Tai Chi as a method of improving pain management in patients with fibromyalgia

Introduction

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition defined by widespread body pain and hyperalgesia, lasting over 3 months. Pharmacotherapy is the usual initial management; however, this is frequently insufficient, resulting in persistent symptoms. Tai Chi is considered a meditative movement, combining deep breathing with gentle movements to foster a healthy relationship of body and mind. This research aims to investigate the impact of Tai Chi on pain management in patients with FM, with the aim of producing an educational resource.

Methods

A literature review was conducted on online databases for research papers, using the keywords ‘Fibromyalgia’, ‘Tai Chi’, ‘meditative movement’ and ‘Pain’. The results were critically analysed; research papers that were relevant and carried adequate validity were selected.

Results

Efficacy of Tai Chi compared to aerobic exercise was investigated in one randomized controlled trial (RCT), using the revised fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQR) to quantify outcomes. FIQR scores improved significantly in the Tai Chi group (P = .03). A supporting meta-analysis suggests that Tai Chi expresses significant positive effects on improving FIQR, whereas another RCT indicates that Tai Chi reduced symptoms and improved quality of life (P = .001).

Conclusions

Overall, research indicates that Tai Chi can significantly improve pain management in FM. However, it fails to consider the challenges of implementing Tai Chi within the community. Currently there is insufficient funding within the National Health Service (NHS), which compromises Tai Chi interventions. Nevertheless, Tai Chi has been shown to empower patients to adopt behaviours that facilitate a bio-psycho-social wellbeing, which improves symptom management. An intervention such as an educational resource may benefit patients with FM by improving access to Tai Chi.