What makes Tai Chi great for Chronic Pain Patients?

If you have chronic pain, you’ve likely had tai chi suggested to you as a low impact exercise. Indeed, folks who practice Tai Chi swear by it as a great, safe way to get moving and clear their mind. But what are the benefits of tai chi for folks with chronic pain, and why does it work? In this article, you’ll learn about tai chi and how it has been found to help with chronic pain.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese practice that is often described as a mind-body therapy. It combines slow movements and weight shifting with concentration and mindfulness. The movements are often repetitive and performed in a certain order, like martial arts. 

It is a low-impact exercise, so it’s gentle on your joints and muscles. Thus, tai chi is usually safe for folks with pain. 

The Benefits of Tai Chi

Some proven benefits to Tai Chi are listed below: 

• Improved circulation 
• Increased muscle strength and stability 
• Relaxation and improved mood 
• Socialization, if performed in a group setting 

Regular tai chi practice is known to improve cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. It can improve confidence with exercise, leading to a more active lifestyle. 

Some additional benefits that are meaningful to folks with chronic pain include: 

• Improved sleep quality 
• More energy 
• Improved balance & reduced risk of falls 
• Reduction in stress hormones
• Improved symptoms associated with some pain conditions*

*This may not be the case for all pain conditions

The Arthritis Foundation shares that Tai Chi has several benefits for folks with back pain. For instance, it improves strength in the back and core, leading to more back support. Further, it can improve balance, flexibility, and awareness of posture. 

In the next section, we’ll summarize some research studies related to the effectiveness of tai chi practice for improving chronic pain symptoms. 

Does research back the benefits of Tai Chi for Chronic Pain?

Several studies have investigated the link between tai chi and symptom improvement for chronic pain conditions. However, a common limitation of many of these studies is that the sample size is small. So, these findings may point to a trend, but must be repeated with more people to suggest a strong correlation. 

Studies have found benefits associated with tai chi for conditions like fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, low back pain, and more. 

The majority of studies have found that consistent practice increased positive outcomes. Consequently, the more consistently someone practices tai chi, the more relief they find. One study found that participants needed to practice tai chi for more than 6 weeks to see benefits. 

Another study looking at fibromyalgia patients compared tai chi to aerobic exercise. They found that the group that practiced tai chi for 24 weeks saw more benefits than the group that practiced aerobic exercises. Interestingly, the tai chi group had better attendance than the other group. This could be because they enjoyed it more or they found it did not hurt enough to quit. Folks in the aerobic exercise group showed up less, potentially meaning it was less enjoyable or more painful. 

Two studies of older adults with chronic pain found some interesting results related to tai chi:

• The first study found that folks who practiced tai chi consistently had a reduction in a biomarker related to chronic pain. Specifically, those who attended >70% of the study’s tai chi classes had less of this biomarker than those who attended <70%. This suggests that consistent practice is the key! 
• The second study considered older adults who engaged in tai chi versus light exercise. The tai chi group had trends showing improvements in pain symptoms and fall rates.

How to get started with Tai Chi

Before joining a tai chi group or trying it at home, be sure to consult your medical doctor. Additionally, if you are just starting out, finding an instructor would be ideal so they can help you with your form. This then reduces the risk of injury. 

You can practice tai chi many different ways; that is part of the appeal. Many recreation or fitness centers offer classes that you can take with a group (e.g., your local YMCA). Conversely, you can try tai chi from the comfort of your home. There are countless YouTube videos to follow along with. 

You can do tai chi outside or inside. Further, you can practice it in a group or by yourself. You can easily get started as there is no equipment required. Plus, many of the movements can be adapted to your needs. They can even be done from a chair or a bed.

Some cities offer free tai chi at parks. Check out your city’s parks and recreation website to see if you can find any programs. 

Tai Chi & Chronic Pain: Conclusion

Tai chi is an effective, low-barrier, low-impact exercise that can be beneficial for folks with pain. It can help improve strength, mood, circulation, and balance. Studies have found several improvements for various chronic pain conditions. 

References

Cuthbertson, J. (n.d.). Tai Chi Shown to Ease Back Pain. Arthritis Foundation. Retrieved from: this link 

Kong, L.J., Lauche, R., Klose, P., et al. (2016). Tai Chi for Chronic Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Sci Rep, 6; 25325. Doi: 10.1038/srep25325 

Marks, J.L. (2022). Qigong and Tai Chi to Help Chronic Pain. Everyday Health. Retrieved from: this link 

Park, A. (2018). Why tai chi works so well for pain relief. Time. Retrieved from: this link 

Uritis, I., Schwarts, R.H., Orhurhu, V., et al. (2021). A Comprehensive Review of Alternative Therapies for the Management of Chronic Pain Patients: Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Chiropractic Care. Advances in Therapy, 38: 76-89. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-020-01554-0 

You T., Ogawa E.F., Thapa S., et al. (2020). Effects of Tai Chi on beta endorphin and inflammatory markers in older adults with chronic pain: an exploratory study. Aging Clin Exp Res, 32(7):1389-1392. doi: 10.1007/s40520-019-01316-1. 

You, T., Ogawa, E.F., Thapa, S., et al. (2019). Tai Chi for Older Adults with Chronic Multisite Pain: A Randomized Control Pilot Study. Aging Clin Exp Res, 30(11): 1334-1343. Doi: 10.1007/s40520-018-0922-0