Tai chi might help battle rheumatoid arthritis
Tai chi may help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Researchers at UCLA are investigating whether the ancient Chinese martial art can relieve symptoms and improve mobility, helping patients lead a relatively normal life.
"Tai chi combines both relaxation and mild physical exercise, which gets patients moving but in a gentle way," says Perry Nicassio, a psychologist at UCLA who is conducting the research.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that affects about 2.1 million Americans -- the majority of sufferers are women. The illness usually causes aching, throbbing or stiffness of the joints and muscles, fatigue, low-grade fever, and a general sense of not feeling well.
Because they are in chronic pain, sufferers often have trouble sleeping, making them tired, depressed and irritable. They also tend to be quite sedentary, leading to a loss of strength, mobility, balance and endurance, all of which are vital for life's daily activities. Eventually, even opening a jar or walking can be difficult.
"Their symptoms trigger a self-perpetuating cycle that leads to a downward spiral in their functioning," says Jennifer Pike, a psychologist at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute who is involved in the tai chi studies.
Recent research indicates that tai chi can preserve range of motion in people with rheumatoid arthritis, which could in turn reduce disability.
And a 2003 UCLA study demonstrated that a modified form of tai chi, known as tai chi chih, boosts the immune system's response to a common virus and prevents outbreaks of shingles, a skin condition that most often strikes the elderly.
Two ongoing UCLA studies also are evaluating whether tai chi chih can increase mobility in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
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