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Tai Chi relieves pain and improves overall health

Practicing Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, can help make you feel better and improve your overall health, according to a new study out of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Participants in the study experienced reduced pain and stiffness symptoms, as well as increased energy and an improved overall sense of well-being.

Leigh Callahan, Ph.D., and her colleagues at UNC evaluated 354 participants recruited from across North Carolina and New Jersey. They placed participants into two different groups, one receiving an eight-week long, twice weekly Tai Chi course and the other receiving a delayed program designed to be the control. At the end of the study, participants in the Tai Chi course reported less pain, more energy, better mental health factors, improved reach and balance, and overall improved quality of life.

"Our study shows that there are significant benefits of the Tai Chi course for individuals with all types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis," explained Callahan. "We found this in both rural and urban settings across a southeastern state and a northeastern state."

Reported at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta, Ga., the findings add to existing evidence about the health benefits of Tai Chi. In 2009, researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University found that Tai Chi helps stroke victims regain the ability to maintain balance while moving or shifting weight (http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=113&t=2759). And in 2008, a team from the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) found that Tai Chi helps people to sleep better, naturally (http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=11897).

To learn more about the many health benefits associated with Tai Chi, visit: http://www.dreddyclinic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=112&t=23651

Sources for this story include:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/uonc-stc110310.php

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