Tai Chi and back pain

I am a great fan on exercise as way to health, so from Health News, another natural way to approach pain management. What do you think? Exercise good, or not so good?

With July being Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, it is a great time to celebrate the ways science is trying to help arthritis sufferers by thinking outside the Western medicine box…or bottle. It seems that the pain from this autoimmune disease can be helped by the ease of movement and concentration that a patient can receive from none other than the art of Tai Chi. Although the name may sound a lot like “Chai tea,” don’t be confused, I assure you these two items only share the common bond of a long and healthy tradition: Tai Chi in China and Chai tea in India. Tai Chi is the culmination of mind and body working together as an alternative cure, helping the body heal itself.

In recent years, exercise has started to dominate the chat rooms, forums, and medical office brochures offering to ease the pain of arthritis through different forms of exerting your body physically. Although some call it “moving meditation,” the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) says that the movements attributed to Tai Chi are slow and gentle, showing great awareness of the space and body as well as paying attention to the depth of your breaths.

By showing restraint while exerting force and power with your body, your mind can help calm you as well as building a closer connection to the physical being in order to help heal. Not that long ago, Health News ran an article about the benefits of Tai Chi among the elderly, citing that among the positive effects of Tai Chi on the older generations were: better concentration, more energy, greater quality of sleep, better balance and posture, muscle strength, and less stress among others that may occur like a boost in the immune system.

A new study has emerged with evidence pointing to Tai Chi being beneficial for more than just senior citizens, this time the target group is arthritis sufferers, which can start at anytime, even as a child. Recently published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, the study was done by the George Institute for International Health in Australia. The researchers found that Tai Chi is beneficial for musculoskeletal pain, by improving frequency of pain and offering a better range of movement for the afflicted person.

With millions of Americans living with arthritis and hundreds of thousands of children also suffering, it is promising that Tai Chi has developed a following in North America. Used as a common exercise routine for general health in China, the practice Tai Chi is quickly being spread across the world. Already classified as a trend in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) here in the U.S., the slow practice of movement linked with meditation is now more helpful than many may have realized.

As a low-impact form of movement, Tai Chi can be done in solitude or in a group healing environment and is recommended for all ages because of its slow and gentle approach to the positions. Tai Chi is also an inexpensive way to let off steam, meet new people if you like, or just have fun while also staying fit. Author, Dr. Chris Maher of the George Institute says that these positive results will hopefully yield more positive results by transferring to chronic lower back pain; a study they hope to be working on next. A colleague at The George Institute Ms. Amanda Hall, says that their research should encourage those living with arthritis pain, “This research should reassure people with musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis to seek exercise to relieve the pain. The fact that Tai Chi is inexpensive, convenient, enjoyable and conveys other psychological and social benefits supports the use this type of intervention for pain conditions.”

Even if you don’t have arthritis or the fear of getting it later in life, you may want to try a Tai Chi class just to spice up your workout routine and as an added bonus afterwards, spice up your taste buds with a nice soothing cup of Chai tea.

For more information on exercise and back pain, take a look at www.backpainloss.com
Look, it c\nnot be seen - it is beyond foem
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible
Tao-T-Ching
Stay well and healthy

Best wishes Paul