Tai Chi as medicine [Archive] - Kung Fu Magazine Forums

GeneChing

04-09-2007, 09:25 AM

This in from Reuters recently.

Tai chi boosts elderly immune system against shingles
Fri Mar 23, 2007 3:51PM EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters Life! (http://www.reuters.com/article/gc08/idUSL234039820070323)) - A slow-movement form of exercise known as tai chi can strengthen the immune system in the elderly and boost the potency of a vaccine against the virus that causes shingles, researchers said on Friday.

They found that tai chi, a westernized version of the 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art, improved the immune system in the elderly against the painful, blistery rash that is caused by the same virus as chickenpox.

When tai chi, which involves a series of movements, was combined with a vaccine against shingles the immunity in the patients reached levels seen in younger people.

"These are exciting findings, because the positive results of this study also have implications for other infectious diseases like influenza and pneumonia," said Professor Michael Irwin, lead author of the study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

"Since older adults often show blunted protective responses to vaccines, this study suggests that tai chi is an approach that might complement and augment the efficacy of other vaccines, such as influenza," he added in a statement.

Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus. People who had chicken pox as children are susceptible to shingles. The virus can remain dormant in the body and as the immune system weakens with age it may cause shingles, which can be very painful and usually lasts three to five weeks.

About one third of adults over 60 years old will suffer from shingles, according to the researchers.

In a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Irwin and his team compared 112 elderly people who took tai chi classes three times a week for 16 weeks and others who attended health education classes.

Both groups were also immunized with a dose of a shingles vaccine. At the end of the 25-week study the level of immunity of people who did tai chi was two times higher than the other group. They also functioned better physically and mentally.

It's an expanded study of earlier work done by Prof. Michael Irwin. Here's an older report: (http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030923-000001.html)

Tai Chi for the Shingles
Chinese meditation and exercise strengthen the body's immune system and are particularly beneficial for elderly adults.
By:William Whitney

Meditation and exercise are good for you: both practices improve flexibility, reduce stress and keep you in shape. As it turns out, these habits may help strengthen your immune system as well. A recent study of elderly adults who practiced Tai Chi finds the martial art increased immunity to shingles, a painful rash related to chicken pox.

Chickenpox attacks are caused by the varicella zoster virus. Children who get the disease generally recover quickly, but the body doesn't completely get rid of the virus—it remains dormant in the nerve tissue of the body. With age, the weakening immune system may allow the virus to re-emerge as shingles: a painful rash that causes pain lasting for months of years.

To find out if the virus might be held in check through a regular program of meditative exercise, Michael Irwin a professor at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute conducted a comparative study. He asked half of a group of 36 elderly adults to follow a 15-week program of Tai Chi Chih, a westernized version of the 3,000-year-old martial art Tai Chi Chuan. A week after the program was complete, Irwin measured the subjects' immune response to the shingles virus. As compared to the group who hadn't been exercising, this half of the study showed an average 50 percent increase in the immune cells. This helps control shingles and other diseases as well.

The Tai Chi students' overall health improved. Adults who suffered from physical impairments, such as a limp, showed the greatest improvement.

Although the study focused only on the shingles virus, Irwin expects similar results for other diseases. "I would expect to see changes across a whole host of responses for a whole host of various viral infections," he says.

Tai Chi Chih is a standardized series of 20 movements developed for older adults. It combines meditation, relaxation and components of aerobic exercise. It is easy to learn, and can be taught from a manual.

The report appeared in the September issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. Irwin plans a follow-up study to examine the duration of the increased immune response, and to investigate how Tai Chi actually improves health.

cjurakpt

04-09-2007, 06:06 PM

it's not a big deal, really - if you engage in any activity that increases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, you take the body out of the inflammatory immune response; that's why you can see all kinds of "miracle" cures occur when people engage in various types of alternative healing - the body can take any number of different inputs and create a generalized "de-stress" response; this works best with chronic, non-resolving issues that typically are someho related to the inflammatory / immune response, but that the organism just can't work out for any number of reasons; doing an activity like TCC works the system at a level where the parasympathetics are tonified to re-balance overall autonomic tone; you also decrease aberrant muscle tone of the rib cage / respiratory diaphragm and pelvic diaphragm, which all create a more healthy environment for abdominal and thoracic visceral function (if you digest and eliminate better, that takes a lot of stress off the system to begin with - not glamorous, but it works); the nervous system also becomes less aggitated, and that can help shingles, because it often occurs along a specific dermatomal pathway associated with a specific spinal innervation level; finally, if you do TCC correctly, you stimulate lymphatic drainage, which enhances the clearing of metabolic by-products in the body, again improving overall function; finally, psychologically you start to feel better, which creates a positive feedback loop to continually reinforce what is happening structurally...

GeneChing

04-11-2007, 12:08 PM

cjurakpt

04-11-2007, 12:36 PM

...but don't miss the forest for the trees. I'm sure all of us who practice Tai Chi see its therapeutic benefits on many subjective levels. Tai Chi is good food, right?

Where Prof. Michael Irwin's is interesting is the fact that he just got international press (Reuters) for his research. I find any published academic research to be a fairly big deal, especially when it spills over into the popular press. As a publisher, I'm keenly interested in the perception of Tai Chi by the general public. The Reuters coverage of Irwin's work totally fits into how America wants to perceive Tai Chi.

The other thing I find very interesting about the first study is that it's based on Tai Chi Chih. ;)

when I say no big deal, what I mean is that 1) from a western objective anatomical / physiological perspective it makes perfect sense - as oposed to somone being like "OMG, I just can't believe that TC would have this effect, I can't imagine how itcwould."; and 2) that it is not something particularly unique to TC per se either: if we generalize the type of activity TC encompasses, we can find correlates in many other systems of movement, eastern & western (yoga, Feldenkreis, Arika Gym, etc.) - so, I'm actually sanding back looking at the entire forest, saying that there are many types of different trees, and that many have similar effects deriving from their intrinsic "tree-ness" (:confused: )

but I see your point and agree that it's great to have that type of press - again, I just hate to see it relegated to the reaslm of the phantastic - the TC, because it's some sort of esoteric eastern practice, has this unique effect that we can't explain in terms more digestable to the western perspective...

faizal80

04-13-2007, 08:33 AM

I am new to the whole tai chi martial art. I was first introduced to it by a friend i met in a book store. He introduced me to a teacher and i became a believer, as they say. I met this guy who couldn't move his body because of arthritis and after a year you would never tell he had this condition. Not to mention the teacher, he was wounded in vietnam and was told he may not walk on one of his leg again. He meet a soldier who started teaching him northern shoalin kung fu and tai chi.
I just wanted to shear this with everyone. Hopefully i will start studying tai chi from a teacher that teaches pai lum kung fu and tai chi. tell me what you guys think about this.

Water Dragon

04-22-2007, 08:39 PM

I read, "Tai Chi Combat Shingles", and immediately thought Gene was pushing a video of a form using Chinese roofing tiles as a weapon.

bodhitree

04-01-2008, 07:52 AM

Study: Tai Chi good for people with type II diabetes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7322665.stm

here it is.

GLW

04-01-2008, 11:52 AM

Granted, I practice Taijiquan and have for a long time. I like it a lot...

But, studies like these are flawed. They do not mention an obvious control group...that is, where is the group that did low impact aerobics or some other type of exercise the same way?

They mention in one study doing 60 to 90 minutes of Taijiquan 3 times a week and having a video to refer to when at home. They should also do this with something like Yoga, Pilates, NIA, even, god forbid, Jazzercise.

From what they published, you can't tell if Taijiquan did any better than any other form of exercise in helping the people with Type II Diabetes. You also can't tell if it did any worse, if Qi Gong by itself would have had an impact, and so on.

They do mention – just in passing sort of – the benefits of stress reduction on their Diabetes. However, again, the approach as described really doesn’t make much distinction between Taijiquan practice and other exercise/stress reduction approaches.

It has long been known that one of the things that will help Type II Diabetes is exercise. So, no big surprise that Taijiquan is a form of exercise. What I would like to see is if there is any BETTER benefit over plain exercise.

GeneChing

04-02-2008, 12:13 PM

there's some more specifics in this report

Tai Chi Helps Improve Type 2 Diabetes (http://www.newsmax.com/health/Tai_chil_helps_diabetes/2008/04/01/84553.html)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 8:25 AM

Tai Chi exercises can improve the control of type 2 diabetes, suggests a small study, published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Tai Chi Chuan is a traditional Chinese martial art, which combines deep diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation with gentle movement.

The research team assessed the impact of a 12 week programme of Tai Chi exercises on the T helper cell activity of 30 patients with type 2 diabetes and 30 healthy people of the same age.

T cells are a key component of the body’s immune system, producing powerful chemicals, including interleukins, which alter the immune response.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with chronic inflammation, caused by excessive glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).

After the 12 week programme glycated haemoglobin (when excess blood sugar combines with the oxygen transporter in red blood cells) levels fell significantly from 7.59% to 7.16 in the diabetic patients.

And levels of interleukin-12, which boosts the immune response, doubled. Levels of interleukin-4, which suppresses the immune response, fell.

T cell activity also significantly increased.

Strenuous physical activity depresses the immune system response, but moderate exercise seems to have the opposite effect, say the authors. Tai Chi is classified as moderate exercise.

Previous research has shown that it boosts cardiovascular and respiratory function, as well as improving flexibility and relieving stress, they add.

Tai Chi may prompt a fall in blood glucose levels, or improve blood glucose metabolism, sparking a drop in the inflammatory response.

Alternatively, the exercise may boost fitness levels and the feeling of wellbeing, which may then boost the health of the immune system, they suggest.

In a separate study, also published ahead of print, a 12 week programme of Tai Chi and Qigong (another Chinese exercise) prompted a significant fall in blood glucose levels and significant improvements in other indicators of the metabolic syndrome in 11 middle aged to older adults.

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms, including high blood pressure and high blood glucose that is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The 13 participants exercised for up to 1.5 hours, up to three times a week, and were also encouraged to practice the exercises at home.

At the end of the 12 weeks, they had lost an average of 3 kg in weight and their waist size had dropped by an average of almost 3 cm.

Their blood pressure also fell significantly, and by more than would have been expected from the weight loss alone, say the authors.

Three people no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.

