《中英對照讀新聞》Tai chi may help reduce depression symptoms 太極拳可能有助減緩憂鬱症狀

◎陳正健

Practicing Tai Chi - an ancient Chinese martial art - can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and may be useful for people who tend to avoid conventional psychiatric treatments, a new study has found.

一項新研究發現，練習太極拳─一項中國古代武術─可以大幅減緩憂鬱症狀，而且可能有益於傾向避免傳統精神病治療的人們。

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Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital enrolled 50 Chinese-American participants for the study. All of the volunteers had mild to moderate depression and were not receiving any other forms of treatment. They were placed at random in three groups. The first took part in Tai Chi, the second received educational therapy and the third was a control group.

麻省總醫院的研究人員徵集50名美籍華人參與研究。所有自願者都有輕微至中等的憂鬱，且未接受任何其他形式的治療。他們被隨機分成3組。第一組參與太極拳練習，第二組接受教育療法，第三組則為控制組。

The 12-week assessments showed that all 17 volunteers in the martial art had significantly greater improvement in depression symptoms than the other two groups. Follow-up assessment after six months showed sustained improvement, the report said.

為期12週的評量顯示，參與這項武術的17名自願者，憂鬱症狀都有顯著的改善，遠勝於其他兩組。報告指出，6個月後的追蹤評估顯示症狀持續獲得改善。

Previous studies have found that Tai Chi could better help patients suffering from five painful conditions - back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches and migraine.

先前的研究發現，太極拳可能幫助受5種疼痛症狀所苦的病患─背痛、骨性關節炎、頸部疼痛、纖維肌痛，以及嚴重的頭痛和偏頭痛。

新聞辭典

sustained：形容詞，持續的，持久的。例句：We must make a sustained effort to get this task finished this week.（我們必須持續努力，讓工作在本週內完成。）

follow-up assessment：學術名詞：跟進評估，追蹤評估。例句：Follow-up assessment is usually considered necessary.（追蹤評估總被視為必要。）

migraine：名詞，偏頭痛。例句：I suffer a lot from migraines.（我深受偏頭痛之苦。）