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Health

The health benefits of tai chi

May 3, 2017

The flowing movements used in the Chinese martial art of t'ai chi ch'uan can relieve pain and improve mobility, Tai chi is even said have some advantages over physiotherapy in treating arthritic knees.

https://p.dw.com/p/1Gg2q
Symbolbild Tai Chi
Image: Colourbox

That's what a study by Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts has revealed. Two groups of pain-ridden arthritis patients were given three months of treatment. One group practised tai chi twice a week. The other was given physiotherapy. Both tai chi and physiotherapy reduced the pain. Beyond that, patients in the tai chi group suffered less from depression, thereby improving their quality of life. A Canadian study had already shown tai chi, with its gentle, flowing movements, to be an alternative for people who suffer form of exercise for people suffering from several disorders.