Aerobic exercise or tai chi for fibromyalgia – which is better?

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Fibromyalgia is a common condition that causes chronic body-wide pain and affects millions of people. The cause is unknown, and medications approved to treat it often aren’t effective, cause side effects, or both. To say we need better treatments for fibromyalgia is an understatement. Non-medication treatment of fibromyalgia — especially exercise — is an essential part of treatment. But the last thing people with this condition want to do is exercise! Their pain and fatigue, so typical of this disease, make physical activity more wishful thinking than reality for most fibromyalgia sufferers. Even so, studies suggest that as long as people start “low and slow” (exercising at low intensity and for short duration, and very gradually increasing both), physical activity can be tolerated and even enjoyed. Is there a “best” type of exercise for fibromyalgia? A new study compared two types of physical activity among people with fibromyalgia: aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking, as commonly recommended) and tai chi, an ancient form of martial arts often practiced for health benefits. Past studies have demonstrated that tai chi can be effective for people with fibromyalgia. Researchers enrolled 226 adults with fibromyalgia and randomly assigned 151 to learn and practice tai chi (once or twice a week for 12 or 24 weeks), while 75 were assigned to participate in standard “moderate intensity” aerobic exercise (twice a week for six m...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Pain Management Source Type: blogs