When the pain of arthritis flares up, you might be tempted to take it easy on your joints by limiting movement. While it makes sense to rest in the acute phase of an injury, doctors agree that inactivity can actually make arthritis pain worse. So how can you get movement into your day but take good care of your joints at the same time? Tai chi for arthritis is one of the most gentle, approachable exercise options that can be done in the comfort of your home. As always, it’s wise to talk to doctor before beginning a new exercise routine, but here we explore the benefits of tai chi for arthritis and offer some beginner lessons for you to try.

What is tai chi?

Tai chi is a meditative, movement-based exercise that has its roots firmly in Chinese medicine and martial arts. Between two and three million people in the U.S. maintain a regular tai chi practice.

There are five major styles—Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (a different word in Chinese) and Sun—but each follow similar philosophical foundations:

• The mind is connected to and integrated with the body
• Movement and breath are synchronized and controlled
• These movements generate internal energy, mindfulness, loosening, and serenity

Ultimately, tai chi’s goal is to develop and nourish life energy (qi) by harmonizing mind and body, inner and outer being. To do this, each style of tai chi includes similar elements in their routines (referred to as forms):

• Taolu (solo hand and weapons forms)
• Neigongand qigong (breathing, movement and awareness exercises and meditation)
• Tuishou (partner drills such as “pushing hands”)
• Sanshou (techniques of self-defense)

The forms are repeated over and over, slowly and methodically. The goal is to fully integrate movement, breath, and awareness.

How can tai chi for arthritis help me?

Although perhaps not as well-known as yoga for arthritis, the benefits of tai chi for arthritis are similar to yoga’s benefits.

Moving your body in the graceful, low-impact forms of tai chi is proven to make you feel better, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. Here’s how.

Helps prevent falls

Tai chi for arthritis and fall prevention is a research-backed major benefit of this gentle, meditative exercise.

Older adults are more likely to be affected by arthritis. For this population, falls can not only be painful—they can be deadly. An estimated 25% of people over the age of 65 falls every year. Every 19 minutes, one of those older adults dies from their fall. Falls are the leading cause of both non-fatal and fatal injury in older adults. Finally, the financial burden for patients and their caregivers is tremendous.

The fear and anxiety surrounding falling can be so great that older adults limit their activity. This increases their arthritis pain. The slow movements of tai chi can be tailored to every age and fitness level. This helps to gradually build confidence and help prevent falls. In the research, tai chi has proven more effective than traditional exercise in fall prevention.

Builds strength in large muscles

Tai chi builds strength in both upper- and lower-body muscles that is similar to resistance workouts.

This strength-building comes from the slow-motion movements. These movements engage muscles for a longer period of time through their full range of motion. When compared to short, jerky movements, tai chi exercises the entire muscle. This results in lean, strong bodies.

Improves mobility

Twenty years of research have shown that because of tai chi’s strengthening and confidence-building, practitioners have increased mobility and self-efficacy in their daily lives.

Adults of all ages can use the benefits of tai chi in all aspects of their daily lives.

Increases flexibility

Muscle strengthening occurs when the muscles are engaged in repetitive motion. In contrast, connective tissues, including ligaments and tendons, are strengthened and safely lengthened when movements are slow and held for long periods of time.

Tai chi’s forms accomplish both tasks, offering increased flexibility and range of motion in both connective tissues and muscles.

Decreases pain

Regular movement in the joints helps to increase joint production of synovial fluid. This natural joint lubrication is crucial for easy, pain-free movement in the largest weight-bearing joints of the body.

Knee arthritis is one of the most common kinds of arthritis, and tai chi has been shown to be just as effective as physical therapy in relieving knee pain associated with arthritis.

Improves psychological outcomes

The main difference in the study above that compared physical therapy to tai chi is a big one. Patients who practiced tai chi in the study reported improvements in their symptoms of depression and a better quality of life. Physical therapy patients did not report improvements.

