Recently there has been a study on tai chi versus aerobic exercise for
fibromyalgia. Tai chi or maybe better tai ji quan (太极拳), has a long history in China. Tai ji quan combines physical exercises
and meditation. One can find balance between tension and relaxation. So it’s
interesting to have a study in a syndrome, where patients have lost the ability
to relax.
Ch. Wang and colleagues
published this study: “Effect of tai chi versus aerobic exercise for
fibromyalgia: comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial” [1]. The
authors concluded: “Tai chi mind-body treatment results in similar or greater
improvement in symptoms than aerobic exercise, the current most commonly
prescribed non-drug treatment, for a variety of outcomes for patients with
fibromyalgia. Longer duration of tai chi showed greater improvement. This
mind-body approach may be considered a therapeutic option in the multidisciplinary
management of fibromyalgia.”
There is a little
shortcoming, however: “Participants attended the tai chi training sessions more
often than participants attended aerobic exercise.”
All in all, we should
encourage fibromyalgia patients to include tai chi into their exercise plan.
Links:
[1] BMJ 2018;360:k851 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k851
.
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