Tai
Chi and Fibromyalgia
A clinical trial on Tai Chi for
fibromyalgia was published on New England Journal of Medicine (August 19, 2010).
The following is the abstract of the research:
Previous research has suggested that
tai chi offers a therapeutic benefit in patients with fibromyalgia.
We conducted a single-blind, randomized
trial of classic Yang-style tai chi as compared with a control intervention
consisting of wellness education and stretching for the treatment of fibromyalgia
(defined by American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria). Sessions lasted 60
minutes each and took place twice a week for 12 weeks for each of the study
groups. The primary end point was a change in the Fibromyalgia Impact
Questionnaire (FIQ) score (ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating
more severe symptoms) at the end of 12 weeks. Secondary end points included
summary scores on the physical and mental components of the Medical Outcomes
Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). All assessments were repeated
at 24 weeks to test the durability of the response.
Of the 66 randomly assigned
patients, the 33 in the tai chi group had clinically important improvements in
the FIQ total score and quality of life. Mean (+/-SD) baseline and 12-week FIQ
scores for the tai chi group were 62.9+/-15.5 and 35.1+/-18.8, respectively,
versus 68.0+/-11 and 58.6+/-17.6, respectively, for the control group (change
from baseline in the tai chi group vs. change from baseline in the control
group, -18.4 points; P<0.001). The corresponding SF-36 physical-component
scores were 28.5+/-8.4 and 37.0+/-10.5 for the tai chi group versus 28.0+/-7.8
and 29.4+/-7.4 for the control group (between-group difference, 7.1 points;
P=0.001), and the mental-component scores were 42.6+/-12.2 and 50.3+/-10.2 for
the tai chi group versus 37.8+/-10.5 and 39.4+/-11.9 for the control group
(between-group difference, 6.1 points; P=0.03). Improvements were maintained at
24 weeks (between-group difference in the FIQ score, -18.3 points; P<0.001).
No adverse events were observed.
Tai chi may be a useful treatment
for fibromyalgia and merits long-term study in larger study populations.
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