Chiropractic Treatment and Tai Chi Practice Decrease Knee Pain
Knee X-ray
Men and Women that are at least 65 years of age or older with knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, improve their physical performance and experience less pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis that produces an erosion of joint cartilage. Chiropractors help quite a few people who suffer with OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Knee pain and disability is one of the most commonplace dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal complaints. In fact, an astounding 4.3 million men and women in the US over age 60 have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it anticipates that half of the men and women in America may develop symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, functional disabilities, and a decreased quality of life.
Are you wondering why so many adults develop OA? Inordinate stress over a period of time is a major determinant in the majority of musculoskeletal problems that develop as we get older. Therefore, as people get older they are more likely to develop OA in their knees, as well as other joints. Incorrect function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as a consequence of foot pain, and overload of the knee joint all create excessive stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint take place. As an adjunct to chiropractic treatment, chiropractors wholeheartedly endorse natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can mitigate knee pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that produce peace of mind, as well as an enhancement of balance, an increase in strength, and more flexibility.
The 40 adults chosen for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age, overweight, and with confirmed OA, but in otherwise good health. Individuals were chosen at random to take part in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi practice involves the type of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with contemporary exercise advice for osteoarthritis. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental feature” of Tai Chi encouraged a sense of well-being, life enjoyments, and personal concepts of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Significantly, the group practicing Tai Chi experienced a substantial decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group.
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Comments are closed.