title: Mindfulness-based interventions in multiple sclerosis: beneficial effects of Tai Chi on balance, coordination, fatigue and depression Randomized Controlled Trial of Qigong/Tai Chi Easy on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors Evaluation of Tai Chi Program Effectiveness for People with Arthritis in the Community: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Effects of traditional Chinese medicine Shu Gan Jian Pi granules on patients with breast cancer and cancer-related fatigue: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial Hydrotherapy for the Treatment of Pain in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial The Effects of Tai Chi in Centrally Obese Adults with Depression Symptoms A pilot study exploring the effects of a 12-week t'ai chi intervention on somatic symptoms of depression in patients with heart failure. Prevalence of chronic fatigue among Chinese adults in Hong Kong: a population-based study. The sustaining effects of Tai chi Qigong on physiological health for COPD patients: a randomized controlled trial. Tai Chi Exercise for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cognitive behavioral therapy vs. Tai Chi for late life insomnia and inflammatory risk: a randomized controlled comparative efficacy trial. Tai Chi effects on neuropsychological, emotional, and physical functioning following cancer treatment: a pilot study. Tai Chi improves pain and functional status in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: results of a pilot single-blinded randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Background Patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis ( MS ) experience a wide array of symptoms , including balance problems , mobility impairment , fatigue and depression . Physical exercise has recently been acknowledged as a treatment option complementary to medication . However , information regarding putative effects of structured exercise programs on neurological symptoms is sparse . Tai Chi , a Chinese martial art incorporating physical exercise and mindfulness training , has been shown to yield health benefits in various neurological groups . It seems particularly suitable for patients with motoric deficits as it challenges coordination and balance . The purpose of the current study was to explore the therapeutic value of structured Tai Chi training for coordination , balance , fatigue and depression in mildly disabled MS patients . Methods A sample of 32 MS patients ( Exp and ed Disability Status Scale , EDSS < 5 ) was examined . A structured Tai Chi course was devised and a Tai Chi group participated in two weekly sessions of 90 minutes duration for six months , while a comparison group received treatment as usual ( TAU ) . Both groups were examined prior to and following the six-months interval with regards to balance and coordination performance as well as measures of fatigue , depression and life satisfaction . Results Following the intervention , the Tai Chi group showed significant , consistent improvements in balance , coordination , and depression , relative to the TAU group ( range of effect-sizes : partial η2 = 0.16 – 0.20 ) . Additionally , life satisfaction improved ( partial η2 = 0.31 ) . Fatigue deteriorated in the comparison group , whereas it remained relatively stable in the Tai Chi group ( partial η2 = 0.24 ) . Conclusions The consistent pattern of results confirms that Tai Chi holds therapeutic potential for MS patients . Further research is needed to determine underlying working mechanisms , and to verify the results in a larger sample and different MS subgroups Background Many breast cancer survivors experience fatigue , mood , and sleep disturbances .  Purpose This study aims to compare a meditative movement practice , Qigong/Tai Chi Easy ( QG/TCE ) with sham Qigong ( SQG ) , testing effects of meditation/breath aspects of QG/TCE on breast cancer survivors ’ persistent fatigue and other symptoms . Methods This double-blind , r and omized controlled trial tested 12 weeks of QG/TCE versus SQG on fatigue , depression , and sleep among 87 postmenopausal , fatigued breast cancer survivors , stages 0–III , age 40–75 .  Results Fatigue decreased significantly in the QG/TCE group compared to control at post-intervention ( p = 0.005 ) and 3 months follow-up ( p = 0.024 ) , but not depression and sleep quality . Improvement occurred over time for both interventions in depression and sleep quality ( all p < 0.05 ) . Conclusions QG/TCE showed significant improvement over time compared to SQG  for fatigue , but not depression or sleep . Both QG/TCE and SQG showed improvement for two prevalent symptoms among breast cancer survivors , depression and sleep dysfunction OBJECTIVE Evaluate effectiveness of the Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi Program for community participants with arthritis . METHODS 343 individuals were r and omized to either the intervention or wait-list control group .  