Tai chi and mindfulness practices may help patients with cancer get some relief from fatigue, pain, and sleep problems, a new clinical trial suggests.
The study, of nearly 600 participants, found that both practices lessened fatigue and the impact of pain on daily life vs a waitlist control. Tai chi also boosted sleep quality to a small degree.
The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, come from a partially randomized trial.
Both interventions appeared helpful, though the effects on symptoms were generally mild, said senior researcher Linda E. Carlson, PhD, a professor of oncology at the University of Calgary @myucalgary , Cumming School of Medicine in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
🧘 KEY POINTS of the study:
•Tai chi + mindfulness modestly ↓ cancer-related fatigue vs waitlist.
•Both interventions ↓ pain interference with daily life.
•Tai chi modestly improved sleep quality; MBCR did not.
•Fatigue and pain gains met minimal clinically important difference.
•Benefits seen in 587 cancer survivors; effects generally mild.
😌 If you’d like to try Tai Chi and attend a mindfulness session we offer both at the cancer centre –
📌 T’ai chi every Monday at 11.30 am
📌 Mindfulness is Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:30 am and online Tuesday at 10:30 am
To find out more contact:
📧 manager@cambridgecancerhelp.org
