arthritis. In a 40-person study at Tufts University, presented in October 2008 at a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, an hour of tai chi twice a week for 12 weeks reduced pain and improved mood and physical functioning more than standard stretching exercises in people with severe knee osteoarthritis. According to a Korean study published in December 2008 in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, eight weeks of tai chi classes followed by eight weeks of home practice significantly improved flexibility and slowed the disease process in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and debilitating inflammatory form of arthritis that affects the spine.
Read more at Harvard Health Publications ...


In controlled experiments, glucosomine and shark cartilage have failed to reliably relieve knee pain, but a 2011 review of multiple studies of Tai Chi ... concluded that it is generally effective at controlling pain and improving physical function.
-- Parade Magazine (the world's #1 most
read magazine), January 27, 2013


Study finds decrease in pain and fatigue among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis after 12 weeks of tai chi.
-- Daejeon University in Korea


Mind-body. You can soothe achy joints and improve mobility with mind-body techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, meditation, tai chi and guided imagery. A recent study from Korea found that tai chi is significantly beneficial for controlling pain and improving physical function in people who have osteoarthritis in the knee. For details about various options, consult the Arthritis Foundation's guide to alternative and natural therapies.
-- iVillage, June, 2012 - Beyond Aspirin: How to Ease Pain When You Have Arthritis


Most alternative treatments have either not been scientifically tested or subjected to limited investigations, says Arthritis Research UK.
Of 25 therapies, only a handful were judged to have enough medical evidence to support their use.
These included acupuncture, massage, tai chi and yoga ...
Very little evidence was found in support of commonly-used therapies such as copper bracelets and magnetic therapy for arthritis, fibromyalgia or lower back pain.

For their analysis the researchers searched for randomised controlled trials - comparing the given therapy with a placebo, usual care or another treatment - that had been written up in English and published before the end of May 2011.
-- BBC News Online, Health Editor, Jan. 8, 2013



Osteoarthritis:
Twelve studies were included in the study, with 5 randomized controlled clinical trials and 7 nonrandomized controlled clinical trials dating up to June 2007. The review showed promising evidence in support of using Tai Chi to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis and even reported larger effect sizes in pain reduction from Tai Chi than from other popular interventions, such as using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. - Medscape Today, from WebMD, 10/26/2010


Rheumatoid Arthritis:
The review mainly showed that Tai Chi statistically improved ankle plantar flexion in those with RA, but most other measures such as activities of daily living and swollen joints showed no improvements after Tai Chi interventions. None of the studies indicated any harmful effects of Tai Chi practice, and the review reported that adherence rates in the Tai Chi interventions were higher than in the controls, indicating that subjects may enjoy participating in Tai Chi over other exercises. - Medscape Today, from WebMD, 10/26/2010


Older people with knee pain may get help from tai chi
Knee pain from osteoarthritis is a common and often chronic ailment for older people. But a new study finds that practicing tai chi exercises may not only reduce osteoarthritis pain, but improve function as well.
-- Los Angeles Times, Oct. 30, 2009

Related articles below:

Science Daily

Private Healthcare UK

Irish Health



Arthritis. In a 40-person study at Tufts University, presented in October 2008 at a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, an hour of tai chi twice a week for 12 weeks reduced pain and improved mood and physical functioning more than standard stretching exercises in people with severe knee osteoarthritis. According to a Korean study published in December 2008 in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, eight weeks of tai chi classes followed by eight weeks of home practice significantly improved flexibility and slowed the disease process in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and debilitating inflammatory form of arthritis that affects the spine.
Harvard Medical School's Health Publications, May, 2009




FIND MUCH MORE RESEARCH AT THE "QIGONG INSTITUTE DATABASE"
Since 1984, collecting breaking medical/science research on Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Mind-Body Education
Click here  for Qigong Institute Database...


YOGA RESEARCH ON ARTHRITIS ...
.Yoga helps relieve chronic pain
Yoga can help people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, low back pain, and many other types of chronic pain conditions. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that among 313 people with chronic low back pain, a weekly yoga class increased mobility more than standard medical care for the condition. Another study published at nearly the same time found that yoga was comparable to standard exercise therapy in relieving chronic low back pain.

A meta-analysis of 17 studies that included more than 1,600 participants concluded that yoga can improve daily function among people with fibromyalgia osteoporosis-related curvature of the spine. Practicing yoga also improved mood and psychosocial well-being.
-- HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING

* NOTE: World Tai Chi & Qigong Day advises consulting your physician before beginning any new exercise, herbal, diet, or health program. The research listed here is meant to stimulate a discussion between you and your physician, health insurance carrier, etc., not as medical advise. Research and comments provided here are hoped to stimulate a more robust discussion of powerful natural mind/body health tools. Popular media, health media, and government must increase attention to stunning emerging research, including the UCLA study indicating Tai Chi participants enjoyed a 50% increase in immune system resistance to viral infection.

To learn more about tai chi & qigong medical research, see the below book,
"the complete idiot's guide to tai chi & qigong,", and also
"Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi," and
"The way of qigong: the art and science of chinese energy healing."