Friday, August 20, 2010

Tai chi helps Fibromyalgia- England Journal of Medicine

New study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows Tai chi helps in Fibromyalgia- a disease characterized by chronic widespread pain throughout the body - in the muscle and connective tissue.

The New York Times writes:

The ancient Chinese practice of tai chi may be effective as a therapy for fibromyalgia, according to a study published on Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

A clinical trial at Tufts Medical Center found that after 12 weeks of tai chi, patients with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, did significantly better in measurements of pain, fatigue, physical functioning, sleeplessness and depression than a comparable group given stretching exercises and wellness education. Tai chi patients were also more likely to sustain improvement three months later.

“It’s an impressive finding,” said Dr. Daniel Solomon, chief of clinical research in rheumatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who was not involved in the research. “This was a well-done study. It was kind of amazing that the effects seem to carry over.” More>>

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