Participants said they slept better, had more energy, felt less pain and had fewer food cravings while on the programme.

cjurakpt

04-02-2008, 03:14 PM

it's nice to see - but again, as GLW pointed out, is there anything particularly "special" about taiji that makes it a better choice of exercise than, say, taking a brisk walk, or doing any sort of moderate exercise program consistently? there would need to be comparative groups run to see if taiji conferred anything beyond something like Pilates, etc. (personally, I think the results would be about the same);

what might, in fact, make it "better", are things not directly related to the actual movements, but rather factors that contribute to the psychological state of participants: for example, it's exotic, as compared to something like aerobics, and as the saying goes "the local ginger never tastes as good..."; also, taiji is usually done in a group setting and in a manner that allows for frequent interaction (e.g. - push hands), so there is a definite social aspect (which in and of itself has physiological "de-stressing" benefits); finally, it's perceived as open-ended: meaning that, as opposed to an aerobic program which is somewhat of a finite skill set, taiji is portrayed as being an endless journey, meaning that there is always the possibility finding something new in it - and we as humans thrive on novelty, that could help keep people interested over time; actually, you could make the argument that these factors alone might have caused the measured changes in blood values, based on the fact that stress levels are higher in lonely, bored people

of course, it's good that this sort of research is done, because it at least shows that taiji in and of itself "works" in a way that you can substantiate it within the healthcare field, and even to third party payers...

GLW

04-02-2008, 03:42 PM

Exactly what I was getting at. I have yet to see a study that had one group do nothing, one do a good program of Taijiquan or Qi Gong, and then another group do something that would sort of simulate the external obvious aspects of Taijiquan.

For example, in this case, they mention the stress reduction aspect as well as the exercise aspect. So, for the third group, you could do something like have a group of people that did 60 to 90 minutes of walking at the same heart rate as the Taijiquan group to this the right aerobic level...and add in with the walking relaxation techniques such as creative visualization....but deliberately exclude any form of breathing that would accidentally make this something closer to Qi Gong.

What I would hope to see is that the third group did better than the group that did nothing and the Taijiquan group did better than the third group.

A well constructed study like this would generate a much larger interest and be harder to refute than most studies I have seen.

Xiao3 Meng4

04-02-2008, 04:48 PM

Exactly what I was getting at. I have yet to see a study that had one group do nothing, one do a good program of Taijiquan or Qi Gong, and then another group do something that would sort of simulate the external obvious aspects of Taijiquan.

These results aren't all that surprising, are they?

Instead of comparing a group doing nothing to a group doing Tai Ji, I'd rather see a study comparing a group doing nothing to a group doing Zhan Zhuang. Not that the results should be any more unpredictable...

CSP

GLW

04-03-2008, 06:27 AM

Actually, the way the study is reported, you can't discern if the benefit is due to Taijiquan or simply due to doing some form of exercise that also has a component of stress reduction mixed with the low impact low level aerobic activity,

However, in these cases, either the person running the study already has an idea of what they want to show or they do not know how to set up the control groups to measure what they want to measure.

With this study, you can say that Taijiquan benefits a Type II Diabetic...but you can't say it benefits them any more or any less than other forms of activity that may be studied.

Nowhere close to definitive.

GeneChing

04-03-2008, 09:36 AM

Eric Olson

04-03-2008, 09:59 AM

But, studies like these are flawed. They do not mention an obvious control group...that is, where is the group that did low impact aerobics or some other type of exercise the same way?

One thing I wonder too is how can you do a controlled, randomized, DOUBLE-BLINDED study for exercise. Is it even possible?

The researchers could be blinded but there's no way to blind the person doing the exercise. There is no "placebo" exercise that you could do.

How might this bias the results of exercise studies?

EO

GLW

04-03-2008, 12:23 PM

The medical advice for Type II Diabetics and pre-Diabetics has consistently been to maintain a good weight, eat the correct diet - low fat, lo carb, high protein and fiber, and do aerobic exercise.

So, unless this advice is totally off base, what i REALLY want to know from a study is if Taijiquan, Qi Gong, or a combination of both is any better than any other form of exercise program at helping to control a person's Diabetes.

To this end, you really would not have to include the non-exercise group unless you wanted to lay a baseline of "See, exercise in and of itself does a lot of good..." This would then get you out of the ethical problem os "withholding treatment" even though a large number of people with Type II Diabetes or pre-Diabetes are already couch potatoes.

Now, maybe I am just sensitized...living in Houston with a couple of very large medical schools and a large well known medical center... Quoting a study like this in justifying why to take up Taijiquan over some other program will basically get your lunch eaten.

cjurakpt

04-03-2008, 03:27 PM

One thing I wonder too is how can you do a controlled, randomized, DOUBLE-BLINDED study for exercise. Is it even possible?

The researchers could be blinded but there's no way to blind the person doing the exercise. There is no "placebo" exercise that you could do.

How might this bias the results of exercise studies?

EO
well, of course, you can't placebo movement per se - either people are engaged in kinetic activity, or they are not; I think what would differentiate qigong from aerobic exercise is the specifics of the movements and also how they are coordinated by with the breath; for example, some of the qigong I do utilizes end range breathing a great deal, meaning that one maintains an inhale or exhale to the point where the impetus to reverse it becomes physiological as opposed to voluntary (ok, not to be done by just anyone, I agree, especially not someone at risk for aortic aneurism, LOL); that is something that could not be replicated via placebo, if people in a "walking" group just walk without specific instruction regarding breathing in time with their stepping, for example; the idea is that, coordinated breathing practice could have some impact on ANS, the lymphatics, etc., so you could conjecture a differential there...

The medical advice for Type II Diabetics and pre-Diabetics has consistently been to maintain a good weight, eat the correct diet - low fat, lo carb, high protein and fiber, and do aerobic exercise.

So, unless this advice is totally off base, what i REALLY want to know from a study is if Taijiquan, Qi Gong, or a combination of both is any better than any other form of exercise program at helping to control a person's Diabetes.

To this end, you really would not have to include the non-exercise group unless you wanted to lay a baseline of "See, exercise in and of itself does a lot of good..." This would then get you out of the ethical problem os "withholding treatment" even though a large number of people with Type II Diabetes or pre-Diabetes are already couch potatoes.

Now, maybe I am just sensitized...living in Houston with a couple of very large medical schools and a large well known medical center... Quoting a study like this in justifying why to take up Taijiquan over some other program will basically get your lunch eaten.
again, same idea - it's not so much what you do, but how you do it: if I teach taiji movements and don't talk about details like coordination of breathing with movement, coordination of eye movements with body movements, specific kinesthetic awareness of weight transfer etc., then I am not teaching taiji, i'm just having people move around slowly - what a good research study would do would be to articulate these specific parameters in terms of physiologically / biomechanically what is going on, and project their possible impact based on analysis of how they might reasonably interact with autonomics, lymphatics, etc.; this of course means that you have to leave behind all the mumbo about "qi" and whatnot, and simply analyze the parameters of what is going on in as relatively objective a manner as possible - so for instance we can talk about coordinating eye and body movement in terms of the occulo gyro cephallic reflex, which is the phenomenon of muscles priming to activate to move the body in the direction that the eyes are looking, ostensibly leading to more appropriate agonist / antagonist relationships in the muscular system, and possibly leading to more appropriate postural tone overall in a group that practiced this way as opposed to one who didn't bother to coordinate where they were going with where they were looking (a not uncommon phenomenon, LOL);
so again, we need to identify specific parameters of an activity in order to differentiate
it from something that resembles it in another capacity; only then can you determine if the intrinsic properties of something like qigong or taiji are inherently more "health producing" than something else that does not contain those things; of course, if that is the case, then one might suggest that these parameters could conceivably be practiced in and of themselves in an alternative superstructure of movement, meaning that they do not require the architecture per se of taiji in order to be effective, LOL...

cjurakpt

04-03-2008, 03:36 PM

...as is the fact that they are getting exposure. Now two media sources have latched on to the story and reported it to the general public. That's interesting to me. As a reporter of martial arts, I'm always intrigued to see which stories get reported outside of the martial arts circles. That's why I post so many news article clippings (if that term could be used for the web) here on the forum. It's very important to see how the public perceives us.

absolutely; it really exists on two layers at the same time: layperson perspective and "expert" (?) perspective; each sub-set will have their own requirements and will vet each example differently; what it indicates sociologically is that the interest is there, to examine something exo-cultural utilizing the endo-cultural apparatus of objective quantification; since most people are not trained researchers, they will simply cut to the chase and look to see if anything changed, and not be so concerned with why or how it happened; on the one hand, this means that something like taiji can enter into a comfort zone for more people to try; on the other, it can give a false sense of cause / effect; and, as Gene points out, it is fascinating to observe the process by which specialized esoterica becomes part of the popular cultural consciousness - kinda like watching galaxies collide...

Eric Olson

04-03-2008, 09:17 PM

GeneChing

07-11-2008, 10:03 AM

This is a very subjective article, but I liked the thread title so it will sit well here. Perhaps more will follow...

Tai chi helps arthritis patient (http://news10now.com/content/health/119828/tai-chi-helps-arthritis-patient/Default.aspx)
07/11/2008 05:00 AM By: Marcie Fraser

You may have seen them in a class or taken a class yourself, tai chi an ancient form of Chinese martial arts. Often used for meditation is now used for, medication.

Her name is Lee Shaw; she's been inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame.

"When I was five I used to stand there and say, I want to do that," Shaw said.

Her music fills the room, the notes transcend from her fingers. They move smoothly from key to key, a lifelong passion for music that almost came to an end.

"I damaged the cartilage in my thumb and because the body abhors a vacuum, it sent calcium to fill it up."There was one period of time when I didn't think I was going to be able to play again,” Shaw said.

She developed a degenerative disease called osteo-arthritis.

“Typically osteo-arthritis develops as a wear and tear process in various joints. There are some joints that are affected more often than others. For instance, the fingers, the neck, the low back, the hips and the knees,” said Dr. Chris Huyck.

Symptoms include low grade pain with activity and stiffness. Some folks looking for relief find it with tai chi

"It's systematically designed to help people with arthritis because the steps are in higher stance than in traditional tai chi, which is an ancient Chinese martial arts form. It's very fluid, the movements are very circular in motion and they flow one right into the other, " said Jane Perkins-Huyck, instructor.

