The Dragon's Head Blog

According to a new study from Tufts University and Brown University tai chi results in similar or greater improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms when compared to aerobic exercise.  The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health sent this bulletin this week.  A more comprehensive spotlight on the study reports that “tai chi appears to be as effective […]

 Tai chi relieves pain for fibromyalgia sufferers, a recent study published in British medical journal The BMJ shows . The study author says doctors should consider tai chi as possible treatment for fibromyalgia. In the biggest and most rigorous study yet of tai chi and fibromyalgia, scientists led by Dr. Chenchen Wang, director of the […]

Tai chi might be a useful way to introduce reluctant people and heart attack survivors to exercise, according to a small new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association and reported by Time. The dietary and exercise changes that doctors recommend to people after heart attacks are often too intimidating and frightening […]

Researcher Stephen Post has told CBC’s Tapestry program about studies showing the psychological and physical effects of being kind. Post,  a professor of medicine at Stony Brook University in New York, has written about the “helper’s high” and his research looks at the effects of being helpful and volunteering on things like pain management and […]

Time is reporting that while tai chi may look mundane—even boring to some—experts who’ve studied it say its benefits are vast and hard to oversell. It also holds up when compared to other more strenuous types of exercise. It says one study in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that tai chi was nearly as […]

A new survey by American magazine Consumer Reports  of more than 3500 adults who have had back pain in the last three years confirms that tai chi helps provide relief. Nearly 90 per cent of respondents who used tai chi for back pain (or yoga or a similar exercise) found it helpful. In comparison, only […]

As a physician, I have been fascinated to observe the benefits of practising the Taoist Tai Chi® arts in myself and others. There is no simple scientific explanation for this.  However, scientific studies can observe its effects. In 2014 at my first workshop, I asked the instructor, Dr. Bruce McFarlane, whether research had been done and he […]

Thank you to the 6,000+ participants who completed the health questionnaire. Your support to this project made it an overwhelming success and provided our organization with a wealth of information demonstrating the benefits of Taoist Tai Chi® practice. A Preliminary Report is now available in the Downloads section at www.taoist.org/media. The link can also be […]

On Saturday November 26, 2016 “The Tiger’s Mouth” took place, an event that was held in our clubhouse in Florence and was attended by members from all Italian branches, non-members, doctors and health professionals. It was an important opportunity for all to share experiences and information. Gianluigi Occhipinti, rheumatologist, although not be present, made available […]

This spring the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Hungary held a round table discussion in Budapest on the health benefits of Taoist Tai Chi® arts. Among the participants of the discussion were instructors of the Hungarian TTCS, doctors who are also practicing Taoist Tai Chi® arts, and two of our members living with health problems […]

For patients with painful knee osteoarthritis, tai chi was as helpful as physical therapy in reducing pain and improving physical functioning, according to a new study partially funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The results of the study, conducted at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, were published in the journal Annals […]

As locations across Canada get ready for Cross-Canada Seniors’ Day next week on June 9, a new meta-analysis suggests tai chi can lower blood pressure in older people as effectively as drugs or aerobic exercise. Researchers also found that the reduction in systolic blood pressure was greater in people who performed tai chi more frequently. […]

A study by Dr. Wang to evaluate the effectiveness of Tai Chi in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms concluded that tai chi reduces pain and improves physical function, self-efficacy, depression, and health-related quality of life for knee OA.   “Dr Wang has been quoted as saying: “The value of Tai Chi goes beyond physical therapy because […]

The brains and bodies of identical twins were compared over ten years and for the first time, a connection has been found between power in the lower limbs and healthy cognitive ageing. So, if you need a little extra motivation to get up and do your danyu’s (or any of our moves!) ….. Read article published on […]

Poor sleep is associated with increased inflammation, which may contribute to heart disease and a variety of other ailments. A new study has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy and tai chi, the Chinese exercise technique, may reduce both insomnia and inflammation….At one year after the treatment, compared with the control group, those on cognitive behavioral […]

Both Tai Chi and physical therapy positively impact pain, function and other symptoms of knee osteoarthritis — making Tai Chi a viable treatment alternative for people suffering with the degenerative disease, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Read full article >

A Study by the University of British Columbia concluded that: “Tai Chi can improve some physical performance outcomes in four chronic conditions…but not at the expense of worsening pain or dyspnoea [breathlessness],” ……. “may provide a suitable exercise stimulus for people with several comorbidities,” and could be used as a complementary therapy in some long term conditions.” Read […]

As reported in the New York Times and US News & World Report, a small but significant new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows positive results in pain relief from regular practice of tai chi for people suffering from fibromyalgia. One of our members in Australia has personally experienced the positive […]