Physical Activity and Functioning Following Tai Chi and a Wellness Comparison Intervention in Veterans with Gulf War Illness.

Abstract

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a highly prevalent chronic, multisymptomatic condition associated with worsening physical health and quality of life among veterans. Specifically, GWI symptoms may disrupt physical functioning that negatively impacts overall health. Complementary and integrative health interventions that promote physical activity, such as Tai Chi, may be critical to addressing physical functioning in veterans with GWI. The present study is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial comparing Tai Chi to a Wellness intervention on physical functioning outcomes in a sample of 53 veterans with GWI and pain. Gait speed, fast walking speed, lower body strength, and self-reported physical activity were assessed across four timepoints: baseline, posttreatment, 3-month follow-up, and 9-month follow-up. Treatments were delivered in a 60-minute group format twice a week for 12 weeks (24 sessions total). Results from multilevel regression models revealed that Tai Chi was related to greater increases in time spent on flexibility exercise whereas improvements in gait speed were associated with Wellness, though between-treatment differences were small. These findings are promising because they provide preliminary evidence for the utility of two treatments that may improve specific physical functioning outcomes in veterans with GWI, especially in accommodating physical difficulties associated with the condition that few treatments have addressed.