Arthritis Tamed with Tai Chi
July 2024
Dr Paul Lam developed osteoarthritis as a child while narrowly escaping starvation during the great famine in China in the late 1950s during
Chairman Mao’s regime.
He is now grateful for the opportunity it gave him to pursue tai chi to successfully manage his symptoms and anxiety.
Paul grew up in southern China. When he was 10 months’ old, his mother left him with his grandmother and aunt where they lived in a small
village. His then late grandfather had left his grandmother a large house and a piece of land. That led the communist government to
classify her as a landlord who exploited others.
Once someone was labelled as such, the entire family faced terrible discrimination and punishment for a lifetime. Paul’s grandmother was
physically tortured and publicly persecuted. That led to her death when Paul was six years old.
His aunt took care of him with much love and care. In the time of the Great Famine between 1959 to 1961, 70 million people died from
starvation. During this terrible time, his aunt nearly sacrificed her life to keep Paul alive.
By the age of 13 his body was ravaged by arthritis due to malnutrition. Compared to the horror of chronic starvation, in Paul’s mind his
pain faded to the background.
According to Professor John Edmonds, Head of Rheumatology at St George Hospital, Paul had developed osteoarthritis (OA) due to the lack of
nutrients that are the building materials for the cartilage that line his joints.
This had deformed the cartilage which in turn led to arthritis. The situation was made worse because he was forced to do hard labour: carry
heavy loads and tend rice fields, damaging his joints further.
Leaving China
At 16, Paul escaped from China to Hong Kong. Later, his parents came to see him for the first time in over 16 years. ‘My parents were very
disappointed with me as I was poorly educated,’ Paul said. ‘I was so hurt that I wanted desperately to please them.’
His luck continued two years later when he was given permission to come to Sydney to study at Trinity Grammar School. This was where he
learned English. He graduated from high school within two years. Since his other siblings were bright and university educated, he felt
obliged to apply for a university placement.
‘I’d never dreamed of being a doctor, it was beyond a dream,’ Paul said. ‘Over the two years in Sydney, I devoted all my efforts to learn
English, and had no idea what my HSC marks were. I didn’t know what to choose because going to university had not been my dream, but I
wanted to please my parents. When filling out the application, I thought it would make my mother happy if I put medicine as my first
choice.’
Paul was accepted to study medicine at the University of NSW on a scholarship.
Learning Tai Chi
By the time Paul graduated, his arthritis was so bad he knew he had to do something. ‘I didn’t want a future of joint replacements and
drugs. I remembered that in my village in southern China, Anbo, some people talked of tai chi as a magical therapy for arthritis. I started
looking for tai chi teachers in Sydney.
‘I then discovered that my father-in-law Mr Lum was a close student of the world most famous tai chi teacher Yang Shou Zhong, the great
grandson of the creator of Yang style tai chi. He began to teach me tai chi. More than 90 per cent of tai chi practitioners practice use
this style. .’
It was challenging for Paul to find time and energy to do tai chi regularly, but he persevered.
‘After two to three years I noticed a clear change,’ Paul said. ‘I was experiencing less pain; I could carry my doctor’s bag without a
problem and later I could carry heavier things without trouble. I was more energised and could easily work long hours.
Further down the track I found I had better control of my emotions because my mind was more balanced. I became a better doctor, husband and
father. I could carry my kids as they grew and when I had two kids, I could carry them at the same time on each arm. That meant so much to
me.
Even now at 74, I can keep up with my grandsons’ running, biking and kicking balls! Those are the happiest times and the greatest benefit
for me.’
Paul’s childhood malnutrition had also damaged his immune system and he would catch colds and flu from his patients very easily.
He said that tai chi re-built his immune system, so he was ill much less often. In fact, he hardly ever catches his patients’ colds and
flu.
Tai Chi for Arthritis
‘As I noticed positive changes within myself and in my life, I began sending patients with arthritis and other conditions to tai chi
classes. However, some returned having suffered injury from the classes or complaining that the classes weren’t enjoyable.
‘I felt I was receiving a calling. I was already a doctor, and I had already learnt tai chi, and the depth and the breadth of the styles
over the years and I truly understood its immense health benefits. And I love teaching,’ he said.
