Tai Chi, Qigong and the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Tai chi and qigong have been used as primary or supplementary treatments for a wide range of diseases and ailments for hundreds, or even thousands of years in China. These two treatment techniques have been incorporated into western medical practices with increasing frequency in recent decades to treat a wide range of ailments, including fatigue, cancer, hypertension, depression, COPD, stroke, balance, heart disease and osteoporosis, to name a few. The present study summarizes the results of a literature search intended to find studies where tai chi or qigong have been used to treat ankylosing spondylitis. Several studies were found to have used tai chi or qigong to successfully treat ankylosing spondylitis symptoms.