Tai Chi for Chronic Pain

More people are including Tai Chi in their pain management programs.

In October 2001, Erica and a friend decided to try Tai Chi. Erica’s husband had learned many years ago at the YMCA so she knew what was involved. She needed a gentle exercise system that would gradually improve her body without too much strain. Also when she started Tai Chi classes, Erica adopted a new diet and swiftly shed 15 kilograms.

Tai Chi has brought about a heightened awareness of her body so that, when practising, Erica finds she can think about how she moves. She has learned to hold the joints (ankles and knee) still and move the leg as a whole unit. Muscles are working harder and there is a stronger support system.

Although she suffers pain when she practices, Erica loves her Tai Chi and can’t imagine life without it. She likes the way the movements are slow and focussed enough for her to feel the effects as they occur. She heeds the instructor’s reminders to “practice but don’t over do it, work within your own limitations.”

The most difficult aspect of Tai Chi for her is remembering the sequence of movements. Her co-ordination was good from the early gymnastics training but she becomes so absorbed in the wonderful feeling and flow of the form that she forgets what comes next.

Flow like a river and be still as a mountain.
The root is in the soles of the feet.
The spine should be plumb erect from the coccyx to the crown of the head.
The chi or intrinsic energy should be stored below the waist.
Even the weight of a feather will set the body in motion.
When one part of the body moves, the whole body moves.
All Tai Chi movements emanate from the body centre.

-Quote from Tai Chi classics

Erica had previously practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM) so she was familiar with the concept of meditation before learning Qigong. TM, she says, is much more a mental discipline whereas the Fa Soong Gong we teach combines physical relaxation with the mental. The circular movements help her to relax. They also generate strong internal energy. It’s this feeling of energy that she particularly enjoys. If her body is not relaxed enough, it is too difficult for her to separate mentally from the pain in her knee.

Would Erica practise Tai Chi if she didn’t have the incentive of a degenerative health condition?

“Absolutely yes,” she said. “Tai Chi creates a humility. It keeps you balanced because there’s always the feeling there is more to learn; there’s always a striving aspect. You can’t get away with anything because you have to be right there in the moment, doing it without any trappings and with no support. You can’t fake it. It strips away all the external rubbish of modern life. Tai Chi keeps you grounded.”

Last year Erica attended a workshop by Fei Wang for the advanced students. She was amazed by the way Fei moved, the connectedness and relaxed force in his body. She realized there was a lot more going on in Tai Chi than she had been aware and that there was much more she could learn and develop.

“Tai Chi creates a humility. It keeps you balanced because there’s always the feeling there is more to learn; there’s always a striving aspect. You can’t get away with anything because you have to be right there in the moment. You can’t fake it. It strips away all the external rubbish of modern life”.

When she practices Tai Chi now, the pain is tolerable although she does take a new form of pain management pill that is kinder to her system. In her daily life, her knee is not as painful as it was and the condition is not deteriorating the way she initially feared it would. Any bending of the knee hurts but the recovery time is faster. She can get straight out of bed and walk about without hobbling.

Erica says it is impossible to say how much credit she can specifically give Tai Chi for her improved physical situation. However, it has given her a way to cope with the stresses in her life, a way which nurtures and calms her inner self. It is something she can continue to practice and improve upon for the rest for her life.

For more information and resources on Tai Chi, visit the Tai Chi for Relaxation and Better Health web-site.