Mind/body techniques for physiological and psychological stress reduction: stress management via Tai Chi training - a pilot study.

摘要: Background: Stress can affect health. There is a growing need for the evaluation and application of professional stress management options, i.e, reduction. Mind/body medicine serves this goal, e.g, by integrating self-care techniques into health care. Tai Chi (TC) be classified as such mind/body technique, potentially reducing affecting physical well mental parameters, which, however, lias to examined further. Material/Methods: We conducted prospective, longitudinal pilot study over 18 weeks subjective objective clinical effects Yang style TC intervention in young adults (beginners) measuring physiological (blood pressure, heart rate, saliva cortisol) psychological (SF-36, perceived stress, significant events) direct or indirect indicators reduction, non-randomised/-controlled, yet non-selected cohort (n=21) pre-to-post comparison follow-up. SF-36 values were also compared with age-adjusted norm population, serving an external control. Addilionally, we measured diurnal cortisol profiles cross-sectional sub-study (n=2+2, pre-to-post), providing internal random control sub-sample. Results: Only nine participants completed all measurements. Even so, found (p<0.05) reductions (post follow-up), which seems indicator general A decrease (post) proved even highly (p<0.01) follow-up, whereas perception declined much lesser degree. Significant improvements detected dimensions perception, social functioning, vitality, health/psychological well-being. Thus, summarized measures clearly improved, pointing towards predominantly impact ofTC. Conclusions: Subjective increased, decreased (objectively subjectively) during practice. Future studies should confirm observation rigorous methodology further combining measurements basic research, thereby gaining knowledge autoregulation molecular physiology that possibly underlies medicine.