Whether it is the slow pace of movement or the combination of deep and relaxing breathwork, one of the big benefits of tai chi for arthritis is the boost in mood that practitioners experience. These benefits hold true even when compared to both cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmaceutical intervention. Tai chi is even effective in treating major depressive disorder and comes with no side effects.

How to get started with tai chi for beginners

When first considering tai chi for beginners, check in with your doctor. Although this exercise is remarkably safe, it’s important to coordinate all treatments with your healthcare provider.

Next, if you are interested in taking in-person classes, consider observing a class first. This can give you an idea of what to expect. In general, each class follows a loose structure that includes the following:

• Warm-ups: Movements such as rocking back and forth, rolling the shoulders, and circling the head and neck
• Instruction and practice: Forms might be introduced and explained, followed by practice
• Qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”): Breathwork, sometimes combined with movement, completed standing, sitting, or lying down

In your observations, you might run into specialized terms. These include:

• Qi: Pronounced “chee,” this is the energy or life force that runs through every person
• Yin and yang: The opposing forces at work in the universe—neither good, nor bad and both necessary to maintain balance

In addition, the forms might have names that seem strange or unfamiliar, like “white crane spreads its wings.” In some cases, the name holds the key to the movement, but if it doesn’t make sense, don’t worry. The movement and the breath are the most important things.

You don’t need to hold any special beliefs. Tai chi is a philosophical practice, not a religious one. People of all backgrounds practice.

Preparing for class

You also don’t need any special clothing, shoes, or equipment. Dress for each class in loose-fitting clothes that move with you. Make sure your shoes have non-slip soles that are supportive. They should be thin enough that you can get a sense of the ground beneath you.

If you choose to take a class, talk to the instructor beforehand. You can let them know any restrictions you might have. See if they have any suggestions to make learning the practice less intimidating.

If you would rather learn from a video, we have linked our favorites below (including seated tai chi for arthritis). Same preparations apply: talk to your doctor, wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and don’t be intimidated by the language.

Great tai chi for arthritis exercises and lessons

The thing to remember when starting tai chi for arthritis and fall prevention is to go slowly and keep breathing. You might find yourself holding your breath, trying to get the form perfect. Resist that urge. Let the breath flow smoothly and go as slowly as you need to.

There are a wide variety of printed resources on tai chi, but most beginners find it best to learn from a video. Matching breath to movement—and the reasons why you move the way you do—are often best explained as you practice and watch a teacher. If you’d like to learn more and explore printed resources, Tai Chi for Health Institute hosts a wide variety of instructional materials on its site. These can be helpful as you begin to reap the benefits of tai chi for arthritis.

In addition, here are six video lessons to get you started.

Background and history lesson

Consider this video your introduction to tai chi, with an explanation of which form is best for arthritis (and which to avoid). This video offers instruction in basic tai chi forms, delivered in a supportive and comforting voice. It also offers variations for seated tai chi for arthritis.

Five-minute daily tai chi class

This video is basic and offers a foundation for building a daily tai chi practice. The movements are simple and clear, and instructor Leia Cohen offers imagery to help you move with your breath.

Foundational movements, explained

Peter Chen goes through the most foundational movements of tai chi. If you are a person who likes to gather specific and precise instruction and are worried about doing it “wrong,” this is a good place to start.

Seated tai chi

Seated tai chi is excellent for people who are recovery from surgery, returning to exercise after a long absence, or who just feel they need a little more support.

A full 30-minute practice

This practice features an instructor and a student who modifies each form or posture as they are explained. The focus in this class is on balance and flow, and students can expect exercises that are strengthening and rehabilitative.

Seated qigong with guided breathing

A beautiful, energetic seated breathing practice. Shifu Yan Xin leads a supportive and meditative sequence that opens the lungs, the heart, and the shoulders.

Learn more about tai chi for arthritis, and other treatments

The best approach to treating arthritis is a holistic one. From yoga and acupuncture to exercise and lifestyle changes, relieving pain and increasing mobility requires a comprehensive treatment plan that brings together many healing traditions. These might include interventional pain management techniques, too.

