( Health.com ) -- Doctors often recommend exercise for patients with fibromyalgia , but the chronic pain and fatigue associated with the condition can make activities like running and swimming difficult . Tai chi -- a slow , meditative martial art -- may be an effective alternative , a new study suggests . Fibromyalgia patients who took tai chi classes twice a week for three months experienced less pain , stiffness , and fatigue than a control group that attended lifestyle education and stretching sessions , according to the study , which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine . Tai chi involves a series of slow , fluid movements that focus on balance and deep breathing . Although it 's not clear from the study how exactly tai chi might improve fibromyalgia symptoms , both the physical activity and the meditative aspects are likely beneficial , says Chenchen Wang , M.D. , the lead researcher and an associate professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine , in Boston , Massachusetts . `` Some people need the physical improvement ; some people need more mental improvement , '' she says . `` Tai chi can help with both . '' Health.com : How fibromyalgia is diagnosed . Previous research has shown that tai chi can help relieve the symptoms of arthritis and other pain conditions , but this study is the first controlled trial to examine its effectiveness as a treatment for fibromyalgia , which affects an estimated 10 million Americans . The study included 66 fibromyalgia patients who were randomly assigned to take one-hour tai chi classes with an experienced teacher or one-hour classes that taught coping skills , pain-management techniques , and stretching . Participants were also asked to practice tai chi or stretch on their own for 20 minutes each day , depending on which group they were in . Health.com : 13 mistakes fibro patients make . After three months , Wang and her colleagues asked the patients to rate their pain symptoms , physical functioning , fatigue , and mood , all of which were combined on a single scale ranging from 0 to 100 , with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms . ( The patients completed the same survey before the study began . ) The average score among the tai chi patients dropped from 63 to 35 , while the average for the control group dropped by just nine points , from 68 to 59 . Three months after the sessions stopped , the scores had remained roughly the same , which suggests that the benefits of the tai chi were lasting , Wang says . The results were encouraging , as existing fibromyalgia treatments -- including medication , sleep therapy , and aerobic exercise -- fail to help many patients . `` We need another approach , '' says Wang . Health.com : Medical marijuana may help fibromyalgia pain . Robert Shmerling , M.D. , an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the clinical chief of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , in Boston , says that he often recommends alternative treatments , such as acupuncture and massage , to his fibromyalgia patients , although some of them are skeptical . `` I would certainly put tai chi on the list , '' says Shmerling , who co-wrote an editorial that accompanies the study . `` It 's difficult to take something that 's as safe as tai chi and show that it has this dramatic benefit and not be enthusiastic about it . '' The calming style of tai chi used in the study , known as Yang , may be especially effective for fibromyalgia patients , says Kim D. Jones , Ph.D. , an associate professor at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing , in Portland . `` It works more on the parasympathetic nervous system , ... the part of the nervous system that helps us feel calm and relaxed , '' says Jones , who studies Yang-style tai chi and yoga in fibromyalgia but was n't involved in the study . Health.com : 13 conditions that mimic fibromyalgia . Jones recommends that fibromyalgia patients find a well-trained instructor rather than trying tai chi on their own . She points out that learning tai chi in a group may have its own therapeutic benefits , by boosting confidence , for instance . Many community centers offer affordable tai chi classes , but experienced teachers can be expensive and hard to come by . However , if future studies support the benefits of tai chi , insurance companies might start to cover the practice , Shmerling says . Copyright Health Magazine 2011 .
Study found Tai chi as a good exercise for fibromyalgia patients . Tai Chi patients experienced less pain , stiffness and fatigue . Doctor says the effects of Tai chi were also lasting .