Traditional Chinese exercise Tai chi can reduce pain and facilitate walking for people who suffer from knee arthritis, researchers say. Scientists have followed a group of people older than sixty years of age with severe osteoarthritis in the knee that have exercise tai chi for an hour twice a week during the period of 12 weeks and a similar group that have been practicing stretching. In those who were exercising tai chi was noticed the greater reduction of pain, less depression and improve knee function and health in general, reported the doctors under the leadership of Chenchen Wang from Boston Tufts Medical Center at the meeting of the American Association of Rheumatologists held in San Francisco.
Tai chi is a method of exercise developed in China many centuries ago. By exercising tai chi, a person slowly performs a series of movements in which muscles and joints are not exposed to strong pressure and efforts. These exercises can fix the muscular function, balance and mobility. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, occurs by using of cartilage tissues of joints. It is incurable and eventually will get worse. Osteoarthritis in the knee can cause chronic pain while the person is standing or walking.
The study included 40 people who suffer from decades of osteoarthritis, and Dr. Wang notes that the research should include a large sample.
