Improving Neck & Shoulder Pain and Dysfunction Using Tai Chi

The National Institutes for Health reports that 25.3 million Americans live with chronic pain, while health economists estimate that the cost of chronic pain in the United States is $635 billion annually. According to the authors of Economic Evaluations in Shoulder Pathologies: a Systematic Review of the Literature, "Shoulder disorders occupy a significant and growing proportion of musculoskeletal care. chronic shoulderpain is reported by 18.3 million persons aged 18 and older, and is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint afterspine and knee pain.48" Current research is revealing the broad ineffectiveness of extended pharmaceutical approaches and strongly suggests that successfully treating the multifactorial nature of chronic pain requires an integrative, holistic approach. Tai Chi is a widely recognized mind-body modality and non-pharmacological approach in treating chronic pain conditions. This highly insightful 2-hour course has been designed to outline the scientific and physiologic basis of key Rehabilitative Tai Chi components, instruct simple Tai Chi practices shown to be effective in remediating neck and shoulder pain, and review theevidence base for validating Rehabilitative Tai Chi in the treatment of patients dealing with neck and shoulder dysfunction.

Target Audience: Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Athletic Trainers

Highlights

• Practice 10 easy-to-use rehabilitative Tai Chistrategies that can be applied immediately in patient care
• Effectively validate the evidence-based benefits of Tai Chi in rehabilitation to even the most resistant patients and colleagues