Fibromyalgia is a common and poorly understood pain disorder that aff licts an estimated 200 million or more people worldwide.1 The lack of objective abnormalities detected on physical examination and standard blood and imaging tests has led many physicians to question the existence of this disorder.2 However, for those experiencing the pain and other associated symptoms (including fatigue, sti...

This study examined whether a traditional low-impact mind-body exercise, Tai Chi, affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and headache impact in an adult population suffering from tension-type headaches. Forty-seven participants were randomly assigned to either a 15 week intervention program of Tai Chi instruction or a wait-list control group. HRQOL (SF-36v2) and headache status (HIT-6tr...

In this study, 126 patients (90 males, average age 56 years, range 39-80) were randomised to Wu Chian-Ch'uan style Tai Chi (38), aerobic exercise (41) or a non-exercise support group (47) following acute myocardial infarction. Patients attended twice weekly for three weeks then weekly for a further five weeks. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded before and after each session. Over the 1...

Stroke is a major cause of mortality and disability across the globe and remains the third leading cause of death in China, with the total stroke incidence increasing 6.7% annually from 1984 to 2004. The prevention of strokes is more important than their treatment. Tai Chi Quan is a slow and graceful Chinese exercise that includes a form of mindful meditation known for its health benefits. Many...

As society ages and frequency of dementia increases exponentially, counteracting cognitive aging decline is a challenging issue for countries of the developed world. Previous studies have suggested that physical fitness based on cardiovascular and strength training helps to improve attentional control in normal aging. However, how motor activity based on motor-skill learning can also benefit at...

In response to the significant health disparities among persons with severe mental illness (SMI), this pilot study was developed to evaluate the potential effectiveness of a Tai Chi program provided to adults who are members of a psychosocial clubhouse program. A non-randomized, controlled pretest-posttest design was used, and qualitative data from a program evaluation survey is shared to provi...

Heart disease is a chronic condition needing lifetime secondary prevention measures to decrease morbidity and mortality, and to improve quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation exercise training, one aspect of cardiac recovery, traditionally includes some form of aerobic fitness and, more recently, muscle strength training to improve exercise tolerance. Tai chi, widely practiced in China for cen...

Parkinson's disease is one of the most common central nervous system damaging diseases which mainly affects the elderly. The variety of disorders and complications associated with the disease puts the patients in so much trouble. Some of these problems include disorder in balance, walking and Decrease in quality of life. The purpose of this study was Comparing the effectiveness of selected tai ...

OBJECTIVE Observe the effect of Tai Chi exercise on the rehabilitation of elder patients suffered from the anxiety disorder. METHODS 32 elder patients suffered from the anxiety disorder are randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group and each of them consists of 16 patients. The control group only receives the drug therapy, while the experimental group is treated with T...

OBJECTIVES To assess if tai chi, a traditional Chinese form of exercise, could improve proprioception in old people and if the effects of tai chi on proprioception are more evident than other exercise forms in the elderly. METHODS By detecting the threshold of passive movement, ankle and knee joint kinaesthesis was measured in 21 elderly long term tai chi practitioners (TC group), 20 elderly ...