Tai Chi in rheumatoid arthritis
April 1st, 2012
Question :
Can eight weeks of Tai Chi help patients with rheumatoid arthritis?
Answer :
Not according to this pilot study but most preferred Tai Chi compared to physiotherapy.
Summary :
Fifteen women with rheumatoid arthritis aged 40 to 70 years participated in an eight week Tai Chi exercise program (adapted Sun style for patients with arthritis) twice a week for 45 minutes. There was no change in muscle strength, flexibility, balance, cardiovascular fitness and measures of disease activity at 4 weeks and 8 weeks compared to baseline. Thirteen women preferred Tai Chi compared to physiotherapy.
The authors noted that a major limitation of this study was the small number of subjects and the short follow up period of 8 weeks.
