MedWire News: People with asthma may benefit from Tai Chi training to improve their asthma control and exercise performance, researchers report at Chest 2008 - the 74th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese exercise that involves slow, fluid movements and set postures, and is thought to improve strength, balance, and posture, and aid relaxation.

To investigate whether Tai Chi can benefit people with asthma, Sumalee Kiatboonsri and colleagues from Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, studied 17 patients with persistent asthma who were assigned to complete a 6-week Tai Chi Qigong training program.

All patients underwent respiratory health and exercise assessments at the start and end of the Tai Chi training program.

The researchers found that all of the participants showed significant improvements in peak flow variability, asthma control test score, negative inspiratory pressure, 6-minute walk distance, and quality of life over the course of the study.

Furthermore, patients also increased their maximum work rate, maximum oxygen consumption, and exercise endurance time compared with baseline.

Results of a questionnaire also revealed that Tai Chi training was associated with significant improvements in the participants’ quality of life.

Kiatboonsri concluded: “Tai Chi Qigong training could be an effective, non-pharmacologic, adjunctive therapy for persistent asthma to achieve better asthma control and quality of life.”

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