Tai Chi Helps Ease Parkinson's Disease Symptoms, Study Shows

NEW YORK -- The ancient Chinese exercise of tai chi improved balance and lowered the risk of falls in a study of people with Parkinson's disease.

Symptoms of the brain disorder include tremors and stiff, jerky movements that can affect walking and other activities. Medications and surgery can help, and doctors often recommend exercise or physical therapy.

Tai chi (ty-CHEE'), with its slow, graceful movements, has been shown to improve strength and aid stability in older people, and has been studied for a number of ailments. In the latest study, led by Fuzhong Li of the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, tai chi was tested in 195 people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's.

The participants attended twice-weekly group classes of either tai chi or two other kinds of exercise – stretching and resistance training, which included steps and lunges with ankle weights and a weighted vest.

The tai chi routine was tailored for the Parkinson's patients, with a focus on "swing and sway" motions and weight-shifting, said Li, who practices tai chi and teaches instructors.

After six months of classes, the tai chi group did significantly better than the stretching group in tests of balance, control, walking and other measures. Compared with resistance training, the tai chi group did better in balance, control and stride, and about the same in other tests.

Tai chi training was better than stretching in reducing falls, and as effective as resistance training, the researchers reported. The improvements in the tai chi group continued during three months of follow-up.

Li said the study showed tai chi was safe. It's easy to learn, and there's no special equipment, he added.

"People are looking for alternative programs, and this could be one of them," he said.

Estimates vary, but at least 500,000 people in the United States have Parkinson's.

The findings are in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. The study was paid for by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Dr. Chenchen Wang, who is studying tai chi for arthritis and fibromyalgia, said the results of the Parkinson's research were "dramatic and impressive." She heads the Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

One of the study's strengths: Researchers could measure the results directly instead of relying on the patients' own reports, she said. But a placebo effect can't be totally discounted, she said, since the participants knew which exercise program they were assigned and that could have influenced results.

___

Online:

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[swimmingdragon]

10:02 AM on 02/20/2012

I am so glad this country is doing more research on the health benefits of tai chi. Here is a related article: http://www.swimmingdragontaichi.com/2012/02/the-secret-healing-power-of-tai-chi/

[megwright]

11:11 PM on 02/13/2012

My husband has had Parkinson's for 30 years, and we have a number of friends with Parkinson's all over the country. Some of our friends have been doing Tai Chi for years, and really do claim it helps, especially with balance, which is a serious problem in Parkinson's.

[slock1010]

09:17 AM on 02/13/2012

I have been doing tai chi for a couple of years now. It really helps your balance, your stress level, and many other things. I love my class!!

[jetheadtwo]

03:43 AM on 02/12/2012

its a form of kung fu tai chi is slow it help blood flow .

[Wendyness]

06:49 PM on 02/11/2012

Those that have never done Tai Chi will never know the AMAZING experience of this "art." You must experience it to know what it is.

[Andrea W171]

09:29 PM on 02/12/2012

I had a whole semester of Tai Chi in college and tried very hard to like it. Instead I found it extremely boring and it just didn't do anything for me. My instructor seemed pretty cool though.

[Wendyness]

09:35 PM on 02/12/2012

I take private lessons from a Buddhist Monk, raised in the Shaolin Temple in China. He is a World Champion Kung Fu Master. I can assure you, it is not boring! Find a good teacher, it makes all the difference. I have been doing pilates for 8 years, I can do 100 sit-ups and not break a sweat. 15 minutes into learning new form in Tai Chi I am dripping in sweat! Next I will take up Sword Tai Chi!

[madcityy]

12:03 PM on 02/11/2012

WHAT R U WAITING FOR?? SAVE UR LIFE ,,,DO THIS STUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

[C Karen Stopford]

02:09 PM on 02/09/2012

As a student of Chinese medicine, it never ceases to amaze me when modern medical science "discovers" the benefits of something that has been practiced for millennia. Hopefully articles like this will get the word out, and people will have an opportunity to take charge of their health - baby steps, but it is something that a person can do for themselves without dependence on drugs or devices, and it improves quality of life.

[David4FreePress]

01:39 PM on 02/10/2012

Hi Karen,
I agree completely. I want to add that the researchers should not be confused with our healthcare system. The latter is organized to control healthcare for economic purposes, and this is the reason why Western medicine is deficient. The researchers on the other hand are always brave souls who work in an area deficient in adequate funding, and they face disrespect from medical colleagues who would rather keep patients on long-term ineffective drug regimens. The researchers and others in this field go out of their way to treat medical issues that do not have an adequate answer in Western medicine. This bias against Eastern practices is economic. It isn't a question of which is better, but rather, how might all knowledge be combined to do better.
Unfortunately, this bias isn't going to go away. So it is very important for everyone to understand that the bias is ECONOMIC and not medical.
Welcome to the fray Karen. I am sorry that the outlook is not rosier.

[Zach Clifton]

11:04 PM on 02/10/2012

I totally agree. We have made yet another "Discovery".

[john blahuta]

11:20 PM on 02/12/2012

if it were that easy why does the medical profession not know about it. sorry, but sounds more like a scam to me.