So about 40 years ago, his patients’ feedback and love of teaching led him to set up Better Health Tai Chi Chuan, a non-profit school to
teach tai chi.
Being a doctor, he realised importance of scientific studies. Paul worked with Professor John Edmonds and other research colleagues around
the world to study tai chi and its health benefits.
Over 30 medical studies were published, many of them focusing on how tai chi improved arthritis. All these studies were based on the
programs created by Paul and other medical and tai chi experts.
The world’s largest study on fall prevention of older adults living in the community was funded by the NSW Department of Health and
conducted by the NSW Central Health Promotion Unit.
In this study, 702 people were divided into two groups, one group did tai chi (85% did Paul’s Tai Chi for Arthritis program) and the other
was the control group of people who had been randomly assigned to wait for classes.
At the end of 16 weeks, the tai chi group compared to the control group were 67 per cent less likely to fall, and if they did, the injuries
were less severe. Also, the tai chi group experienced improvement to their muscular strength and feelings of happiness with themselves. The
benefits sustained on follow up tests.1
Paul thought about the patients earlier in his medical career who returned injured and dissatisfied from tai chi classes he had referred
them to.
'That motivated me to work with my medical and tai chi colleagues to create modernised tai chi. The programs were easy to learn, safe for
people with disabilities especially all types of arthritis, and effective for health, as proven by scientific studies. Most other studies
on tai chi are based on similar concepts.'
Paul said that tai chi improved arthritis because it exercises all muscles and ligaments and joints. ‘Tai chi is a mind/body exercise. It
strengthens the muscles and ligaments; the stronger muscles protect the joints. Tai chi also improves flexibility which will improve range
of motions and reduces pain.
Arthritis can be very depressing because it’s not curable and may not be noticeable to others. Tai chi makes you better mentally by calming
your mind, allowing you to think better, and reducing your anxiety and this helps your arthritis.
‘Generally, people living with arthritis should tailor their exercise for their arthritis, that’s why they should get medical advice.’
Paul created Tai Chi for Arthritis with a team: Rheumatologist Professor John Edmonds; Dr Ian Portek; physiotherapist Guni Hinchy; and four
tai chi experts. Arthritis NSW was the first organisation to endorse it, followed by Arthritis foundations worldwide, including Arthritis
Australia, Arthritis USA, Arthritis Singapore, Arthritis UK and the Arthritis Society of Canada.
‘We chose the right tai chi forms to help people with arthritis, to improve health and reduce falls. And we developed a comprehensive
training system for instructors to make teaching this program safe, effective and enjoyable,’ Paul said.
Paul still lives with OA. ‘It’s triggered when I don’t practice tai chi and am stressed. When that happens, I do more tai chi and it
gets better. By now at 74, after 61 years of arthritis, without medication or surgery, I am stronger and more flexible than most people half
my age. Tai chi gives me the freedom to live an active and still very busy life’.
Paul has advice for people thinking of doing tai chi to help their arthritis. ‘If you decide to try tai chi, take time to find a suitable
teacher that you resonate with. A good way is to attend a class to get the feel of it. Do the participants look similar to you? Are
they similar in age? Are they looking to improve their health? Ask the instructor if she or he is trained and is comfortable to teach people
with your condition.’
In 2010, Paul and his colleagues established the Tai Chi for Health Institute, a world-renowned NSW incorporated not-for-profit
organisation. There is a list of Tai Chi for Arthritis certified instructors on the website. Visit: tchi.org
“Arthritis is a blessing to me, that’s how I learned tai chi. It transformed my health and my life in so many ways.’
References
A Randomised, Controlled Trial of tai chi for the Prevention of Falls: The Central Sydney tai chi Trial Alexander Voukelatos, MA
(Psychol), Robert G. Cumming, PhD, wz Stephen R. Lord, DSc,§ and Chris Rissel, PhD. JAGS 55:1185–1191, 2007 r 2007, Copyright the Authors
Journal compilation r 2007, The American Geriatrics Society
Please note: Please consult with your doctor or healthcare professional before commencing any new types of exercise. This information
does not replace individual medical advice.
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