Performance and self-reported outcome ( SRO ) measures were assessed at baseline and eight weeks . At one year , SROs only were assessed . Adjusted means were determined using regression models adjusting for covariates , and effect sizes ( ES ) were calculated . RESULTS Average participant age was 66 years , 87 % were female , and 87 % were Caucasian . Among 284 ( 83 % ) participants who returned at eight weeks , balance by reach ( ES = 0.30 ) and helplessness , sleep , and role participation satisfaction ( ES = 0.24 - 0.54 ) improved significantly ; pain , fatigue , and stiffness improvement ( ES = 0.15 - 0.23 ) approached significance . No change was noted in mobility , lower extremity strength , or single-leg stance balance . At one year , improvements in pain , fatigue , stiffness , helplessness , and role participation satisfaction at eight weeks were maintained ; 30 % continued tai chi practice . CONCLUSION Moderate effectiveness of the Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi Program was confirmed Background Cancer-related fatigue ( CRF ) is a common and often long-lasting symptom for many breast cancer survivors . Evidence for its management is scarce . However , the Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM ) Shu Gan Jian Pi ( SGJP ) granules is an effective and practical therapy for CRF . Methods / Design We will conduct a multicenter , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine whether the SGJP granules can effectively manage CRF . Breast cancer survivors experiencing fatigue within 5 years of primary treatment completion will be enrolled and r and omly assigned to Group S ( SGJP ) or Group P ( placebo ) . The primary outcome measures will include Revised Piper Fatigue Scale score . Outcome measures will be collected at baseline and at weeks 2 , 4 , and 8 . Discussion This study ’s findings may contribute to the development of an effective intervention for CRF.Trial registration Current controlled trials IS RCT N12702489 , 14 August , 2013 Background . Multiple sclerosis ( MS ) is a chronic demyelinating neurological disease . Several studies have reported that complementary and alternative therapies can have positive effects against pain in these patients . Objective . The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of an Ai-Chi aquatic exercise program against pain and other symptoms in MS patients . Methods . In this r and omized controlled trial , 73 MS patients were r and omly assigned to an experimental or control group for a 20-week treatment program . The experimental group underwent 40 sessions of Ai-Chi exercise in swimming pool and the control group 40 sessions of abdominal breathing and contraction-relaxation exercises in therapy room . Outcome variables were pain , disability , spasm , depression , fatigue , and autonomy , which were assessed before the intervention and immediately and at 4 and 10 weeks after the last treatment session . Results . The experimental group showed a significant ( P < 0.028 ) and clinical ly relevant decrease in pain intensity versus baseline , with an immediate posttreatment reduction in median visual analogue scale scores of 50 % that was maintained for up to 10 weeks . Significant improvements were also observed in spasm , fatigue , disability , and autonomy . Conclusion . According to these findings , an Ai-Chi aquatic exercise program improves pain , spasms , disability , fatigue , depression , and autonomy in MS patients This study examined the effects of Tai Chi , a low-impact mind-body movement therapy , on severity of depression , anxiety , and stress symptoms in central ly obese people with elevated depression symptoms . In total , 213 participants were r and omized to a 24-week Tai Chi intervention program or a wait-list control group . Assessment s were conducted at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks . Outcomes were severity of depression , anxiety , and stress symptoms , leg strength , central obesity , and other measures of metabolic symptom . There were statistically significant between-group differences in favor of the Tai Chi group in depression ( mean difference = −5.6 units , P < 0.001 ) , anxiety ( −2.3 units , P < 0.01 ) , and stress ( −3.6 units , P < 0.001 ) symptom scores and leg strength ( 1.1 units , P < 0.001 ) at 12 weeks . These changes were further improved or maintained in the Tai Chi group relative to the control group during the second 12 weeks of follow-up . Tai Chi appears to be beneficial for reducing severity of depression , anxiety , and stress and leg strength in central ly obese people with depression symptoms . More studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm the findings . This trial is registered with ACTRN12613000010796 BACKGROUND Patients with chronic heart failure ( HF ) and with elevated depression symptoms are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality . Somatic symptoms of depression are particularly prevalent in HF and are related to worse disease prognosis . T'ai chi practice is related to increased emotional well-being in various clinical population s ; however , relatively little is known about t'ai chi 's effects on somatic versus cognitive symptom dimensions of depression in HF . PURPOSE The objective of the study was to measure whether a t'ai chi intervention effectively reduces somatic and /or cognitive symptoms of depression in patients with HF . METHODS Patients with HF were assigned to either t'ai chi training ( n=16 ) or a usual-care group ( n=12 ) . At baseline and after the 12-week intervention period , participants were evaluated for changes in depressive symptoms using Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI ) total scores ( BDI-t ) and subcategorized scores of BDI-somatic ( BDI-s ) and BDI-cognitive ( BDI-c ) , and for symptoms of fatigue using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form . RESULTS Patients with HF in the t'ai chi group compared to the  usual-care  group had reduced BDI-s ( p≤0.017 ) , but not BDI-c ( p=0.50 ) scores from pre- to postintervention . Although t'ai chi did not significantly reduce fatigue , changes in physical fatigue ( p≤0.05 ) were independently associated with changes in BDI-t scores . CONCLUSIONS T'ai chi practice  reduced somatic symptoms of depression , which have been linked to worse prognosis in HF . Reductions in fatigue appear to explain some but not all of the reductions in somatic symptoms of depression BACKGROUND Epidemiologic data is available on chronic fatigue for Western , but not for Chinese population s. