Researchers Explore a New Mind-Body Approach to Chronic Pain and Mental Health
By Violet Li
Can painful childhood experiences remain hidden in the body for decades, contributing to chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress in adulthood? A growing body of research suggests the answer may be yes. Now, an interdisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners is investigating whether Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ) can play a meaningful role in helping people heal.
At the 2026 Science of Tai Chi & Qigong as Whole-Person Health Conference hosted by the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Harvard Medical School, I had the opportunity to meet Professor Emerita Roomie Price, an expert in psychiatric epidemiology and trauma research, together with veteran physical therapist and Tai Chi instructor Sean Tucker. Their poster presentation, The Untold Story of Childhood Trauma: A Tai Chi and Qigong Intervention to Improve Mental Health and Chronic Pain in Adulthood, introduced an innovative pilot study that bridges modern trauma science with ancient Chinese healing arts. Recently, I sat down with both Professor Price and Shawn to discuss their research.
When the Body Remembers
Professor Price explained that her interest in this work developed through decades of research involving military veterans, survivors of human trafficking, and individuals living with trauma. Throughout these studies, one pattern appeared repeatedly: chronic pain often cannot be explained solely by physical injury.
“The body keeps the score,” she said, echoing the now well-known concept in trauma psychology. Memories of adverse childhood experiences can become deeply embedded within the nervous system. Even when no physical injury remains, the body may continue to react as if the original trauma is still present.
She described patients who experienced pain in areas of the body associated with childhood abuse or restraint, despite having no current physical damage. In these cases, the pain appeared to originate from the brain’s memory of traumatic experiences rather than from injured tissue itself.
Connecting Physical Therapy and Trauma Research
The research project emerged from the collaboration between Professor Price and Sean Tucker, a highly respected physical therapist with nearly four decades of Tai Chi and Qigong experience and a few Tai Chi/Qigong experts.
Tucker observed something intriguing during physical therapy sessions. While patients initially sought treatment for knee pain, shoulder pain, or back pain, many eventually began discussing painful childhood experiences. As physical healing progressed, emotional memories often surfaced unexpectedly.
This observation resonated strongly with Professor Price’s decades of trauma research. Together with an expanding body of scientific literature, it has contributed to the growing recognition that talk therapy alone may not always be sufficient to resolve trauma. Increasingly, psychotherapists acknowledge the importance of somatic, or body-based, approaches, as traumatic experiences are encoded not only cognitively but also physiologically.
Designing a Tai Chi and Qigong Intervention
Rather than focusing exclusively on movement, the research team designed a comprehensive trauma-informed Tai Chi and Qigong program.
Drawing upon multiple Tai Chi and Qigong traditions, including expertise from several experienced instructors, they created a structured intervention centered on traditional Chinese Qigong while incorporating principles from trauma-informed movement education.
Each weekly session lasted approximately 90 minutes. Participants practiced mindful movement for about 75 minutes, followed by discussion. The discussion period allowed participants to reflect on their experiences, share insights if they wished, and explore emotional skills developed during practice.
Importantly, sharing was always voluntary. The emphasis was on creating a safe, supportive environment where participants could reconnect with themselves rather than forcing emotional disclosure.
As Tucker explained, learning Tai Chi and Qigong is not the ultimate goal—they were the vehicle through which participants could develop greater emotional awareness, self-regulation, and resilience.
Beginning with a Pilot Study
Because this work represents a new area of investigation, the researchers first conducted a small quality-improvement pilot study rather than a large clinical trial.
Two female military veterans participated in the initial project. Both experienced chronic pain and significant mental health challenges, including symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress. Before beginning the intervention, participants completed assessments and discussed aspects of their personal histories with trained researchers in a carefully supported environment.
Professor Price emphasized that preparing participants before the Tai Chi sessions was essential. Motivational interviewing helped each participant identify personal goals, while pre-session conversations gently introduced childhood experiences without forcing disclosure. This preparation created a foundation of trust before movement practice began.
The intervention itself consisted of six sessions over approximately two and a half months, including five group sessions and one individualized session with an instructor.
Encouraging Early Findings
Although the pilot involved only two participants, the preliminary findings were encouraging.
One important question was whether participants would feel safe enough to discuss childhood trauma. Both women eventually disclosed meaningful experiences, and one revealed that she had never previously shared those memories with anyone. Professor Price noted that creating the right context appeared to make honest communication possible.
The researchers also observed improvements in several self-reported measures, including self-efficacy, fatigue, emotional well-being, and overall functioning. Professor Price described these changes metaphorically as watching a “psychological tumor” gradually shrink—not a physical tumor, but the accumulated emotional burden that trauma can impose over time.
However, not every measure changed.
Standard PTSD screening scores remained largely unchanged after only six sessions. Rather than viewing this as a disappointment, the researchers considered it an important lesson. Trauma that has accumulated over decades is unlikely to resolve in only six weeks.
Both Price and Tucker believe that future studies should examine longer interventions, greater practice frequency, and extended follow-up periods to determine the optimal “dosage” of Tai Chi and Qigong for trauma recovery.
Looking Ahead
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this research is its potential accessibility.
Tai Chi and Qigong are low-cost, low-risk practices that can be taught both in person and online. During our interview, we explored whether virtual instruction might be just as effective—or in some situations even more effective—than traditional classroom teaching. Modern technology could allow carefully designed trauma-informed programs to reach individuals who might otherwise lack access to specialized care.
The research team hopes future studies will not simply add another publication to the scientific literature, but help shape healthcare policy and best practices for treating chronic pain and trauma. Their ultimate goal is to develop evidence-based models that healthcare providers can incorporate into integrative treatment programs.
As our interview concluded, I was struck by the compassion, scientific rigor, and collaborative spirit behind this project. For countless individuals whose physical pain has resisted conventional treatment, research like this offers hope that healing may require addressing both the body and the memories it carries.
This pilot study represents only the beginning. Yet it points toward an exciting future in which ancient mind-body practices and modern neuroscience work together to help people recover from some of life’s deepest wounds.