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High-Quality Evidence for Tai Chi’s Benefits
Tai chi is an effective training program for people with chronic conditions.
By Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Jun 8, 2020
If you’re serving clients with chronic conditions and you’re not offering tai chi practice, you may want to network with a local practitioner to refer clients for cross-training benefits. Tai chi has proved to be a safe, effective and enjoyable training method for overall health improvement among adults with numerous chronic conditions, according to a review of 42 review studies reported in Disability and Rehabilitation (2020; doi:10.1080/09638288.2020.1725916).
“High-” and “moderate-quality” evidence indicates that tai chi practice can significantly benefit adults with conditions like heart disease, cancer, depression, lower-back pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stroke. Benefits include significant improvements in activities of daily living, balance, exercise capacity, gait, mastery, mental health, mobility, motor function, physical function, quality of life, range of motion and strength. Outcomes also include significant reductions in blood pressure, body mass index, depression, disability, dyspnea (shortness of breath), falls, fatigue, pain, stiffness and waist circumference.
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what are a very good chances to help fighting the disease by ai Chi’s Benefits?
Research has shown that as the Sympathetic nervous system is no longer in the fight or flight mode with continuous tai chi practice, symptoms begin to diminish, energy improves, and the body begins to repair itself. Acupuncture, herbs, massage and other therapies depending upon the type of disease can help facilitate and enhance the healing process. Qigong is often done prior to or in conjunction with tai chi in many cases where there is a mind body connection as a causative factor, such as stress.