"Tai chi is very effective because it is extremely well controlled. The movements are slow, it emphasizes balance and appropriate breathing and it allows patients to use their muscles and tone their muscles without hurting them or harming them, "said Doctor Hucyk.

After a warm up, there are six basic movements. The consistent weight transfer and meditation help the body relax, allowing the muscles to stretch, improving the range of motion.

There is no cure. It affects more women than men. Treatment includes tai chi, certain medications and lifestyle changes.

Shaw found relief, both mentally and physically.

cjurakpt

07-11-2008, 07:38 PM

I think that a big reason it works on something like arthritis is that practicing taiji (correctly) will help take the body out of stress / chronic immune response stage and so you get less generalized / localized inflammation; not necessarily something unique to taiji, but certainly one of its well-established benefits;

I think it also is of great benefit because it allows the motivated patient to be actively involved in their own treatment, not just be on the receiving end of meds

BTW, as far as "subjective" or anecdotal studies / case histories - they can be actually quite valuable in regards to the body of literature / evidence on a given topic; they are not the end-all, of course, but they provide a balance to the randomized, double blind types studies that can be good in regards to general trends, but will inevitably miss out on the nuances that case studies will give you

Vajramusti

07-12-2008, 06:52 AM

A pretty good post

joy chaudhuri

cjurakpt

07-12-2008, 07:54 AM

A pretty good post

joy chaudhuri

thank you

////////

GeneChing

04-07-2009, 10:47 AM

I took the liberty of changing bodhitree's title. I want to develop a repository thread for medical and therapeutic research on tai chi. There's probably more stray medical and therapy threads, which I may merge as I find them, but I want to have them all in the same place for now. It makes for easier archival research.

Here's a fresh one:

Regimens: Tai Chi Shows Promise as a Stroke Therapy (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/health/07regi.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper)
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
Published: April 6, 2009

Stroke patients who practice tai chi may improve their balance — reducing the risk of falls, researchers say.

Writing in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, the researchers reported improvement in volunteers after as little as six weeks of training. The lead author was Stephanie S. Y. Au-Yeung of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

In earlier research, one of the article’s co-authors, Christina W. Y. Hui-Chan, found that tai chi improved balance among healthy elderly people. For this study, the researchers wanted to see if the same effect would occur among stroke patients.

They took 136 people who had a stroke six months or more earlier and divided them into two groups. Over 12 weeks, one group did general exercise, the other a modified version of tai chi.

The tai chi group met once a week for an hour, and were asked to practice at home about three hours a week.

While the exercise group showed little improvement in balance, the tai chi group made significant gains when they were tested on weight-shifting, reaching and how well they could maintain their stability on a platform that moved like a bus.

The benefit of tai chi, the researchers said, is that once the forms are mastered, they can be done without supervision.

Still, they said, some patients lapsed in their practice after the training was over. They might be more likely to continue, the study said, if tai chi were available at places like community centers.

Short-form Tai Chi Improves Standing Balance of People With Chronic Stroke (http://nnr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1545968308326425v1)
Stephanie S. Y. Au-Yeung, PhD*, Christina W. Y. Hui-Chan, PhD, and Jervis C. S. Tang, MSW

Abstract
Background and Objective. Our previous findings showed that 4 weeks of intensive Tai Chi practice improved standing balance in healthy seniors. This study set out to investigate whether Tai Chi could improve standing balance in subjects with chronic stroke. Methods. One hundred thirty-six subjects >6 months after stroke were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 62) practicing general exercises or a Tai Chi group (n = 74) for 12 weeks of training. Each week, 1 hour of group practice was supplemented by 3 hours of self-practice. We used a short-form of Tai Chi consisting of 12 forms that require whole-body movements to be performed in a continuous sequence and demands concentration. A blinded assessor examined subjects at baseline, 6 weeks (mid-program), 12 weeks (end-program), and 18 weeks (follow-up). The 3 outcome measures were (1) dynamic standing balance evaluated by the center of gravity (COG) excursion during self-initiated body leaning in 4 directions, (2) standing equilibrium evaluated in sensory challenged conditions, and (3) functional mobility assessed by Timed-up-and-go score. Mixed model repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine between-group differences. Results. When compared with the controls, the Tai Chi group showed greater COG excursion amplitude in leaning forward, backward, and toward the affected and nonaffected sides (P < .05), as well as faster reaction time in moving the COG toward the nonaffected side (P = .014) in the end-program and follow-up assessments. The Tai Chi group also demonstrated better reliance on vestibular integration for balance control at end-program (P = .038). However, neither group improved significantly in Timed-up-and-go scores. Conclusions. Twelve weeks of short-form Tai Chi produced specific standing balance improvements in people with chronic stroke that outlasted training for 6 weeks.

RonH

04-07-2009, 10:57 AM

It's very important to see how the public perceives us.

It's nice, but in the end, I say fu@k the public. We learn the arts for ourselves, not for them.

Raipizo

04-07-2009, 11:39 AM

well yeah of course any exercise is a good thing for a person with type 2 they need less fats in their diet along with exercise and tai chi is exercise lol

GeneChing

04-10-2009, 10:21 AM

But someone went to the trouble of sending it to me today, so I'll post it here.

Exercise: A Little Tai Chi Can Go a Long Way Against Shingles (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/health/nutrition/17exer.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=tai%20chi&st=cse)
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
Published: April 17, 2007

Older people who practice tai chi may be better equipped to fight off the virus that causes shingles or, if they do get the disease, may have a milder case of it, researchers say.

Shingles, a painful nerve condition, is caused by the virus that causes chickenpox. The virus, varicella-zoster, can linger in the body for many years after a case of chickenpox and then emerge as shingles. The disease generally affects people older than 50, as their level of antibodies to the virus decreases.

Tai chi, the centuries-old practice from China, is considered a martial art, but it includes aerobic activity, relaxation and meditation. It has been found in the past to strengthen people’s immune systems.

In a study paid for by the National Institutes of Health, researchers took 112 volunteers ages 59 to 86 and split them into two groups. One was given 40-minute tai chi lessons three times a week for 16 weeks. The other was given health-counseling classes.

The researchers, led by Dr. Michael R. Irwin of the University of California, Los Angeles, found that the people who did tai chi improved their immunity to varicella-zoster. They also found that when the volunteers were vaccinated later against the virus, the tai chi practitioners had a better response to the vaccine. The study appears in the current issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The finding that the exercise significantly raised the volunteers’ immunity to the shingles virus suggests that it may also offer help fighting off other viruses, the study said.

GeneChing

04-13-2009, 10:28 AM

more grist for the mill

Tai Chi helps stroke survivors recover (http://media.www.chicagoflame.com/media/storage/paper519/news/2009/04/13/Pulse/Tai-Chi.Helps.Stroke.Survivors.Recover-3707701.shtml)
Shravan Sarvepalli
Issue date: 4/13/09

A stroke sometimes causes permanent damage. Survivors have impaired balance. It not only causes discomfort on a daily basis, but could also prevent people from performing essential tasks. Lack of balance also increases the risk of debilitating falls.

Tai Chi, translated as "internal martial art," or "supreme ultimate boxing," is a form of martial arts exercise that involves slow movements of the head, back and limbs. It is performed with deep concentration with the aim of improving the flow of 'qi,' a vital energy. Currently, it is widely practiced in China and increasingly in the West. Tai Chi has been shown to have a wide range of health benefits, including balance and is recommended by doctors who practice Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese practice, was previously shown to improve balance. It helped patients with Arthritis patients who have trouble with balance. Christina Hui-Chan, Professor and Head of Physical Therapy at UIC, and Stephanie Au-Yeung at Hong-Kong Polytechnic University applied this finding to show that Tai Chi is beneficial for stroke survivors.

In this study, over a hundred people who had stroke in the six months prior to the therapy were recruited in Hong-Kong. They attended weekly training classes and also practiced at home for a total of three hours a week. Although the training lasted three months, most people were able to master it in eight weeks.

"The tai chi group did particularly better in conditions that required them to use their balance control. In only six weeks, we saw significant improvements. The ability to shift your weight is very important because all reaching tasks require it," said Hui-Chan.

At the end, they underwent a series of tests that involved keeping their balance while standing on moving surfaces, shifting weights, or leaning in different directions. Participants who performed Tai Chi did better on several measures compared to a group of subjects that did not take the class, but just did stretches and deep breathing.

Tai Chi is now popular in the West, and stroke survivors have many opportunities to be trained in this exercise. It cannot be easily learned with a trainer. "It can be taught at community centers, YWCAs or YMCAs, or in parks in the summer," added Hui-Chan.

Dr. Hui-Chan's research will be published in the coming issue of the Journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. UIC also offers Energy Martial Arts, comparable to Tai Chi, through the Body and Brain Club.

For more information, e-mail bnbuic2006@gmail.com or stop by the Student Recreation Facility on 737 S. Halsted.

GeneChing

05-04-2009, 10:28 AM

10 modified forms from the classical Yang style - I wonder what the modifications were exactly.

Ancient Chinese Exercise Relieves Knee Pain (http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/545482/)

Description
Tai chi is effective in the treatment of pain and physical impairment in people with severe knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Newswise — Tai chi is effective in the treatment of pain and physical impairment in people with severe knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Osteoarthritis, or OA as it is commonly called, is the most common joint disease affecting middle-age and older people. It is characterized by progressive damage to the joint cartilage—the slippery material at the end of long bones—and causes changes in the structures around the joint. These changes can include fluid accumulation, bony overgrowth, and loosening and weakness of muscles and tendons, all of which may limit movement and cause pain and swelling.

Osteoarthritis in the knee and hip areas can generate chronic pain or discomfort during standing or walking. According to the Centers for Disease Control, knee OA affects 240 people out of every 100,000 people per year.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese exercise that uses an integrated mind-body approach to enhance muscle function, balance, and flexibility and has been known to reduce pain, depression and anxiety in those who practice the exercise.

Researchers set out to determine if tai chi could successfully treat the physical and mental effects of severe knee OA. A total of 40 patients were randomly chosen to participate in the study. On average they were 65 years old and moderately overweight, and had knee OA for approximately 10 years; 75 percent of the patients were female and 70 percent were Caucasian.

