Tai Chi For Pain Relief

Pain has a negative impact on your physical, mental and emotional well being. Anyone who lives with chronic pain, such as those with arthritis, know that the pain they experience has a direct impact on their daily activities. Major health organizations, including the Arthritis Foundation, recommend Tai Chi as an alternative therapy. Tai Chi for arthritis is considered safe and effective because of its low impact movement. The gentle, graceful moves that are a part of Tai Chi help relieve pain, restore balance, strengthen muscles and increase flexibility. The loss of flexibility can have a large impact on your ability to perform daily tasks. Maintaining balance is a good preventative against falls which can lead to debilitating injuries.

Deep breathing and meditation are also elements of Tai Chi that produce numerous benefits for anyone participating in Tai Chi. Just as arthritis affects every aspect of your daily life, Tai Chi addresses various aspects of your life. Physically, it gives you an opportunity to move in a meditative manner to comfortably increase your range of motion. The deep breathing and meditative aspect of Tai Chi helps you focus on your breathing rather than on your external surroundings. This meditative state makes it possible for you to quiet your mind and relax your body. Even though you may not be consciously aware of it, when you are in pain, your body tends to tense and your thoughts become focused on the pain.