If you’d like to explore tai chi for arthritis as part of your treatment plan, get in touch with Arizona Pain today. We believe in individualized treatment plans that can help you get your life back.

There’s a bright spot of news amid frightening statistics that illustrate the harsh environment stress creates in the body, and that’s all the people who are embracing mindful practices like meditation, yoga, and tai chi to relax and melt tension.

Research suggests that while stress is unhealthy, a big part of managing that tension is learning how to respond to it. Penn State University Professor David Almeida says:

“Our research shows that how you react to what happens in your life today predicts your chronic health conditions (10 years down the road).”

Almeida says his research shows that a stressed person who dwells on troublesome circumstances, allowing them to ruin the day, is more likely to experience health problems later on than a person who takes stress triggers in stride and moves past them as quickly as possible.

Everyone experiences stress, but not everyone knows how to respond to it. Thankfully, you too can learn to let those stressful incidents, days, or even weeks just slide out from your mind, returning to the sense of lightness that comes when staying in the present moment. Learning stress management tools is an integral component of mental health.

Mindful practices are like eating an apple, but for your mental health and wellbeing.

This practice of staying in the present, in the now, is known as mindfulness. Mindful practices like meditation, yoga, and tai chi help practitioners learn how to focus on what’s happening in the moment and stop thinking about past events or anticipating future ones.

Thought patterns related to stress and anxiety tend to revolve around future happenings, many times involving worst-case scenarios that probably won’t happen. On the other hand, depressive thought patterns often ruminate on past events, painful things that a person may have trouble letting go of.

In the present moment, most of these things aren’t happening. A lot of mental anguish comes from brining the past or future into the present moment, which most of the time is not as stressful as our thoughts make it out to be.

Staying mindful and present is a practice, and fortunately, there are many ways to train the mind to think this way. If you’re thinking of starting one of these practices, you’re not alone.

Millions of people nationwide are practicing yoga, which is the most commonly adopted mindful practice, according to a National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health survey, with meditation and others not far behind. From 2002 to 2012, the number of yoga practitioners nationwide nearly doubled, up to 21 million, according to the survey, and about 18 million people now meditate.

With so many people taking up these mindful practices because of the vast benefits, they’ve never been more accessible.

1. Yoga for lessening stress and anxiety

The physical practice of yoga involves linking body movement with breath through specific postures, known as asanas. There are many types of yoga, ranging from vigorous vinyasa practices to slower, more relaxed types like yin that focus on increasing flexibility. All the practices emphasize breath-centered movements. No matter your age, weight, or physical condition, there is a yoga practice for you.

Yoga has been found to be beneficial for stress and anxiety, as well as alleviating symptoms of conditions like bipolar disorder. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that people with bipolar disorder considered the mindful practice “life changing.” One study participant said:

“I might not be alive today were it not for yoga.”

Other participants in the study said yoga reduced stress and anxiety while promoting freedom from depressive thought patterns. For many people, yoga functions as a moving meditation, helping to focus the mind on the present moment.

Researchers noted a few cautions for people with bipolar tendencies practicing yoga. Some experienced agitation from rapid breathing techniques while another person experiencing depression couldn’t get out of bed for three days after an especially slow, meditative practice.

This underscores the importance of finding the right type of practice for you, focusing on slow soothing movements if anxious and stressed, or a faster practice to send breath and energy through the body of a person feeling sad or lethargic.

Other research has uncovered yoga’s benefit for expecting mothers. Women who experience stress during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely or have children with behavioral and developmental problems later in life. But pregnant women who took yoga once a week for eight weeks experienced lower levels of stress, according to research published in the journal Depression and Anxiety.

2. Meditation, the ultimate mindful practice

Mindfulness meditation is the practice of sitting and watching the breath. Although it sounds simple, this time of non-doing has been found to offer tremendous health benefits, including reduced stress and depression.

