Traditional Chinese exercise has a positive impact on knee arthritis

Tai chi and other traditional Chinese exercise regimes improve the mental health of people with arthritis in the knee – as well as physical health – says a new evidence review.

There has been a lack of research about the psychological impact of traditional Chinese exercise on people with knee osteoarthritis. So a team looked at all the available evidence and found 33 studies involving 2,621 people, and report their findings in a leading academic journal.

They compared traditional Chinese exercise (Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Yijinjing and Qigong) with conventional therapy, which is muscle-strength training of the lower extremity, aerobic training and quadriceps strengthening exercises.

Traditional Chinese exercise was more effective than conventional exercise in terms of improving physical function, pain and stiffness. It also seemed to have more benefits when it comes to mental health including depression.

More research is needed to confirm the results, but the study authors conclude that “the findings of this study indicated that traditional Chinese exercise improved body function and mental health in patients with knee osteoarthritis significantly”.

Click here to read the original research. 

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