The traditional Chinese form of exercise – tai chi – proved to be efficient in reducing pain and physical impairment in people who suffer from knee arthritis, a new research showed. The disease causes pain, stiffness and swelling in multiple joints, and inflammation can develop in other organs as well.

The study conducted by researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston was the latest to analyze the benefits of tai chi for people with arthritis. For the study, researchers divided the participants in their 60s with severe knee arthritis into two groups: one group performed tai chi for an hour twice a week for 12 weeks while a similar group did the same amount of conventional stretching exercises over the same period.

The study found an improvement in physical function and overall health for those who did tai chi. They also experienced greater pain reduction and less depression.

"Tai chi mind-body exercise appears to provide an important approach for self-care and self-management for knee (osteoarthritis)," Dr. Chenchen Wang of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, who led the study, said in a statement.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also called osteoarthroses or degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis. OA is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement of joints. The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.

One in two Americans are at risk for knee osteoarthritis over their lifetime.

The Arthritis Foundation advocacy group recommends tai chi for improving the quality of life of people with arthritis.