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of chronic fatigue in the general population of Hong Kong , compare health and lifestyle characteristics of non-chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue cases , and identify risk factors for chronic fatigue . METHODS We performed telephone interviews on 5001 r and omly selected Chinese adults aged ≥18 years administering the Chinese version of Chronic Fatigue Scale ( ChCFS ) , the  Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale ( HADS ) , and quality of life ( QoL ) indexed by Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Health Survey ( SF12 ) . Lifestyle , and sociodemographic data were also collected . Chronic fatigue was defined according to Fukuda et al. 's ( 1994 ) criteria and case criterion was a ChCFS total scores ≥4 . RESULTS The weighted prevalence of chronic fatigue was 10.7 % , which was equivalent to 0.6 million adults in Hong Kong . Higher prevalence rates were found in females , older age groups , and low socioeconomic status . Fully adjusted stepwise regression analyses identified older age , retirees , housewife , existing long-term health problems , higher HADS scores , poor QoL , and low self-perceived health to be significantly associated with increased risk of chronic fatigue , whereas regular exercise was associated with decreased risk of chronic fatigue ( all p<0.05 ) . LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional design did not allow determination of the time course and causal relationship between chronic fatigue and associated factors . CONCLUSIONS Our data evidence d that chronic fatigue is common in the general population of Hong Kong , and the prevalence increased with age and was higher in the women and lower socioeconomic population OBJECTIVES To evaluate the sustaining effects of Tai chi Qigong in improving the physiological health for COPD patients at sixth month . DESIGN A r and omized controlled trial . Subjects were in three r and omly assigned groups : Tai chi Qigong group , exercise group , and control group . SETTING The 206 subjects were recruited from five general outpatient clinics . INTERVENTIONS Tai chi Qigong group completed a 3-month Tai chi Qigong program . Exercise group practice d breathing and walking as an exercise . Control group received usual care . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomes included six-minute walking distance and lung functions . Secondary outcomes were dyspnea and fatigue levels , number of exacerbations and hospital admissions . RESULTS Tai chi Qigong group showed a steady improvement in exercise capacity ( P<.001 ) from baseline to the sixth month . The mean walking distance increased from 298 to 349 meters ( + 17 % ) . No significant changes were noted in the other two groups . Tai chi Qigong group also showed improvement in lung functions ( P<.001 ) . Mean forced expiratory volume in 1s increased from .89 to .99l ( + 11 % ) . No significant change was noted in the exercise group . Deterioration was found in the control group , with mean volume decreased from .89 to .84l ( -5.67 % ) . Significant decreased in the number of exacerbations was observed in the Tai chi Qigong group . No changes in dyspnea and fatigue levels were noted among the three groups . CONCLUSIONS Tai chi Qigong has sustaining effects in improving the physiological health and is a useful and appropriate exercise for COPD patients CONTEXT Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese health-promoting exercise . It has been shown to enhance mental health and improve psychological condition . OBJECTIVES We aim ed to assess the effectiveness of Tai Chi exercise for cancer-related fatigue in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy . METHODS We conducted a r and omized trial of Tai Chi exercise as compared with low-impact exercise as a control intervention . Exercises were practice d every other day , a one-hour session for 12 weeks for each of the study groups . The primary end point was a change in total score of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form ( MFSI-SF ) . Secondary end points were changes in five subscale scores of the MFSI-SF . All assessment s were repeated at three time points , T0 : before first course of chemotherapy ; T1 : before third course of chemotherapy ; and T2 : at the end of the fourth course of chemotherapy . RESULTS Between January 2012 and December 2014 , 96 patients were enrolled in this trial . At six and 12 weeks , the Tai Chi group had a lower MFSI-SF total score compared with the control group ( 59.5 ± 11.3 vs. 66.8 ± 11.9 , P < 0.05 ; 53.3 ± 11.8 vs. 59.3 ± 12.2 , P < 0.05 ) . At six weeks , the Tai Chi group had lower MFSI-SF general subscale scores ( 18.1 ± 4.6 vs. 20.4 ± 4.5 , P < 0.05 ) and physical subscale scores ( 17.5 ± 4.4 vs. 19.1 ± 4.5 , P < 0.05 ) , and higher MFSI-SF vigor subscale scores ( 14.5 ± 3.3 vs. 11.6 ± 3.4 , P < 0.05 ) , compared with the control group . But no significant differences were found in emotional subscale ( 20.2 ± 3.6 vs. 20.0 ± 3.5 , P > 0.05 ) and mental subscale ( 18.2 ± 4.0 vs. 18.9 ± 3.9 , P > 0.05 ) scores between the Tai Chi group and the control group . At 12 weeks , the MFSI-SF subscale scores showed the same trends as at six weeks . CONCLUSION Tai Chi is an effective intervention for managing cancer-related fatigue in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy , especially for decreasing general fatigue and physical fatigue , and increasing vigor STUDY OBJECTIVES To investigate the comparative efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) , Tai Chi Chih ( TCC ) , and sleep seminar education control ( SS ) on the primary outcome of insomnia diagnosis , and secondary outcomes of sleep quality , fatigue , depressive symptoms , and inflammation in older adults with insomnia . DESIGN R and omized controlled , comparative efficacy trial . SETTING Los Angeles community . PATIENTS 123 older adults with chronic and primary insomnia . INTERVENTIONS R and om assignment to CBT , TCC , or SS for 2-hour group sessions weekly over 4 months with follow-up at 7 and 16 months . MEASUREMENTS Insomnia diagnosis , patient-reported outcomes , polysomnography ( PSG ) , and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( CRP ) levels . RESULTS CBT performed better than TCC and SS in remission of clinical insomnia as ascertained by a clinician ( P < 0.01 ) , and also showed greater and more sustained improvement in sleep quality , sleep parameters , fatigue , and depressive symptoms than TCC and SS ( all P values < 0.01 ) . As compared to SS , CBT was associated with a reduced risk of high CRP levels ( > 3.0 mg/L ) at 16 months ( odds ratio [ OR ] , 0.26 [ 95 % CI , 0.07 - 0.97 ] P < 0.05 ) . Remission of insomnia was associated with lower levels of CRP ( P < 0.05 ) at 16 months . TCC was associated with improvements in sleep quality , fatigue , and depressive symptoms as compared to SS ( all P 's < 0.05 ) , but not insomnia remission . PSG measures did not change . CONCLUSIONS Treatment of late-life  insomnia is better achieved and sustained by cognitive behavioral therapies . Insomnia treatment and remission reduces a marker of inflammatory risk , which has implication s for cardiovascular morbidity and diabetes observed with sleep disturbance in epidemiologic surveys OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of a 10-week Tai Chi ( TC ) program on neuropsychological , psychological , and physical health of female cancer survivors . DESIGN Twenty-three women with a history of cancer participated in 60-min TC classes two times/week for 10-weeks . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Before and after the intervention , participants completed neuropsychological tests ( memory , executive functioning , language , and attention ) ; 5 tests of balance ; and self-report question naires of neuropsychological complaints , stress and mood , and fatigue . RESULTS After the 10-week session , participants evidence d fewer neuropsychological complaints and enhanced neuropsychological functioning . They also demonstrated improved balance and reported better psychological functioning . CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that TC may promote gains in neuropsychological functioning , in addition to previously demonstrated improvements in physical and psychological health . These findings support the need for controlled trials examining the potential benefits of TC on neuropsychological functioning after cancer BACKGROUND / AIMS Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) is a serious health problem result ing in significant morbidity and disability .  Tai Chi may be beneficial to patients with RA as a result of effects on muscle strength and ' mind-body ' interactions . To obtain preliminary data on the effects of Tai Chi on RA , we conducted a pilot r and omized controlled trial . Twenty patients with functional class I or II RA were r and omly assigned to Tai Chi or attention control in twice-weekly sessions for 12 weeks . The American College of Rheumatology ( ACR ) 20 response criterion , functional capacity , health-related quality of life and the depression index were assessed . RESULTS At 12 weeks , 5/10 patients ( 50 % ) r and omized to Tai Chi achieved an ACR 20 % response compared with 0/10 ( 0 % ) in the control ( p = 0.03 ) . Tai Chi had greater improvement in the disability index ( p = 0.01 ) , vitality subscale of the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 ( p = 0.01 ) and the depression index ( p = 0.003 ) . Similar trends to improvement were also observed for disease activity , functional capacity and health-related quality of life . No adverse events were observed and no patients withdrew from the study . CONCLUSION Tai Chi appears safe and may be beneficial for functional class I or II RA . These promising results warrant further investigation into the potential complementary role of Tai Chi for treatment of RA
target: The results suggest that Tai Chi could be an effective alternative and /or complementary approach to existing therapies for people with fatigue .
  There is still absence of adverse events data to evaluate the safety of Tai Chi .
background: BACKGROUND Fatigue is not only a familiar symptom in our daily lives , but also a common ailment that affects all of our bodily systems .
  Several r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) have proven Tai Chi to be beneficial for patients suffering from fatigue , however conclusive evidence is still lacking .