The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi by Peter M. Wayne

Author:Peter M. Wayne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Asthma is characterized by inflammation of the air passages, resulting in the temporary narrowing of the airways that transport air from the nose and mouth to the lungs. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. In severe cases, asthma can be deadly.

About 23 million Americans, including almost 7 million children, have asthma. The numbers of people with asthma are increasing at an alarming rate. Experts estimate that the number of asthmatics will grow by more than 100 million by 2025. The overall prevalence of asthma increased 75 percent from 1980 to the mid-1990s, and among children under the age of five, it increased more than 160 percent. The annual economic cost of asthma is $19.7 billion, with adults missing more than 10 million workdays and children missing 13 million school days each year due to asthma.24

It is not clear what underlies this epidemic. Research suggests it’s unlikely to be just one factor, but rather a mixture of factors, including sedentary lifestyles, static indoor microenvironments, poor diets predisposing to obesity, and stress, all of which may influence asthma.25

Asthma Clinical Studies

Some preliminary studies suggest that Tai Chi, as well as other mind-body exercises such as Qigong, may be helpful for asthmatics, both children and adults.

Twelve weeks of Tai Chi training improved the lung function of children with asthma in a small Taiwanese study. We need larger studies with longer periods of follow-up to show whether Tai Chi can also help reduce the severity of asthma symptoms in children.26

A small study from Thailand also suggests adult asthma sufferers may be able to better control their breathing and improve their exercise performance using Tai Chi training. After six weeks of Tai Chi training, the patients said they felt more comfortable during a six-minute walk and increased their maximum work rate and maximum oxygen consumption. We need further research to show whether Tai Chi can help control asthma.27

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