Health Conditions News

Practicing tai chi may help people with Parkinson's disease improve their movement and balance and reduce their risk of falls. In a new study, tai chi provided more benefits than two other exercise programs. Tai chi is an ancient Chinese art that involves slow, controlled movements. The study included 195 people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease. This disease causes tremors and problems with movement and balance. People in the study were randomly divided into 3 groups. They were assigned to do tai chi, resistance exercise or stretching. Sessions were an hour each, twice a week. The program lasted 24 weeks. The tai chi group showed more improvements than the other groups in balance, control of movement, and the length and speed of people's stride when walking. In other measurements, such as reducing falls, the tai chi group did better than the stretching group and as well as the resistance group. The improvements lasted at least 3 months after the program ended. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study. The Associated Press wrote about it February 9.

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

When it comes to natural remedies, tai chi seems to be the next big thing.

Originally a form of self-defense practiced in ancient China, tai chi has evolved into a form of exercise as well. Some have called it "meditation in motion."

The practice involves a series of practiced and precise postures and slow, continuous movements. The emphasis is on relaxation. There are several styles of tai chi. Each can be adjusted for people with physical limitations.

Recent research, published in mainstream medical journals, has found benefits from practicing tai chi. They included:

• Reduced anxiety and depression
• Lower blood pressure
• Less pain and fatigue among people with fibromyalgia
• Improved measures of bone health that may postpone or prevent osteoporosis
• Improved quality of life for people with heart failure

The latest evidence of a potential benefit comes from a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers studied whether tai chi could improve body control, reduce falls and increase ease of movement in people with Parkinson's disease.

The new study included 195 people with Parkinson's disease. They were divided into 3 treatment groups:

• Tai chi
• Resistance training
• Stretching exercises

Each exercise session lasted an hour. People had two sessions a week for six months.

People assigned to tai chi improved more than those in the other groups in several ways:

• Ability to move (including reaching, leaning or shifting weight without falling)
• Accuracy of movement (heading directly toward a target without "weaving")
• Gait (including stride length and speed)
• Ability to arise from a chair, walk 10 feet and return
• Episodes of falling

These benefits lasted for at least three months after the end of the exercise program. There were no significant "side effects" linked with tai chi.

Why does this matter? Parkinson's disease is a common condition in which certain nerve cells in the brain die. This leads to tremors and problems with walking and coordination. Major injuries from falls are a big problem for people with Parkinson's disease. This disease affects an estimated half a million people in the United States. Current treatments don’t always work. And even when they work well, they don't cure the disease.

If other research confirms the results of this study, tai chi could become a routine part of treatment.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

One change you can make now is in how you think about tai chi. I've thought of it as a popular meditative exercise enjoyed by millions worldwide. But it could be much more than that.

While recent studies suggest that tai chi can be helpful for several conditions, it’s not always clear how or why it works. Perhaps we'll understand it better over time. In the meantime, we shouldn't reject the possibility that it might help people with certain diseases.

I've suggested tai chi to some of my patients with fibromyalgia. Some were so skeptical they rejected the idea. It's too bad, because they might have improved had they given tai chi a chance.

If you're interested in tai chi for a medical condition, talk to your doctor about it. He or she may recommend someone with experience in teaching tai chi to people with your condition. Let the teacher know of any health issues and physical limitations you have, as the exercise program may need to be adjusted.

If you've been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, ask your doctor about this study. But don't stop taking medicines your doctor has prescribed without talking to your doctor about the risks and benefits of doing so. Even if tai helps people with Parkinson's disease, it's unlikely it would replace medicines.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

If other researchers confirm that tai chi helps people with Parkinson's disease, several questions will arise:

• Which style of tai chi is best?
• What is the best schedule of exercise? This study used an hour twice a week for 24 weeks. However, other schedules might be just as good or better.
• Can tai chi help all types of Parkinson's disease? This study enrolled only people with "idiopathic" Parkinson's disease. This means that no cause could be identified. But some people develop Parkinson’s disease after head trauma or after taking certain medicines. It's not clear whether tai chi would be just as helpful for them.

Undoubtedly, researchers will study the potential benefit of tai chi for other conditions. The list of conditions that tai chi may help is growing quickly. It's hard to predict just how long that list will get.