Tai chi proven effective as a therapy for fibromyalgia

According to new research, tai chi may be effective as a therapy for fibromyalgia. The research was published on Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The research was made up of two different groups of people. All of the participants in the study had fibromyalgia. The patients who took tai chi classes twice a week for three months experienced less pain, stiffness, and fatigue than a control group that attended lifestyle education and stretching sessions. They also slept better, felt better, had less pain, had more energy, and had better physical and mental health, says study researcher Chenchen Wang, MD, of Tufts University School of Medicine.

The researchers do not know exactly how tai chi was able to reduce the fibromyalgia symptoms, but they believe a multi-factorial impact that includes improved muscle strength, psychosocial well-being, relaxation and rest that “may raise pain thresholds and help break the ‘pain cycle,’ ” the authors wrote.

Fibromyalgia, which can affect 200 million people globably, is hard to diagnose and hard to treat. Symptoms of the illness include fatigue, body pain, and tender points in joints, muscles and other soft tissues. It is most common in middle-aged women. Its cause is unknown, and the lack of obvious signs or definitive tests has led some doctors to question whether it is a physical or psychological problem.