How Tai Chi helps patients with lung disease

Tai Chi is a slow meditative form of martial arts originating from China.

Known to be beneficial for our health in many ways, Tai Chi involves stretching, breathing and coordinated movements.

These slow methodical movements seem to be beneficial for patients who suffer from COPD.

COPD is a progressive lung disease and a common cause of death in adults globally.

After twelve weeks, The SGRQ scores showed that Tai Chi had significant benefits.

While there is no therapy to reverse the damage done to the lungs, the only way to improve the quality of life is pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and medication which is expensive.

PR is very effective, but the therapy is limited to a gymnasium or a specialised centre, requires trained staff and the benefits lessen after the completion of the therapy.

Researchers wanted to know if Tai Chi would improve the quality of life of patients with COPD when compared to undergoing western style PR therapy.

The study followed 120 patients with COPD in rural China who had never used a bronchodilator.

After beginning daily treatment with indacaterol, the study participants were randomly assigned to groups receiving traditional PR or Tai Chi.

The Tai Chi group were taught the 24 form Yang style and received formal instruction five hours per week for 12 weeks.

The other group received PR three times a week for 12 weeks

The results of the Tai Chi group were compared to the PR group and after 12 weeks researchers encouraged the participants in the Tai Chi group to continue their practice whether alone or in a group in their community.

However they did not receive any formal instruction during this period.

Those in the PR group received verbal encouragement to remain as physically active as possible.

Final analysis of all data was conducted 12 weeks after the formal training had concluded.

Both the groups showed similar improvements as seen in the Saint Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores – a standard measure of health in patients with diseases causing airway obstruction.

But after twelve weeks, The SGRQ scores showed that Tai Chi had significant benefits.

Similar trends were noted in performance of a six-minute distance walk test.

The researchers conclude that Tai Chi is equivalents to formal PR therapy, but Tai Chi may have more sustained benefits.

Tai Chi intervention also presents an opportunity for low-cost and more accessible method of therapy and as a result more COPD patients can be treated.

Source: Chest