It is well known that exercise can help in treating osteoarthritis. Tai chi is one of the effective exercises, which can be used for getting relief from osteoarthritis. Use of tai chi as osteoarthritis exercise has a number of advantages of which convenience is the most important one.

Tai chi originally is a martial art, which was used in china in the historical days. Today it is being practiced as a form of exercise, which can help for a number of purposes. Its effects on the body were studied recently. It was found out that this form of marital art could be very effective for maintaining or restoring the health of joints.

Moreover, its effect on the joints affected by osteoarthritis was studied and it was accepted that it could be used for as an osteoarthritis exercise. The important organizations and institutes as the “Arthritis Foundation”, etc, working for osteoarthritis support its use as an osteoarthritis exercise.

Tai chi involves light and slow movements of the body.  These movements, which are done in tai chi, are the depictions of the movements of animals. These are to be performed with a relaxed mind. The practice of tai chi also includes meditation. Therefore, if such movements are performed through the affected joints the affected joints will definitely benefit from them.

During osteoarthritis, the joints are affected by inflammation. This inflammation affects the cartilages, muscles and tendons in the joints. Therefore, they become stiff and whenever the patient tries to move them, they pain. In such a situation, the very light slow movements of the tai chi can help in relieving that joint from such stiffness.

There are a number of effects of tai chi when it is used as an osteoarthritis exercise.  The first one is that it provides movements to the joints and the supporting tissues as muscles etc.  Then the second one is it helps in improving the supply of blood and oxygen to the affected joint. Therefore, the joints get better nutrients and oxygen, which definitely is beneficial for them. Both these things aid in the reduction of the inflammation.

Use of tai chi as an osteoarthritis exercise also has some indirect benefits as well. It helps in improving the mental state and health of the patient. It also aids in improving the body systems as the digestive system, etc. all these things also are helpful against osteoarthritis.

However, the most important advantage of tai chi as osteoarthritis exercise is that it involves very light movements of the body and the joints and therefore the patient who is partially impaired due osteoarthritis also can do it.