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 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 .
Tai Chi Exercise for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
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
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 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 .