Treating Symptoms

Fibromyalgia, a disorder that affects about 2 to 4 percent of the general adult population, especially women, is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, difficulties sleeping, and mood problems. Researchers do not fully understand what causes fibromyalgia, but one hypothesis is that it is a disorder of the central and peripheral nervous systems affecting transmission of pain signals.

Currently no cure exists, and patients manage symptoms through medication, physical and occupational therapy, and self-care. Extensive research documents the benefits of exercise, and moderate aerobic exercise is recommended in guidelines published by the American Pain Society. Tai chi, a multicomponent mind-body exercise, has been shown in previous randomized trials to alleviate fibromyalgia pain effectively.

Tai Chi versus Aerobic Exercise

To determine the effectiveness of different doses and durations of tai chi exercise and to compare it with aerobic exercise, researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, followed a racially diverse group of 226 adults, 92 percent of whom were women, with fibromyalgia for one year. They assessed their symptoms with a questionnaire that grades the effect of the disease on daily activities such as walking, carrying groceries, and climbing stairs, measured on a scale of 0 to 100, where lower scores are better.

Participants were randomly assigned to 24 weeks of aerobic exercise, twice weekly, or tai chi programs varying in frequency (once or twice weekly) and duration (12 or 24 weeks).

Tai Chi Bests Aerobic Exercise

The researchers found an improvement in questionnaire scores for all groups, which is consistent with previous research showing that aerobic exercise and tai chi can relieve fibromyalgia symptoms. Overall, twice-weekly aerobic exercise lasting 24 weeks improved scores by 9.2 points. Tai chi groups in general improved scores by 14.7 points. Those who practiced tai chi twice weekly for 24 weeks improved their scores by 25.4 points.

When comparing the two interventions, those who practiced tai chi for 24 weeks improved questionnaire scores 16.2 points more than those who did aerobic exercise—a clinically significant difference.

Summing up the Evidence

For those doing tai chi, duration was more important than frequency. Results showed that doing tai chi once or twice weekly had similar benefits for symptom relief, but the 24-week program improved symptoms more than the 12-week program.

Try Tai Chi

These results suggest that tai chi may be a useful long-term non-drug therapy to improve fibromyalgia symptoms and daily functioning. This study was limited in that participants knew which intervention they were getting and expected to benefit, which may have created a placebo effect. However, this research provides new hope for patients living with fibromyalgia and paves the way for the study of other forms of mind-body exercise such as yoga and qigong for symptomatic relief.

For more about tai chi, visit BrainLifeMag.org/tai-chi.