Participants were introduced to either tai chi (10 modified forms from the classical Yang style) or to conventional stretching and wellness education. Each group received the intervention twice-weekly for 60 minutes over the course of 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated with a self assessment questionnaire (WOMAC) that evaluates pain, stiffness and physical function in hips and knees at the beginning and end of the study.

Additionally, researchers studied WOMAC function, patient and physician global assessments, timed chair stand, balance tests, knee proprioception, depression, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life. These assessments were also done at weeks 24 and 48 to determine how lasting each intervention was for the participants.

Attendance for the 12-week interventions was 85 percent in the tai chi group and 89 percent in the stretching and wellness group. Participants who took part in tai chi exhibited significantly greater improvements in pain, physical function, depression, self-effectiveness and health status. Patients who continued participating in tai chi after the 12-week intervention also reported long-lasting benefits in WOMAC pain and function.

These results lead investigators to believe that tai chi is effective in the treatment of the pain and physical impairments in people with severe knee OA. Chenchen Wang MD, MSc; Tufts Medical Center, Division of Rheumatology, and lead investigator in the study explains, “Tai chi mind-body exercise appears to provide an important approach for self-care and self-management for knee OA; however, these results should be confirmed by future large studies.”

Patients should consult their rheumatologists before beginning this, or any, exercise program.

The ACR is an organization of and for physicians, health professionals, and scientists that advances rheumatology through programs of education, research, advocacy and practice support that foster excellence in the care of people with or at risk for arthritis and rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For more information on the ACR’s annual meeting, see www.rheumatology.org/annual.

Editor’s Notes: Dr. Wang will present this research during the ACR Annual Scientific Meeting at the Moscone Center from 11:30 – 11:45 AM on Sunday, October 26, in Hall C. Dr. Wang will be available for media questions and briefing at 1:30 PM on Sunday, October 26 in the on-site press conference room, 114.

Presentation Number: 636

Tai Chi is Effective in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Chenchen Wang1, Christopher H. Schmid1, Patricia Hibberd1, Robert Kalish1, Ronenn Roubenoff1, Ramel Rones2, Aghogho Okparavero1, Timothy McAlindon1. 1Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA; 2Mind-Body Center, Boston, MA

Purpose: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a major cause of pain and functional impairment among elders and has no medical remedy. The basis of KOA is multifaceted and includes impaired muscle function, reduced proprioceptive acuity, and the psychological traits of chronic pain. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese exercise that uses an integrated mind-body approach to enhance muscle function, balance, flexibility, and reduce pain, depression and anxiety. Tai Chi may thus be especially suited to the therapy of KOA.

Methods: We used a random number list to randomize 40 eligible individuals (age > 55 yr, BMI ≤ 40 kg/m2 with knee pain on most days of the previous month and tibiofemoral OA K/L grade ≥ 2) to Tai Chi (10 modified forms from classical Yang style) or an attention control (stretching and wellness education). The 60-minute intervention occurred twice-weekly for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in the WOMAC pain score at 12 weeks. Secondary endpoints included WOMAC function, patient and physician global assessments (VAS), timed chair stand, balance tests, knee proprioception (Biometrics electrogoniometer), depression (CES-D index), self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life (SF-36). We repeated these assessments at 24 and 48 weeks to test durability of response. The Tai Chi and control groups were compared by intention-to-treat using t-tests.

Results: The participants had mean age 65y (SD 7.8), mean disease duration 10y (SD 7.6), mean BMI 30.0 kg/m2 (SD 4.8), and median K/L grade 4; 75% were female, 70% were white. There were no significant differences at baseline in demographics, radiographic score, and outcome measures. Participants’ baseline expectations of benefit from exercise intervention were also similar between the two groups [outcome expectations for exercise score for Tai Chi =4.1 (SD 0.6), controls =4.3 (SD 0.4)]. Attendance for the 12-week assessment was 85% in the Tai Chi group and 89% in the attention control. Participants in the Tai Chi arm exhibited significantly greater improvements in pain, physical function, depression, self-efficacy and health status (Table). Patients who continued Tai Chi practice after 12 weeks reported durable benefits in WOMAC pain [between-group difference -150.2 (SD 116.6), p=0.04 at week 24 and -185.3 (SD 54.1), p=0.001 at week 48] and WOMAC function [between-group difference -572.7 (SD 257.8), p=0.02 at week 48].

Conclusion: Tai Chi is efficacious for treatment of pain and physical impairment in people with severe KOA. Further studies should be performed to replicate these results and deepen our understanding of this therapeutic modality.

[Table included with press release and full abstract at www.rheumatology.org.]

Disclosure Block: C. Wang, R21AT002161 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2; MO1-RR00054 from the Clinical Research Center funded by the National Center for Research Resources of the NIH, 9; C.H. Schmid, None; P. Hibberd, None; R. Kalish, None; R. Roubenoff, None; R. Rones, None; A. Okparavero, None; T. McAlindon, None.

mawali

05-07-2009, 02:01 PM

Gene,
It was not necessarily the posture(s) per se (my favourite word) but the elements that incorporated elements of physical and rehabilitative therapy, to wit,

a. continuous movement
b. Small to large degrees of movement (per individual)
c. flexed knees with distinct weight shifts between legs
d. eye-hand coordination/movement with corresponding trunk/torso action/motion
e. asymmetrical and diagonal arm and leg movements
f. unilateral weight bearing with constant shifting to and from right/left leg as a method of building strength. Awareness of proprioception

The basic postures were
begin (qi shi)
Grasps Birds tail (wardoff/rolback/press/push)
Cloud hands
single whip
brush knee
kick left/right
ending (shou shi)

GeneChing

06-02-2009, 09:32 AM

Not only does our parent company Tiger Claw (http://www.tigerclaw.com) have an office in TN, that's where the The International Tai Chi Chuan Symposium on Health, Education and Cultural Exchange (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53924) will be held this year.

Wheelchair Tai Chi - One Of The Simplest Ways For People Who Use Wheelchairs To Improve Their Physical And Mental Health (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152104.php)
Article Date: 02 Jun 2009 - 0:00 PDT

Studies overwhelmingly point to regular physical exercise as the crucial medicine for what ails Americans. Physicians have a hard time convincing even healthy patients to take action, but it's a much harder sell for those with limited movement caused by physical disabilities. They often lack the self-confidence to begin a physical fitness plan, and it's easy to understand why. They face transportation obstacles to visit an exercise facility. If they can get to the facility, accessing the building and equipment is often difficult or impossible, and fees are often high, says Dr. Zibin Guo, a medical anthropologist in The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography. He says appropriate and interesting exercise is often not available to this group.

"Physical inactivity often further deteriorates the general health condition for these individuals, and it also tends to make them more reliant on professional medical care rather than taking a proactive approach by engaging self-care, including medications to deal with their health issues," Guo says.

As a result, the cost of care, treatment, rehabilitation, and reduced productivity totals a whopping $300 billion a year in the U.S. alone.

"Physical disabilities in general and severe ambulatory disabilities in particular not only bring a tremendous amount of physiological and psychological suffering to the individuals, they can also create enormous burdens for families, relatives, and friends," Guo says.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor has a fresh idea-wheelchair Tai Chi. Tai Chi is one of the ancient Chinese martial arts, a noncompetitive self-paced system of gentle physical exercise that Guo has adapted for wheelchair-dependent individuals in the U.S. and China. For his efforts, The Tennessee Higher Education Commission recently named Guo a faculty recipient of the state Love Award, recognizing his commitment to community service.

He says wheelchair Tai Chi is one of the simplest ways for people who use wheelchairs to improve their physical and mental health. His holistic approach has been embraced in China, where he was invited by the Beijing 2008 Olympic Committee and the All China Federation for People with Disabilities to conduct a wheelchair demonstration for the International Paralympics Committee one day before the opening ceremony of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

"Before I left Beijing in September, I learned that in order to systematically promote the wheelchair Tai Chi program nationwide, the All China Federation for People with Disabilities and the China Paralympics Administrative Center decided to organize an annual national wheelchair tai chi competition," Guo says.

Guo's technique is benefitting people in Chattanooga, such as a 70-year-old woman who suffered a stroke seven years ago as the result of high blood pressure. Mrs. B's left arm was partially paralyzed, and over the years, she fell twice. She was confined to a wheelchair for more than two years and unable to walk even a short distance.

Mrs. B decided to participate in a small study of the effects of wheelchair tai chi, directed by Guo with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga faculty members Dr. Nancy Fell (physical therapy) and Dr. Janet Secrest (nursing) and Dr. Glenn Haban, a neuropsychologist at Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation in Chattanooga. The study is among the first in the country to explore the potential benefits of practicing a simple seated tai chi program for people with ambulatory disability resulting from health problems or injuries.

Participants who qualified were unable to walk independently 50 feet or more with an assistive device in one minute or less. Six women and four men signed on for two months of free classes. They met twice a week for 45-minute tai chi sessions. Classes were held at the new Fitness Center at Siskin Hospital, located on the main campus in downtown Chattanooga.

At the conclusion of the classes, Mrs. B's improvement was dramatic. She began walking and treading stairs unassisted, and she began to regain use of her left arm. With her strength and mobility vastly improved, she gives all the credit to the seated tai chi method.

"I made so much progress, and I've enjoyed it," she says. "I've been inspired by what I've seen others doing, and it helps me. And they say what I did helped them."

Many of the participants reported improved stamina and said they enjoyed the social nature of the classes. Mrs. K, a 46-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, said her breathing improved.

"My energy is up, and my posture has gotten a lot better. I feel like I've accomplished something, and tai chi is easy-it's fun," she says. "The medical world should be aware that people need something like this."

Though his professional reaction to the study is one of guarded optimism, Haban says Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation is committed to continuing the study. He remains hopeful that using Tai Chi as an intervention will positively impact patients' functional strengths.

"The minimum that could be said in this study is that it points to the need for further research to be done," Haban says.

From a neuropsychological perspective, Haban says three factors are needed to promote health, as well as recovery following a significant illness: physical activity, mental stimulation, and social involvement. Too often, he says, circumstances limit these factors, and patients suffer as a result.

"Tai chi was able to intervene on all three dimensions," Haban says. "Also, a person's belief system about their illness will affect their outcome. That is, when a person believes they cannot get any better, they stop progressing. Toward that end, Tai Chi can foster hope and the person's belief that improvement in their status is possible. The significance of the study is that it provides some evidence that this relatively simple and inexpensive intervention can help improve a person's functional status."

