Effects of a Tai-Chi Program on Pain, Sleep Disturbance, Mood and Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

타이치 프로그램이 류마티스 관절염 환자의 통증, 수면장애, 기분 및 피로정도에 미치는 영향

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6- week Tai-Chi program on improving pain, sleep disturbance, mood, and fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Method: Sixteen subjects were assigned for experimental group and fifteen were assigned for control group. The subjects of the experimental group participated in a 6-week program of Tai-Chi. Each Tai-Chi class was conducted by a certified Tai-Chi instructor. In order to evaluate the effects of Tai-Chi program, pain, sleep disturbance, mood and fatigue were measured before and after the 6th session Result: After 6-week Tai-Chi program, there were significant improvement in mood & sleep disturbance in the experimental group when compared to the control group However, there were no significant differences in pain intensity and fatigue between Tai-Chi group and control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that a 6-week Tai-Chi program can be utilized as an safe and effective nursing program to improve mood and sleep disturbance in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Long term studies of the effects of Tai-Chi on the pain intensity and fatigue may be import.