Tai chi and Yoga for the Management of Chronic Noncancer Pain

Chronic Noncancer Pain (CNCP) is disruptive to the psychological, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of persons, families and entire communities. For many years, opioid medications were routinely prescribed as a first line of treatment for CNCP. However, in recent years the use of opioids for long-term pain management has been found to be detrimental. In fact, the routine prescribing of opioid medications has led to physiological dependence and further negatively impacts a person’s mood, function, productivity, quality of life, and finances. Consequently, the benefits of a bio-psycho- social approach for the management of CNCP is gaining more recognition. A combined practice of yoga and tai chi was introduced to six to eight persons living with CNCP at an outpatient pain clinic located in a large Midwestern medical center. Individuals were coached on a combined practice of tai chi and yoga weekly for 5 weeks. The theoretical concepts of Margaret Newman served as a framework for this quality improvement project. The presurvey revealed that individuals were familiar with the practices of tai chi or yoga and were willing to try incorporating these practices into their life. The postsurvey revealed that individuals were willing to adopt a practice of tai chi and yoga into their lifestyle. A majority of individuals reported experiencing bio-psycho-social benefits from the practice of tai chi and yoga in their home setting. The responses provided by persons through these surveys informed the next steps for this quality improvement project to introduce mind and body practices alongside pharmacological interventions in primary care settings