In Chinese medicine, it's believed that disease is due to blocks or imbalances in the flow of qi. Chinese use acupuncture, herbs and tai chi in the belief they can help balance the flow of qi to cure illness and maintain health. Most Western doctors question the concept of qi, since it hasn't been scientifically proven to exist or to aid health and healing. Nevertheless, some physicians who treat the elderly or those with musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis have been impressed by how tai chi improves pain, range of motion and physical balance. In one 1996 Atlanta study, elderly people who practiced tai chi for 15 weeks reduced their risk of multiple falls by 47.5 percent.
Falls are a particular danger for elders and others with brittle bones, or osteoporosis.
For such people, falls frequently result in broken bones. Research has shown tai chi has other benefits, too. While there are no good, controlled studies that prove tai chi specifically benefits people with arthritis by reducing pain or inflammation, there is a study from 1991 that evaluates its safety for rheumatoid arthritis patients. It concluded that 10 weeks of tai chi classes did not make joint problems worse, and says the weight-bearing aspects of this exercise has the potential to stimulate bone growth and strengthen connective tissue. And a recent University of Arizona opinion paper on mind-body alternatives, such as tai chi and meditation, for rheumatic diseases concluded that stress and pain are closely related, and therapies that focus on psychological as well as physical function could be beneficial, when used along with conventional medications.