OSTEOPOROSIS

Done regularly, tai chi can reduce the risk of falls and injury. It also may . . . prevent osteoporosis. One study even shows benefits in people with fibromyalgia.

-- Parade Magazine, May 3, 2009

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BONE LOSS & TAI CHI:
NIH Research CONCLUSION:
This is the first case-control study to show that regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise may help retard bone loss in the weight-bearing bones of postmenopausal women.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12370867

BRITTLE BONE/BONE LOSS
Tai Chi is a promising intervention for maintaining postmenopausal women's bone mineral density. No significant adverse effects of practicing Tai Chi were reported, and research also indicates that Tai Chi may improve other risk factors associated with low bone mineral density. Therefore, more research needs to be conducted.- Medscape Today, from WebMD, 10/26/2010
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/729132

A randomized, prospective study of the effects of Tai Chi Chun exercise on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective and randomized study to show that a programmed TCC exercise intervention is beneficial for retarding bone loss in weight-bearing bones in early postmenopausal women. Long-term follow-up is needed to substantiate the role of TCC exercise in the prevention of osteoporosis and its related fracture.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15129394

Depression Linked to Bone Loss
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct96/nimh-16.htm
See "Anxiety" page of Tai Chi Medical Research Library on how Tai Chi can lower depression.

MENOPAUSAL THERAPY. The QiGong Institute reviewed voluminous studies done worldwide and concluded that QiGong and drug therapy is superior to drug therapy alone, including in the case of menopausal treatments. This mechanism of enhanced drug delivery suggests that QiGong could make possible smaller doses of drugs, which would cause less adverse side effects. For example, QiGong is reported to restore estradiol levels in hypertensive, menopausal women, leading to the possibility that estrogen replacement therapy might not be necessary or might be used at reduced levels.

HOT FLASHES.

Consumer Reports on Health's January 2013 edition, reported on a study finding that women who practiced deep breathing techniques that were slower than average breathing, suffered fewer hot flashes and the ones they had were less intense, as compared to a control group not using the deep breathing techniques.

WorldTaiChiDay.org Comment: Qigong breathing, which is often used in both Tai Chi and Qigong exercises, involves placing the tip of the tongue lighly on the roof of the mouth and engaging in full diaphramatic breaths, filling the bottom of the lungs first, and then all the way up to the top of the lungs, before a complete exhale then empties from the top all the way down as the abdominal wall draws in gently. These longer, slower, more gradual breaths have a soothing and centering quality. (See below video tutorial on Qigong breathing, an excerpt from The Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi & Qigong, 4th edition).

Hot Flashes.

Harvard Health Publication wrote: Hot flashes probably begin in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls body temperature. For reasons that remain elusive, the thermostat in a midlife woman’s body is suddenly reset at a temperature lower than normal. The hot flash is the body’s way of cooling itself, like the way a refrigerator kicks on when you open the door on a hot day ... Some women find deep-breathing exercises helpful. Research suggests that a technique called paced respiration can cut in half the frequency of hot flashes. To perform paced respiration, take slow, deep, full breaths — expanding and contracting the abdomen gently while inhaling and exhaling — at a rate of about six to eight breaths per minute. One of the best ways to learn paced respiration is by taking a yoga class. Practice this technique twice a day for 15 minutes. You can also use paced respiration whenever you feel a hot flash coming on. Stress-relief techniques and biofeedback may also be of some benefit.

Tai Chi and Post Menopausal Women

The US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health published a study on PubMed.gov, that found that Tai Chi training improved body composition, muscle strength, functional capacities, and general health perception in postmenopausal women, and this last improvement was more pronounced in tipe 1 dynapenic individuals.

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A study to evaluate the effects of tai chi consisting of group and home-based sessions in elderly subjects with knee osteoarthritis, found after six weeks of group tai chi followed by another six weeks of home tai chi training showed significant improvements in mean overall knee pain, maximum knee pain and the WOMAC subscales of physical function and stiffness.

-- Clinical Rehabilitation, 21, 99-111

Song, R., Lee, E., Lam, P. & Bae, S. (2003). Effects of tai chi exercise on pain, balance, muscle strength, and perceived difficulties in physical functioning in older women with osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial. .

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Mean comparisons of the change scores revealed that the experimental group perceived significantly less pain in their joints and reported fewer perceived difficulties in physical functioning, while the control group showed no change or even deterioration in physical functioning after 12 weeks. In the physical fitness test, there were significant improvements in balance and abdominal muscle strength for the tai chi exercise group.

-- Journal of Rheumatology, 30, 2039-44

Click here for more detailed research on Bone Loss, Osteoporosis, Menopause and Tai Chi.

BELOW ARE PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH ON T'AI CHI BENEFITS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS

1. Qin, L., Au, S., Choy, W., Leung, P., Neff, M., Lee, K., Lau, M., Woo, J., & Chan, K. (2002). Regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise may retard bone loss in postmenopausal women: A case-control study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil JID - 2985158R, 83(10), 1355-1359.

2. Chan K, Qin L, Lau M, Woo J, Au S, Choy W, Lee K, Lee S. A randomized, prospective study of the effects of Tai Chi Chun exercise on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004; (85): 717-722.

OSTEOPOROSIS BENEFITS & T'AI CHI NON-PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH ARTICLES:


1. Henderson, N.K., White, C.P., & Eisman, J.A. (1998). The roles of exercise and fall risk reduction in the prevention of osteoporosis. [Review] [149 refs]. Endocrinology & Metabolism Clinics of North America, 27(2), 369-387.

2. Kessenich, C.R. (2002). Continuing education -- CE 282. Alternative therapies in osteoporosis. Nursing Spectrum (Washington, Dc/Baltimore Metro Edition), 12(10):14-6, 2002 May 20, 12(23 ref), 14-16.

3. Lane, J.M., & Nydick, M. (1999). Osteoporosis: current modes of prevention and treatment. J Am Acad Orthop Surg JID - 9417468, 7(1), 19-31.

* NOTE: World Tai Chi & Qigong Day advises consulting your physician before beginning any new exercise, herbal, diet, or health program. The research listed here is meant to stimulate a discussion between you and your physician, health insurance carrier, etc., not as medical advise. Research and comments provided here are hoped to stimulate a more robust discussion of powerful natural mind/body health tools.