Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese meditation practice with gentle physical exercises, can help alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fibromyalgia causes insomnia, depression, fatigue, and pain throughout the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control, around 5 million Americans have the disorder, the majority being women.
Of the 66 fibromyalgia patients in the small study, half participated in a one hour Tai Chi class, twice a week for twelve weeks. The other half attended a basic stretching and wellness program.
Symptoms were significantly eased in the patients practising Tai Chi compared with the other group. Also, one out of every three student in the Tai Chi group could stop taking medications, while only one in six was able to stop in the stretching group.
Fibromyalgia causes insomnia, depression, fatigue, and pain throughout the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control, around 5 million Americans have the disorder, the majority being women.
Of the 66 fibromyalgia patients in the small study, half participated in a one hour Tai Chi class, twice a week for twelve weeks. The other half attended a basic stretching and wellness program.
Symptoms were significantly eased in the patients practising Tai Chi compared with the other group. Also, one out of every three student in the Tai Chi group could stop taking medications, while only one in six was able to stop in the stretching group.
