Improve Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms with Tai Chi
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.
“tai chi can be used as an add-on to current physical therapies and medications to ease some of the key problems faced by people with Parkinson’s disease.” – Peter Wayne
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is an incurable progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system. The condition is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. There are around seven million people worldwide and one million people in the U.S. living with PD and about 60,000 people are diagnosed with PD every year. PD is associated with aging as the vast majority of patients are diagnosed after age 50. In fact, it has been speculated that everyone would eventually develop PD if they lived long enough.
Its physical symptoms include resting tremor, slow movements, muscle rigidity, problems with posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, and slurring of speech. PD itself is not fatal but is often associated with related complications which can reduce life expectancy, such as falls, choking, and cardiovascular problems. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) also has psychological effects, especially cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression. All of these symptoms result in a marked reduction in the quality of life.
There are no cures for Parkinson’s Disease or even treatments to slow its progression. There are only treatments that can produce symptomatic relief. So, there is a need to discover new and different treatments. Mindfulness training has been found to improve the psychological symptoms and the quality of life with PD patients. In addition, Tai Chi practice has been shown to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Hence, Tai Chi may be an excellent treatment for the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
In today’s Research News article “Tai Chi versus routine exercise in patients with early- or mild-stage Parkinson’s disease: a retrospective cohort analysis.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7013627/), Li and colleagues recruited adult patients with Parkinson’s Disease and randomly assigned them to receive either 90 minutes, 3 times per week for two months of routine exercise or of a 6-move Yang Tai Chi practice. They were measured before and after training for walking speed, up-and-go from chair, functional reach, functional activities, and falls over 6-month periods.
They found that both the exercise and Tai Chi practices produced significant improvements in walking speed, up-and-go from chair, and functional reach and significantly decreased numbers of falls over the 6-month period following treatment. But the Tai Chi group had superior outcomes compared to routine exercise. In addition, a greater number of Tai Chi participants were able to withdraw from medication or reduce medication doses. No adverse events were recorded.
The results suggest that both exercise and Tai Chi practices produce significant improvements in the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease but Tai Chi practice produces even greater improvements. The reduction in falls observed in the Tai Chi group are particularly important as falls are a significant contributor to injuries and mortality in Parkinson’s Disease patients.
It’s important to note that Tai Chi is a gentle and safe mindfulness practice. It is appropriate for all ages including the elderly and for individuals with illnesses that limit their activities or range of motion. It is inexpensive to administer, can be performed in groups or alone, at home or in a facility, and can be quickly learned. In addition, it can be practiced in social groups. This can make it fun, improving the likelihood of long-term engagement in the practice. Hence, Tai Chi practice would appear to be a superior practice to be added to routine treatment for the improvements of the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
So, improve Parkinson’s Disease symptoms with Tai Chi.
“Daily Tai Chi practice is extremely helpful to those with chronic ailments and illnesses like cancer, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, peripheral neuropathy, respiratory problems and irritable bowel syndrome to name a few,” – Mwezo Kujiweza
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies
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Study Summary
Li, Q., Liu, J., Dai, F., & Dai, F. (2020). Tai Chi versus routine exercise in patients with early- or mild-stage Parkinson’s disease: a retrospective cohort analysis. Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas, 53(2), e9171. https://doi.org/10.1590/1414-431X20199171
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease cannot be cured but symptoms can be improved by making use of physical therapy. The objective of the study was to compare the effect of routine exercises and Tai Chi on physical and clinical performance in elderly people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Data from interviews, physical and clinical performance, and levodopa consumption of 500 patients with confirmed Parkinson’s disease (severity level I to III) were collected and analyzed. Participants who received 80 min/day Tai Chi 3 times/week for 2 months were included in the Tai Chi (TC) group (n=250) and those who received 90 min/day routine exercise 3 times/week for 2 months were included in routine exercise (RE) group (n=250). Timed up-and-go, 50-foot speed walk, and functional reach were improved by Tai Chi and routine exercise (P<0.05 for all) but intensities of Tai Chi for improvement of such parameters was higher than routine exercise. Incidence of falls was decreased by both physical therapies (P<0.05 for all) but more for the TC group (P<0.0001, q=38.512). In the TC group, at the end of follow-up, 22 (9%) patients were successful in withdrawal of levodopa treatment. Also, the dose of levodopa was decreased in patients of the TC group who had to continue levodopa. Tai Chi had the potential to slow down the progression of symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and delayed the introduction of levodopa (level of evidence: III).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7013627/