Photo caption: Though he does not use a wheelchair for mobility, Dr. Zibin Guo used the device to demonstrate an innovative Tai Chi technique for a group in China.

Nexus

06-03-2009, 10:49 PM

mawali

06-04-2009, 05:44 AM

I'm going to plug a book that has more scientific data and clinical studies than any other book I've seen. This book has an entire section dedicated to medical studies, another to diet and so much concise information in one place that it should be on the bookshelf of any serious TCM practitioner.

It's called: "The way of Qi Gong - The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing" by Kenneth S. Cohen with foreword by Larry Dossey M.D.

Section 1 Chapter 5 - "Does it Really Work - The Experimental Evidence"

Diabetes referenced on pages 52, 74, 120, 275, 283, 291, 298, 301 and 303

Let me quote a few passages since I have the book on my lap:

Page 52:
"High levels of DHEA has been correlated with youthfulness, less disease and a more competent immune system. --- Qigong theory maintains that jing, like DHEA, is found in the adrenals and brain, and is an individual indictaro of sexual vitality and resistance to disease"

"Under proper medical supervision, DHEA may be helpful in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, AIDS, herpes, chronic fatigue syndrome, and as replacement therapy for aging.

Page 74:
"Since 1958, the Shanghai Institute of Hypertension has focused much of its research on hypertension in the elderly and the treatment and prevention of geriatric diabetes. In one twenty-year study, qi gong practitioners were found to have stable, lowered blood pressure compared with controls, as well as significant relief from such other age-related disorders

as coronary heart disease and diabetes. At the Shandong Inst of TCM, a study conducted with thirty-one middle-aged and elderly diabetics found that qigong had beneficial effects on blood sugar levels, insuin levels, micro circulation (measured in the nail bed), and disease resistance (reference 49)

If one examines the literature, they rarely give an insight while stating the obvious: We knows the observable criteria, which are as follows,
a. What is the funny art that those people are practicing? Tai chi chuan
b. It is so slow, how can it be so powerful?
c. They get results, which are positive, but do not extrapolate beyond that!

Some pertinent information:
1. The bottom line is movement. Move you assets!
2. It has to be consistant (duration)
3. Basic exercise concepts relating to type of movement are still applicable.
4. They do not mention it in studies at all but the post standing component make the moving part more potent!
5. The rehabilitative and physical therapy conceptual component is often ignored and may not even be worthwhile by 'modern standards' but it approximates the muscle meridian system in providing the appropriate strength and ability to heal the internal milieu of the body i.e heart, lungs, spleen, kidney and bladder (TCM approach) thereby providing total body health and longevity.

wushistrongbone

06-16-2009, 06:33 AM

With all these studies, does it mention whether the groups are doing taiji as opposed to learning taiji?
For me, there is a massive difference between doing a form whilst having to really concentrate on what move comes next, as opposed to just doing the form and being relaxed in body and mind.
Sure, you will still get benefits whilst learning from purely using your hinges frequently, ("the hinge opened everyday never seizes up") but I would have thought these benefits would be more akin to doing any other form of exercise.

taai gihk yahn

06-19-2009, 01:37 PM

some of the more reliable studies on taiji, to my knowledge, have been conducted by:

1) Steven Wolfe, PT, PhD - he was the one who got most of those studies going in the '90's on the benefits of taiji for balance in older adults, and things kinda took off from there

e.g.: http://ptjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/9/1189

2) Yang Yang, PhD - he's a Chen guy w/a PhD in Kinese from Urbana - has been promoting his Evidence Based Taiji for a few years now

http://www.chentaiji.com/research/

here's a link to a rather exhaustive list of taiji related research compiled by a colleague of mine, Bill Gallagher, PT; some of it is probably better than others, but it shows you the range:
http://www.EastWestRehab.com/reference.htm

here's the gig w/research: it's hard to do good research, especially on a topic like taiji (or chiro, ostoepathic, acupuncture, etc.), which requires analysis and control of a large number of at times unknown variables and also is to a large degree contingent upon the personal skill of the operator - meaning that there is much more of a chance that subjectivity will creep in; now, I personally have no issue w/subjective reporting - anecdotal studies are a great tool - but they are just not generalizable, that's all; so when you are trying to do something about the effects of taiji w/a large cohort study, it can get tricky if you don't nail down your operational definitions / parameters, etc. really hard; so when people do shoddy research and present it as valid and reliable, (and this is often the case w/people who are trying to "prove" the efficacy of so-called "alternative" medicine) it's cause they are usually not trained as researchers; and as such, they should get shot down; problem is, they are often so cluless about their own shortcommings, that they accuse the people shooting them down of inherent bias against "alternative" stuff, labling them as close-minded; in fact, it's often the opposite: true skeptics are very open-minded, provided that one can demonstrate compelling objective (relatively) evidence as to why they ought to accept something into their belief system as being universally true...

taai gihk yahn

06-19-2009, 04:25 PM

Altho nothing will satisfy those that feel their income threatened by us
who would think their income was threatened?

mawali

06-19-2009, 04:47 PM

Yep.....
High-powered medical experts in Houston require print and media reporters to report them saying that Tai Chi does not work.

If you read the fine print - it says exactly what GLW is saying about studies - altho most potential beginners don't read the fine print. These same folks say the same thing on TV - no fine print explanation - about supplements, Chinese traditional medicine, chiropractors, etc... in fact they have at least a century of practice of doing this to the chiro's..... and they're very good at it. When the study mentioned above from England came out, there was all the screaming and hair-pulling about studies from foreign countries being not reliable; and also they have managed medicine and can't be trusted to say anything about medical topics.

So, since they're trying to keep the beginners away - are they successful with doing that in Houston? I don't know.. but in Sugar Land we have a waiting list to get in and will start a new full-up beginner class in August.

So yea, having a for-real study to refute them would be very nice!!!! I just don't have a clue who would pay for it tho....

If you have seniors and others with chronic diseases in Asia and elsewhere doing taijiquan between 45-90 yrs and finding benefit and some say this is not real then let them eat diapers! US health requires continuous payment so if you can take care of your own wellbeing and fool the naysayers then so be it!
I am not saying doctors do not count but if the individual has more say in his health then better to smile and thank them for the craft they weave!

Sifu

06-22-2009, 08:08 AM

Quite a few doctors in Texas taking private Tai Chi lessons. The don't really want their peers to find out, but the seed of change is being planted.

I got to present and teach Tai Chi to 75 medical students that where about to go into their internship. They were really great classes, and the students were wonderful. Medical school is pretty stressful, and the staff of many medical schools are looking for ways to reduce stress or help students deal with stress.

It would not surprise me if the majority of these students some day take up tai chi. Medical students don't have a whole lot of down time, but there was a lot of deep interest.

Reduction of stress is the doorway to introducing Tai Chi to the medical profession. After a few of them get back issues relived we will have a fairly exuberant set of mature doctors understanding the value of Tai Chi. Promoting qigong to them first thing is probably not the right path to enlightenment.

Bob

GeneChing

06-22-2009, 10:31 AM

Personally, I've found qigong to be more powerful than tai chi for arthritis, but perhaps it's not as in the vernacular yet.

Tai Chi 'helps arthritis pain' (http://www.hc2d.co.uk/content.php?contentId=11817)
22nd June 2009

Researchers in Australia say they have found that the Chinese martial arts exercise Tai Chi has benefits for people suffering from arthritis.

A clinical trial carried out by researchers at The George Institute for International Health said the results showed a positive effect on musculoskeletal pain among participants who practised Tai Chi.

The study forms part of the first comprehensive analysis of Tai Chi and shows an improvement in pain and disability among arthritis sufferers who do the exercises, which evolved in China from martial arts and incorporate concepts of bodily energy, or qi.

The team said it would now go on to study whether similar benefits were seen in people suffering from chronic pain in their lower back.

Author Chris Maher said the study provided the first robust evidence in support of Tai Chi as a beneficial exercise for people with arthritis.

Tai Chi also showed a positive trend among practitioners in the direction of good general health, for which it is still practised by millions in China today.

Musculoskeletal pain such as that which comes with arthritis represented a severe burden on the sufferer, and on the community of which they were a part, the team said in a statement.

In Australia alone, 3.85 million people are affected by such chronic pain and disability. Low back pain is thought to cost the economy billions every year, the researchers said.

George Institute spokeswoman Amanda Hall said the research should encourage people with musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis to seek exercise to relieve the pain.

Hall said Tai Chi was cheap, convenient and fun, bringing a host of benefits like social interactions and improved mental health.

Tai Chi is now being practised by growing numbers of people outside China and East Asia, and there is now a significant body of research investigating its health benefits.

Practised both alone and in groups or classes, it consists of set forms of slow martial arts movements like punching, kicking and blocking, encouraging stillness of mind and smoothness of motion.

Sifu

06-22-2009, 12:16 PM

Personally, I've found qigong to be more powerful than tai chi for arthritis, but perhaps it's not as in the vernacular yet.

I agree that qigong can be quite a bit more powerful that way. To me that is almost the point. Tai Chi will help get people ready to handle what qigong can give them. Folk who grow up in an ultra conservative environment are often so blocked in their flows that qigong can be pretty distressing and even scary.

If you are doing the breathing correctly and the focus, tai chi is qigong and is much safer to learn if you don't have the right teacher.

Bob

mawali

06-22-2009, 01:10 PM

..... tai chi is qigong and is much safer to learn if you don't have the right teacher.
Bob

I personally prefer the word daoyin, though it may be archaic!

Sifu

06-22-2009, 02:57 PM

I do too, except I might be then asked to explain what Tao is. :eek:

Have you ever tried to explain Tao to a typical Texan? I have a hard enough time trying to explain it to myself. :)

Bob

GeneChing

07-28-2009, 10:55 AM

There's a vid if you click the link.

Tai Chi Martial Art can Tackle Pain: Study (http://english.cri.cn/6966/2009/07/27/2001s504554.htm)
2009-07-27 20:29:36 APTN Web Editor: Qin Mei
A new study by Australian researchers has found that the Chinese martial art of Tai Chi could have positive health benefits for arthritis sufferers.

It's the first comprehensive analysis of the role of Tai Chi in treating musculoskeletal pain, drawing on the experiences of patients who say the exercise improves their physical abilities.

