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Effects of Tai Chi on beta endorphin and inflammatory markers in older adults with chronic pain: an exploratory study

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Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effects of Tai Chi on blood levels of beta endorphin (β-endorphin) and inflammatory markers in older adults with chronic pain. Forty community-dwelling older adults with chronic pain were randomized to Tai Chi or light physical exercise, and each offered twice weekly for 12 weeks. Following the 12-week intervention, neither Tai Chi nor light physical exercise changed levels of β-endorphin and inflammatory markers. However, in older adults who completed 70% or more classes, Tai Chi significantly lowered levels of β-endorphin (p < 0.05), whereas light physical exercise did not change levels of β-endorphin. The results suggest that Tai Chi may reduce levels of β-endorphin in older adults with chronic pain. Future studies are needed to better understand the role of the opioid analgesic system and immune system in regulating pain with aging and the long-term effects of Tai Chi on pain-related biomarkers.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R21 AG043883).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA

    Tongjian You & Elisa F. Ogawa

  2. New England GRECC, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA

    Elisa F. Ogawa

  3. Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA

    Saurja Thapa, Yurun Cai, Ling Shi & Suzanne G. Leveille

  4. Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Gloria Y. Yeh & Suzanne G. Leveille

  5. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Gloria Y. Yeh, Peter M. Wayne & Suzanne G. Leveille

  6. Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Gloria Y. Yeh & Peter M. Wayne

Authors
  1. Tongjian You
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  2. Elisa F. Ogawa
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  3. Saurja Thapa
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  4. Yurun Cai
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  5. Gloria Y. Yeh
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  6. Peter M. Wayne
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  7. Ling Shi
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  8. Suzanne G. Leveille
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tongjian You.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

The study protocols and consent procedures were approved by the University of Massachusetts Boston Institutional Review Board.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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You, T., Ogawa, E.F., Thapa, S. et al. Effects of Tai Chi on beta endorphin and inflammatory markers in older adults with chronic pain: an exploratory study. Aging Clin Exp Res 32, 1389–1392 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01316-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01316-1

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