Researchers from Sweden’s Lund University found mindfulness meditation to be as effective as traditional therapy for treating depression and anxiety. The results were so successful that scientists said meditation could be used as an alternative to psychotherapy.

Meditation could also help people break addictions, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Researchers said the mindful practice was useful when added to a conventional program of therapy and medication.

Many people find meditation boring, or balk at the idea of sitting on a cushion for hours everyday. Not to worry. As little as 25 minutes per day has been found to be effective, Carnegie Mellon University researchers found in a study.

The participants who meditated for 25 minutes over three consecutive days experienced lower stress levels and decreased activity of cortisol, a stress hormone that causes inflammation and other health problems when chronically elevated.

3. Tai chi improves psychological wellbeing

Tai chi is a gentle martial art that, like yoga, is also considered a moving meditation. The mindful practice offers profound mental health benefits with its ability to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing.

Tai chi emphasizes deep breathing, which is a powerful way to calm the nerves and focus the mind on the present moment. In addition to alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression, tai chi is believed to promote a more restful sleep, improve joint pain, and strengthen the immune system, reports Mayo Clinic.

Studies evaluating tai chi’s benefits are limited, but researchers gave the mindful practice the “cautious thumbs up,” according to a review of research published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Scientists said tai chi seems to offer promise for fighting anxiety and depression, but needs more studies to quantify the benefits.

Do you have a favorite mindful practice to dissolve stress?

Image by John Gillespie via Flickr

Chronic leg pain–any type of leg pain condition that lasts for 3 months or more–is a serious condition facing many people. At Arizona Pain, we always endeavor to provide the most up-to-date information about any pain condition, while also incorporating holistic lifestyle approaches into treatment plans.

If you suffer from chronic leg pain, you can find out more about your pain condition by reading many of our Inside Pain posts from July. 

Knowing more about a pain condition starts with identifying its root causes and risk factors. If you suffer from knee pain, you may already know its cause, but did you know the factors that put you more at risk for the condition? These include everything from age to extra weight to smoking habits.

We also broke down many of the causes of hip pain in our post on the subject. In-depth coverage was given to conditions, such as:

• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Hip bursitis
• Labral tears
• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)

We also discussed many of the innovative new chronic leg pain research topics and treatment methods being developed. Pain research is a rapidly expanding field with new information coming from everywhere–from our understanding of cutting edge therapies to unlikely revelations we learned from squid. Our own Dr. Paul Lynch also discussed his knowledge on treating chronic knee pain conditions with a comprehensive treatment plan in a paper published in Pain Medicine News. 

Finally, many chronic leg pain conditions are best treated with a combination of interventional medicine with lifestyle changes.

We know that exercise can be difficult when you suffer from a chronic leg pain condition, but we also know that appropriate exercise is a crucial component to getting back to yourself and relieving your pain. Because of this, we introduced many different exercise options for chronic pain patients in the hope that some of these methods will fit with your lifestyle and pain condition.

We discussed the following topics for chronic leg pain patients:

• Guidelines for exercising with knee pain
• 5-minute yoga breaks that can help ease stress and tension
• The benefits of high-intensity interval training for those people short on time
• Ergonomics and exercise options for those suffering from hip pain
• Health benefits of the lower-impact exercises Pilates and Tai Chi
• Risks and precautions for the higher-intensity CrossFit exercises 

All pain is different and all pain patients will respond differently to treatment methods and lifestyle changes. Through our Inside Pain blog, we hope to introduce you to multiple new options for treatment and prevention in order to help you find the pain treatment plan that works best for you. If you want to learn even more from other people who are living with chronic pain every day, join our Chronic Pain Support Group over on Facebook. In that community, you’ll find advice and support from over 30,000 other people also living with chronic pain.

Do you suffer from chronic leg pain? What treatment options have worked best for you? 

Image by marksontok via Flickr