Tai Chi is a gentle form of martial arts which has been popular in China for centuries.

But claims that it can relieve arthritis means it now has growing following in America and Australia as this class in Sydney shows.

Everyone here has some form of muscular or skeletal problem and they, like the scientists from Sydney's George Institute, are convinced regular classes like this can reduce their pain and increase their mobility.

Lead researcher Amanda Hall reached the conclusion after analysing data from seven separate randomised controlled trials which assessed the impact of Tai Chi on the physical condition of arthritis patients.

Although there is no specific medical evidence to support the idea that Tai Chi helps arthritis, Hall says most patients surveyed in her review reported an improvement in their pain and mobility levels thanks to the exercise.

Tai Chi has many forms, and the movements practised in classes like this one, have been specifically developed to benefit arthritis sufferers.

GeneChing

07-29-2009, 09:44 AM

Who says it's ever too late to start?

Tai Chi A Great Exercise for Anyone Even if You Are 100 Years Old (http://www.fitcommerce.com/BLUEPRINT/Tai-Chi-A-Great-Exercise-for-Anyone-Even-if-You-Are-100-Years-Old_page.aspx?pageId=276&announcementId=1311&portalId=2&cid=631)
(7/26/09) Tai chi is a wonderful form of exercise in its own right, but it is especially great for seniors. Its flowing physical activity offers many health benefits from strength training to that all important balance training. And almost anyone — at any age — can do it. There is one centenarian who practices tai chi twice a week without fail

July 26, 2009-- posted by FitcomHealth.com

Tai Chi is part of that family of mind-body exercises that goes far beyond providing benefit to your body, but also, as the name implies, your mind, and many would say also for your soul.

Although on the surface it does not appear to be strenuous enough to strengthen ones body, it actually does. It used gravity on body parts such as your arms to strengthen them. Although it has great benefit to anyone who practices it, Tai chi is particularly beneficial to seniors who have an exercise that they can perform that helps them in their daily functional lives.

Tai Chi Class
One can enroll in a tai chi class at any age. It provides good all round exercise across multiple muscle groups, develops balance and calms the mind.

A Centenarian Who Practices Tai Chi
One of the highlights in 100-year-old's Rose Lazinsky's, routine is kicking it up twice a week in the tai chi martial arts exercise classes at Pikesville's North Oaks Retirement Community where she lives in Maryland.

Generally, nothing prevents the from showing up. She cannot, she said, bear the thought of missing a session, as it provides both wellness and social benefits.

Mrs. Lazinsky started Tai Chi three years ago. "I like everything about it," she said. And she has no problem with the breathing, stretching, walking and other related exercises. "I feel wonderful when we're done, but at my age I do get a little tired,"

Easy to Learn
Tai chi is easy to learn and you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health. In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions or martial arts moves. As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention - as in some kinds of meditation - on your bodily sensations.

It differs from other types of exercise in several ways. The movements are never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.

Although tai chi is slow and gentle and doesn't leave you breathless, it addresses the key components of fitness - muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, aerobic conditioning.

People who did tai chi improved more than 30% in lower-body strength and 25% in arm strength - almost as much as those who participated in resistance training, and more than those assigned to brisk walking.

"Although you aren't working with weights or resistance bands, the unsupported arm exercise involved in tai chi strengthens your upper body," says internist Dr. Gloria Yeh, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "Tai chi strengthens both the lower and upper extremities and also the core muscles of the back and abdomen."

A Great Aid to Improving Balance
As people age, they need to develop their balance ability to prevent potential falls. Tai chi improves balance. Proprioception - the ability to sense the position of one's body in space - declines with age. Tai chi helps train this sense, which is a function of sensory neurons in the inner ear and stretch receptors in the muscles and ligaments. Tai chi also improves muscle strength and flexibility, which makes it easier to recover from a stumble.

Source: Harvard University Health

YMAA_com

07-29-2009, 01:23 PM

Most of these studies at Harvard are run by Ramel Rones, using some basic qigong, or his 'Sunrise Tai Chi' form, which is basically the first 9 movements of the classical Yang form as taught by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, plus a closing move and abdominal breathing.

The osteoarthritis study was designed by Ramel under Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc. He presented their research on the benefits of tai chi for osteoarthritis of the knee at the International Tai Chi Symposium in Nashville, TN in July this year.

"Rami" has been involved with the NIH in Boston since the 1990's and they have been very serious about slowly building real mainstream credibility, by operating WITHIN the system and following all the procedures requires of this kind of research.

These studies are VERY controlled, with all the double-blind controls required, and they have been slowly progressing over the past 10 years or so, from small groups toward larger, longer-term studies.

Many places here in Boston, Mass General Hospital, Tufts medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, are involved in these studies, and offer weekly taiji/qigong classes.

Its impossible to say if Taiji, or Qigong, or Daoyin, or whatever, is better for health and healing - it depends on the teacher, the student, the condition, etc.

But it is becoming clear that unlike jogging or other 'external' exercises, 'internal' arts like taiji and qigong have a lot of benefit because not only do they exercise the body, and increase range of motion, and oxygen uptake, but they also trigger the 'relaxation response' which retrains the nervous system and can have health benefits even on the genetic level.

I would say taiji is about 15 years behind yoga as far as when it will hit the mainstream in a big way. Qigong is probably another 10 years behind that.

Harvard May 2009 Newsletter (https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-health-benefits-of-tai-chi)

Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health....In a 40-person study at Tufts University, presented in October 2008 at a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, an hour of tai chi twice a week for 12 weeks reduced pain and improved mood and physical functioning more than standard stretching exercises in people with severe knee osteoarthritis. According to a Korean study published in December 2008 in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, eight weeks of tai chi classes followed by eight weeks of home practice significantly improved flexibility and slowed the disease process in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and debilitating inflammatory form of arthritis that affects the spine.

taai gihk yahn

07-29-2009, 04:48 PM

Most of these studies at Harvard are run by Ramel Rones, using some basic qigong, or his 'Sunrise Tai Chi' form, which is basically the first 9 movements of the classical Yang form as taught by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, plus a closing move and abdominal breathing.
do you know if Joe Audette, MD has anything to do w/any of that work? (he was a PM&R resident back when I was in PT school at Columbia)

The osteoarthritis study was designed by Ramel under Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc.
as you obviously know, doing good research is a biotch, and most done by "alternative" types in the not too distant past is crap (never mind the stuff coming out of PRC - it's like a running gag); that seems to be changing of late, thankfully...
what were the results of the study?

He presented their research on the benefits of tai chi for osteoarthritis of the knee at the International Tai Chi Symposium in Nashville, TN in July this year.
that looked like a nice event - it was suggested to me to attend, possibly even present something, but time was not available; do you know if this will be a yearly thing?

"Rami" has been involved with the NIH in Boston since the 1990's and they have been very serious about slowly building real mainstream credibility, by operating WITHIN the system and following all the procedures requires of this kind of research.
These studies are VERY controlled, with all the double-blind controls required, and they have been slowly progressing over the past 10 years or so, from small groups toward larger, longer-term studies.
I know Steve Wolfe, PT, PhD has been involved in taiji research for over a decade down in Atlanta, which resulted in the body of work demonstrating decreased falling incidence in geriatric pop as a result; nice thing about a standardized "mini-form" w/a specific protocol is that you can factor out operator influence to a viable greater degree and ty to get the modality interacting more "purely" in a sense; although some would argue that this robs taiji of something essential...

Many places here in Boston, Mass General Hospital, Tufts medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, are involved in these studies, and offer weekly taiji/qigong classes
I keep thinking about going around to local hospitals and starting classes, but it's always an issue of time, time, time...

Its impossible to say if Taiji, or Qigong, or Daoyin, or whatever, is better for health and healing - it depends on the teacher, the student, the condition, etc.
this is often the confounding aspect of doing studies along these line: operator skill / subjectivity is a critical component in application of some of this stuff - similar to any integrated movement approach (Feldenkreis, Alexander, Pilates, etc.);

But it is becoming clear that unlike jogging or other 'external' exercises, 'internal' arts like taiji and qigong have a lot of benefit because not only do they exercise the body, and increase range of motion, and oxygen uptake, but they also trigger the 'relaxation response' which retrains the nervous system and can have health benefits even on the genetic level.
are there any studies demonstrating differences between something like joggin and practicing taiji? personally, I would suggest that "relaxation" can happen w/just about any sort of movement, including running (there is even practice of "qigong running"), so I would say it has more to do w/the intent and the presence of awareness that one brings to it - running on a treadmill can be "internal", but not if you are staring at ESPN and wishing you weren't there at the same time!

I would say taiji is about 15 years behind yoga as far as when it will hit the mainstream in a big way. Qigong is probably another 10 years behind that.
I think taiji in its "traditional" incarnation may be on a plateau - modified forms, such as taught by guys like Yang Yang, PhD or Stephen Wolfe, PhD are more "consumer friendly"; qigong, OTHO, I think is just ascending, but quickly - I mean, when the Boomers figure out that they can't do yoga anymore, what are they gonna do?

if you are interested in a large bibliography of taiji / qigong research, I can post the link

YMAA_com

07-30-2009, 07:59 AM

Yes, post the link please, I collect that kind of data.

I think the Tai Chi Symposium will be annual.

In general these studies show benefits in varying degrees. Interestingly, data has show that the physical body can improve and range of motion can increase and immunity can be restored even at advanced age.

There are many, many of the studies being done now through the NIH and its really starting to happen now. Newsflash! Exercising and relaxing is good for you!

I haven't seen a study that weighs qigong against jogging or somesuch, but I agree with your point. ANY kind of activity can be a type of qigong, or moving meditation. That's kind of the point of practicing qigong: it becomes you. After a while of regular practice, you can't help but be mindful of your alignment when climbing stairs, or how you're breathing while you drive, or how you internalize negative stressors...until you are practicing all day every day.

I think its clear that Taijiquan in all its martial glory is alive and well and there is a revived, growing internal arts community. But a simplified, short taiji or qigong form serves an entirely different purpose, and there's no need for it to be tremendously accurate to a certain lineage. A short form is a useful tool for getting people to turn attention inward and take responsibility for their own health physically, energetically, etc.

In fact, a single exercise like 'Embrace the Tree' can serve that purpose. Its got everything inside: alignment, four/five gates breathing, abdominal breathing, interaction with the earth and heavens...

