Ramel Rones
Mind Body/Scientific Consultant, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Tufts & Harvard Medical Schools.

TAI CHI & CHI KUNG FOR ARTHRITIS

One of the challenges we have in this country as well as in the rest of the world, is how to approach the health care goals of the growing wave of our aging population. We are living through special times. We can see a shift towards greater acceptance of new methods and treatments for various debilitating diseases such as arthritis. The wisdom and experience of the Eastern arts, especially Tai Chi and Chi Kung, have been tapped into and used by many individuals with this debilitating disease, but a scientific explanation is still years away.

In the last ten years, researchers in the field of arthritis have developed stronger remedies than ever before including anti-inflammatory drugs. This has led to treatment which can be compared to a double edged sword: great benefits as well as bigger risks to other internal organs as well as mood. Prevention and cost are great motivators for drawing on Eastern philosophies, which try through mind-body techniques to prevent and deal with disease and its symptoms. Mind-body philosophies such as Tai Chi and Chi Kung deal with pain, inflammation, mood, and quality of life by engaging both mind and body in the healing process. 

What is Arthritis?
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the Arthritis Foundation and Medline Plus: Arthritis is a condition or an illness that can lead to pain and swelling in the Joints. The joint is where two bones meet. The bones are connected and held together with soft tissue called Ligaments. We have 3 types of joints which are categorized according to the amount of movement they allow; Stiff and immovable, slightly movable and freely movable. The pain, swelling and stiffness develops over time. Sometimes it starts at the hands and the feet, for others at the knees and the hips. They get stiff and sore and then they are hard to move, especially when blood circulation is slow, like when waking up or sitting in one posture for a while.

Some types of Arthritis can lead to problems in other Organs like the eyes, mouth, lungs or the skin. The inflammation caused by the Arthritis can include pain or redness which is a sign that something in your body is wrong. More women then men get Rheumatoid Arthritis which usually starts between the ages of 25 and 55. You may experience the symptoms of the disease all the time or sometimes. The more severe condition can last a lifetime.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is different from Osteoarthritis, which is more common in older age. Rheumatoid Arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease which means the Arthritis is coming from your own immune system, attacking your body’s own tissues. Arthritis is more debilitating for some more than others but there are many things you can do to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain but most important you need a good Doctor, patience, a positive attitude and knowledge of the mind body philosophies.

There are several kinds of arthritis. The two most common ones are:

Rheumatoid arthritis, also called RA, affects 1.3 million Americans. Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the body’s own defense system does not work properly. It affects joints, bones, and organs--often the hands and feet. You may feel sick or tired, and you may have a fever.

Other conditions can also cause arthritis, such as Gout (crystals build up in the joints, usually effecting the big toe), Lupus (when the body’s defense system harms joints, heart, skin and other organs), and Viral Hepatitis (infection of the liver can cause arthritis).

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"Deeply versed, passionate and informed, Mr. Rones is a committed and caring teacher of the Asian Mind-Body arts including Qigong, Tai Chi, and Yoga." Ted Kaptchuk, Harvard Medical School, Author of The Web That Has No Weaver