But of course, people need to move their bodies too...

(said the person sitting in a c0mput3r chair...)

mawali

07-30-2009, 11:56 AM

it was said that
I think taiji in its "traditional" incarnation may be on a plateau - modified forms, such as taught by guys like Yang Yang, PhD or Stephen Wolfe, PhD are more "consumer friendly"; qigong, OTHO, I think is just ascending

This is always positive! the use of the word 'traditional' just appears to be a money making endeavour in the absence of any objective benefit to be gained by the practitioner. The bottom line is; Can taijiquan help with my condition? People want facts, assistance, real word action as opposed to fairy tales so anyone who can provide the goods, as it were, is the master.

Hendrik

07-30-2009, 04:00 PM

I do too, except I might be then asked to explain what Tao is. :eek:

Have you ever tried to explain Tao to a typical Texan? I have a hard enough time trying to explain it to myself. :)

Bob

Seriusly,

Dao is just mean Let Go and Let God.

That's it. No mind speculation but an action of continuous practicing Letting Go or surrender the mind.

Hendrik

07-30-2009, 04:03 PM

The bottom line is; Can taijiquan help with my condition? People want facts, assistance, real word action as opposed to fairy tales so anyone who can provide the goods, as it were, is the master.

the fact is as soon as one could loosen the physical body, silence the inner chatting and speculating thinking, and breathing naturally (meaning natural lower abdoment breathing with effortless).

The Qi got to surface and one can sense it as a heat accumulation then heat flow.

HOWEVER,. DO NOT intent to increase the heat or control it....etc. Just know it is there. it ok it is there and it ok if it is gone. Intenting and forcing or trying to create different heat phenomenon is a direction to get into trouble in IMA training.

ONe often running fire and get into demon due to strong intention and forcing things......

BE REALLY REALLY CAREFULL.

If you find yourself forcing things, just acknowledge your self " oh I am forcing things again." and go back to focing relaxing the toes or fingers or fall into sleep or even do prayer, that is Let Go and Let God. DO NOT FIGHT with your self .

Stay in that state the body will heal.

instead of thinking and arguing and proving.....etc, which is wasting of life. Do it and get the benifit.

Try this lay on a hard floor with a pillow which enable you to see your toes comfortablely.
in a very comfortable manner, loosing your toes one by one , you feel warm feeling on your toes and angkle if you practice long enough, the loosing your fingers one by one.

at certain point you will feel num or warm with your toes and fingers. That is the state one needs to get into in the begining of doing Taiji. stay in that state if one fall a sleep that is ok.

the spine , waist, croch ... are automatically align with laying on the hard floor. ( Must Never lay on Ground because one doesnt want the Ground's qi to damage one's body. second floor floor is good but not the ground floor ground)

See for yourself, how is doing this loosing of toes and fingers bring you into the state of loose physical, silence mind, and natural breathing.

But you have to wake up slowly after your body is in that state. first rup your face, then your lower abs area before you get into any daily life action.

and NO SEX ACtivity more then five hours before and after the loosen practice because we want to avoid draining of our energy while in sexual activity. also sexual activity needs to be cutting down big time because the art is shutting down the energy use in sexual activity to re build the body.

the above simple practice is the first practice in taiji, but one did it laying down and get a feel before do it in standing which is much difficult to loose or relax.

Skip J.

07-31-2009, 11:15 AM

Try this lay on a hard floor with a pillow which enable you to see your toes comfortablely. in a very comfortable manner, loosing your toes one by one , you feel warm feeling on your toes and angkle if you practice long enough, the loosing your fingers one by one.

at certain point you will feel num or warm with your toes and fingers. That is the state one needs to get into in the begining of doing Taiji. stay in that state if one fall a sleep that is ok.

the spine , waist ... are automatically align with laying on the hard floor. ( Must Never lay on Ground because one doesnt want the Ground's qi to damage one's body. second floor floor is good but not the ground floor ground)

See for yourself, how is doing this loosing of toes and fingers bring you into the state of loose physical, silence mind, and natural breathing.

the above simple practice is the first practice in taiji, but one did it laying down and get a feel before do it in standing which is much difficult to loose or relax.

Yessssssssssssssssssss......... you just have no idea.....

Skip J.

07-31-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote: "I do too, except I might be then asked to explain what Tao is.

Have you ever tried to explain Tao to a typical Texan? I have a hard enough time trying to explain it to myself.

Bob"

Seriusly,

Dao is just mean Let Go and Let God.

That's it. No mind speculation but an action of continuous practicing Letting Go or surrender the mind.
I have known Bob a long time..... and he has been serious occasionally.... I can say for sure he's very serious about his taijiquan...

Still, you cannot properly appreciate the merits of his statement about Texans until you have been here awhile....

Hendrik

07-31-2009, 11:31 AM

Yessssssssssssssssssss......... you just have no idea.....

Why do I have no idea according to your idea?

Please share.

Hendrik

07-31-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote: "I do too, except I might be then asked to explain what Tao is.

Have you ever tried to explain Tao to a typical Texan? I have a hard enough time trying to explain it to myself.

Bob"

I have known Bob a long time..... and he has been serious occasionally.... I can say for sure he's very serious about his taijiquan...

Still, you cannot properly appreciate the merits of his statement about Texans until you have been here awhile....

So what is the point?

To communicate what is what to others so that others understand ; or
to keep emphasis on Texan's mind set?

So what is Dao?

Skip J.

07-31-2009, 12:01 PM

So what is the point?

To communicate what is what to others or
to keep emphasis on Texan's mind set?
Hmmmm, welllll......... let's see, since you asked... here goes...

the point is that Bob's and my natural philosophy, long before we met each other, or started to practice taiji, or knew there was such a thing as the I-Ching...

was very much like the dao... My own personal thinking in the formative years of the '60's was heavily influenced by native American cultures... others just cussed me as a &*(^*$ pagan... If anything, I am worse about that the more I accept daoist principles...

I can't speak for Bob, but I have no relatives or long term friends born and raised in Texas who would even consider embracing the principles of the dao....

All that said, now that we practice taiji we meet dedicated Texan daoists frequently, altho I'm not sure whether they were born and raised here..... the question never comes up.

But still, I could walk down my street and knock on the doors of folks I have known for 20 years - and start talking about the principles of the dao and be shot dead by the end of the day.

Hopefully I have answered your question; but if not, fire away... I have some flameproof underwear around here somewhere..

Skip J.

07-31-2009, 12:07 PM

Why do I have no idea according to your idea?

Please share.

I temporarily forgot that Texanisim's do not translate well cross- culturally.. please accept my apologies..

My statement of "Yesssss" was an emphatic statement to other readers that what you said was correct...

the "no idea" part means some additional emphasis to those that haven't tried it themselves..... yet...

Hendrik

07-31-2009, 12:12 PM

Hmmmm, welllll......... let's see, since you asked... here goes...

..

Fair enough,

Thanks and appreciate for your clarification from you point of view.

Best Regards

Skip J.

07-31-2009, 12:23 PM

anytime....

GeneChing

08-06-2009, 11:15 AM

...but it's been picked up by a few web sources. Arthritis is always marketable since so many of us suffer from it on some level.

Tai Chi helps people battling Arthritis (http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=95020&catid=3)
Beth Haynes Updated: 8/4/2009 6:46:16 PM Posted: 8/4/2009 3:33:51 PM

Slow movements, mystical music, and meditation--all are part of the ancient Chinese art of tai chi, which dates back to the 1500s.

Instructor Donna Dixon of Blount County first discovered it 8 years ago.

"I began learning tai chi because I was looking for a way to manage my own stress," says Dixon. "It's a really moving form of meditation. You're constantly moving."

But the benefits of tai chi go beyond that. As a registered nurse and an clinical exercise physiologist, Dixon began to experience tai chi's healing power first hand.

"As a medical person, it all just fit together. Tai chi is like a cardio vascular exercise. It helps the heart, the lungs, the muscles, it helps the blood flow."

According to Dixon, tai chi also helps stress, blood pressure and the immune system, which is particularly important if you have arthritis.

"A lot of arthritis is related to your immune system. The inflammatory is in your joints. It's what causes discomfort and causes the pain. So moving gently and easily is decreasing that inflammation in the joint."

So, two years ago she began teaching tai chi to people battling arthritis and recently partnered with the Arthritis Foundation to offer more classes.

"The good thing about tai chi is that you don't have pounding in your joints. It's not a hard exercise to do, but it is an exercise that can be adapted to about anybody's level of skill."

The moving meditation has really helped her participants fight the pain of arthritis.

"One of the biggest elements that I see change physically is that they become stronger in their hip flexors. So the muscles that you use for rising and standing, standing, sitting, things you push and pull with, those actually become stronger."

She has also noticed her students have become calmer and more flexible, with stronger core muscles. Tai chi may not be medicine in a bottle, but its medicinal power is certainly working in this classroom.

"I've been able to pass this great exercise form on to other people."

Dixon teaches tai chi at several locations in Maryville on Mondays and Wednesday for the Arthritis Foundation. The classes last 8 weeks and cost $80 for the entire session.

For more information on Tai Chi for Arthritis call 865-803-8887.

Energy flows with tai chi healing exercise program (http://www.mlive.com/behealthy/index.ssf/2009/08/energy_flows_with_tai_chi_heal.html)
by Kim Racette | Special to BE Healthy
Tuesday August 04, 2009, 9:00 AM

With gentle flowing postures performed in a calm, quiet atmosphere, a tai chi class doesn't require expensive shoes, pulsating music or lots of heavy breathing. And yet, for the older adult, it may provide even more benefits than high-impact, high-intensity exercise.

This centuries-old discipline has been practiced by millions of people throughout the world. Its movements are easy to do, do not require expensive equipment, and can be practiced whenever and where ever convenient.

Cheryl Schneider, a registered nurse who teaches tai chi in Muskegon and Grand Rapids, has experienced the benefits first-hand. She is a tai chi instructor for the Arthritis Foundation and Tai Chi for Kids.

As health care administrator for Access Health in Muskegon and Kent Health Care in Grand Rapids, she and her staff were searching for a program for their members. They chose tai chi for several reasons. Schneider explains, "We needed a program appropriate for people from ages 19-64, with varying abilities and health needs, from chronic arthritis, to stress-induced difficulties, to weight issues. Tai chi doesn't require a pool or a gym, and once learned (it) can be practiced at home."

Schneider, who had suffered from osteoarthritis in both kneecaps and a herniated disc in her back, was pain-free in a matter of weeks after teaching a tai chi class twice a day.

"It used to be very painful to climb the steps, and to get out of bed in the morning. Now I am pain-free and have continued to practice tai chi because of the response I saw personally," she says.

Aging takes a toll on the body without question, and most of us assume that these changes are irreversible. Douglas Chung, a professor in the School of Social Work at Grand Valley State University, says that is not true.

"Tai chi can take people to another level in life. Through the movements and correct breathing, the energy force in the body can bring back vitality, and deterioration can be reversed," he explains. At GVSU, tai chi therapy and other alternative therapies are explored and taught in his class "Holistic Practice in Social Work."

As founder and executive director of The Asian Center in Grand Rapids, Chung has seen many health benefits achieved by tai chi students and practitioners.

At The Asian Center, "Tai Chi for Arthritis" is offered; in which participants learn the movements as well as the philosophy. Chung also speaks from personal experience, when as a teen-ager he suffered from stomach ulcers and internal bleeding. "My father took me from school, and taught me a variety of martial arts. Under his coaching I completely recovered and went away to University. I continued the breathing, but not the movements, and the problems came back."

The term "tai chi" (shortened from "tai chi chuan") has been translated in various ways, including "internal martial art" and "supreme ultimate fist." A popular legend credits its origins to Chang San-Feng, a Taoist monk in China who developed a set of 13 exercises that imitate the movements of animals. He also emphasized meditation and the concept of internal force (in contrast to the external force emphasized in other martial arts, such as kung fu and tae kwon do).
Benefits of tai chi

Those practicing or teaching tai chi often report:
• Increased flexibility and reduced stiffness from chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis

• Improved balance while standing, helping to decrease the number of falls that cause injury

• Improved leg and lower body strength

• Reduced pain from chronic arthritic conditions

• Aid in recovery from injuries

• Reduced and stabilized blood pressure

• Improved heart action

• Weight loss

• Stress reduction

• Deeper, more restful sleep

Tai chi is sometimes referred to as "moving meditation, because as practitioners move their bodies slowly, there is an emphasis on deep breathing and mental imagery. This focus is instrumental in creating the feeling of calmness and clarity many report after practicing tai chi, and is given credit for reducing stress and related illnesses.
Tai chi incorporates the Chinese concepts of yin and yang (opposing forces within the body) and qi or chi (energy or life force). Chi is very important in all forms of tai chi. Practicing tai chi is said to support a healthy balance of yin and yang, thereby aiding the flow of chi.

There are more than 100 possible movements with names that evoke nature, including Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain, and the intensity of tai chi varies somewhat depending on the form or style practiced.

As we age, many times balance is compromised, so the likelihood of falling increases. Because tai chi often involves shifting weight from one leg to the other, it can increase both balance and leg strength in older adults. And because tai chi is low-impact, experts say it is a good choice for people carrying extra weight, who often have knee and hip limitations. Better balance, less joint and back pain and a greater flexibility are just a few of the benefits seen and well documented by those practicing tai chi.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Tai Chi instructors do not have to be licensed, and the practice is not regulated by the federal government or individual states.

It is important to tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. By giving them a full picture of what you do to manage your health, you will ensure coordinated and safe care.

GeneChing

08-06-2009, 11:19 AM

Looks like you can download a pdf of the paper. Isn't the web awesome?

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Adhering to a T'ai Chi Program to Improve Glucose Control and Quality of Life for Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2008.0330)
To cite this article:
Rhayun Song, Sukhee Ahn, Beverly L. Roberts, Eun Ok Lee, You Hern Ahn. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. June 2009, 15(6): 627-632. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0330.
Published in Volume: 15 Issue 6: June 14, 2009
Online Ahead of Print: June 5, 2009
Full Text: • PDF for printing (84.8 KB) • PDF w/ links (98.4 KB)

Rhayun Song, R.N., Ph.D.,1
Sukhee Ahn, R.N., Ph.D.,1
Beverly L. Roberts, R.N., Ph.D., F.A.A.N.,2
Eun Ok Lee, R.N., D.N.S.,3 and
You Hern Ahn, M.D., Ph.D.4
1College of Nursing, Chungnam National University, Daegon, Korea.
2College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
3College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
4College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to:
Sukhee Ahn, R.N., Ph.D.
College of Nursing
Chungnam National University
6 Munhwa 1-dong Jung-gu
Daejeon 301747

Purpose: This study was to examine the effects of adherence to a 6-month t'ai chi exercise program on glucose control, diabetic self-care activities, and quality of life among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Method: The data from a quasi-experimental study at multisite health-promotion centers in Korea with pretest and 3- and 6-month post-test measures were used. Ninety-nine (99) adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and HbA1c 6.0 or higher were included in the analysis. The t'ai chi intervention consisted of 19 movements from Yang and Sun styles provided twice a week for 6 months. Sixty-two (62) subjects completed both pretest and post-test measures. To achieve the desired outcomes, subjects needed to complete 80% of the sessions of the t'ai chi program, and 31 subjects who met this criteria were compared to those who did not (n=31). Outcome measures included glucose control (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c), diabetic self-care activities, and quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey, version 2).

Results: Using repeated measure analysis of variance for baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, the adherent group had greater decline in fasting glucose (interaction effect F=5.60, df=2, p<0.05) and HbA1c (interaction effect F=4.15, df=2, p<0.05) than the nonadherers. The adherent group performed significantly more diabetic self-care activities (interaction effect F=5.13, df=2, p<0.05), and had better quality of life in mental component summary, social functioning, mental health, and vitality as compared to the nonadherent group. The significant differences in quality of life remained after adjusting for self-care activities except for mental health, which was no longer significant.

Conclusion: For those with type 2 diabetes, t'ai chi could be an alternative exercise intervention to increase glucose control, diabetic self-care activities, and quality of life. Whether t'ai chi can reduce or prevent diabetic complications requires further study.

TaichiMantis

08-06-2009, 11:51 AM

Nice article about Muskegon/Grand Rapids tai chi. Our class (Sifu Li (http://www.sifulee.com/)) always does a tai chi/kung fu demo at the Asian Center's health fair in September. I have diabetes and arthritis in the lower lumbar area. My training has helped with both conditions.;)

KTS

08-06-2009, 08:05 PM

not sure if this has been written about, but in a recent Prevention Magazine article mentioned how taiji protects the nervous system and increases feeling in the limbs as people age.

there are way too many reasons why taiji is practiced for preventitive and medicinal effects.

increases balance, coordinatiohn, lowers blood pressure, improves brain function, protects and rehabs nervous system, etc, etc, etc

taai gihk yahn

08-08-2009, 12:21 PM

Scott R. Brown

08-08-2009, 03:36 PM

For the record Chris, I'll back you up. Us medical people know it, but those who have little to no medical knowledge read into it what they want to see!

taai gihk yahn

08-08-2009, 04:01 PM

For the record Chris, I'll back you up. Us medical people know it, but those who have little to no medical knowledge read into it what they want to see!

I'm trying to feel the hate here, but it just doesn't seem to be getting through; search your feelings, let the anger within you give you power; strike me down and your journey to the Dark Side will be complete!

Scott R. Brown

08-08-2009, 04:08 PM

I'm trying to feel the hate here, but it just doesn't seem to be getting through; search your feelings, let the anger within you give you power; strike me down and your journey to the Dark Side will be complete!

Heavy breathing.....sweat beading up....

.........eyes bulging....rage building........reason........dis.....a.......ppea r........ing......

......AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!........

"You poo poo head!"

.....heaving chest.......pounding headache.......

the echo in my mind of....

There is no try....there is only doo doo,

or doo doo not!!!:D

taai gihk yahn

08-08-2009, 04:37 PM

There is no try....there is only doo doo,

or doo doo not!!!:D

pure spectographication!

Scott R. Brown

08-08-2009, 04:43 PM

pure spectographication!

Uhhhh......that's what you think.......ummmm....

...you got any extra toilet paper over there?:o

taai gihk yahn

08-08-2009, 05:06 PM

Uhhhh......that's what you think.......ummmm....

...you got any extra toilet paper over there?:o

sorry, I don't have a square to spare...

Scott R. Brown

08-08-2009, 05:07 PM

sorry, I don't have a square to spare...

THAT was YOU????????:mad:

taai gihk yahn

08-08-2009, 05:16 PM

THAT was YOU????????:mad:

I can't believe you don't remember our first time!:mad::mad::mad:

Scott R. Brown

08-08-2009, 05:22 PM

I can't believe you don't remember our first time!:mad::mad::mad:

Uhhh!......we ARE talking about the first time I tried to KILL you, RIGHT???:eek:

taai gihk yahn

08-08-2009, 05:29 PM

Uhhh!......we ARE talking about the first time I tried to KILL you, RIGHT???:eek:

Of course! It was a magical night!

But anyway, taiji - that's some good medicine, huh?
[mightily pulls on switch, gets thread back on track just in time to avoid massive derailment]

Scott R. Brown

08-08-2009, 05:32 PM

Of course! It was a magical night!

But anyway, taiji - that's some good medicine, huh?
[mightily pulls on switch, gets thread back on track just in time to avoid massive derailment]

Oh Yeah...Right!!

I take two every morning to avoid getting a stroke...:)

KTS

08-08-2009, 06:59 PM

because it's movement guys, get over it: intentioned, conscious, parasympathetic activating movement, often with 80 to 100% weightbearing on a single lower extremity, which, among other things, is going to have a big impact on lymphatic drainage of the lower quarter and balance capacity will improve dramatically as well, especially in the group most studied for that effect, namely geriatric population, which is going to stand to have the most dramatic statistical gains in balance because they are in general doing poorly in that area to begin with;

and it's social - show me it gets the same effects if people were made to practice alone instead of in a group, that would be surprising...

nothing wrong w/taiji as such, but there's nothing that special about the form or moves per se from a therapeutic perspective; I would bet good $ that if you took a group and taught then "placebo" taiji (e.g. - a made-up form, for example), you'd have the same results;

research is good, but there's a common denominator here that has not yet been explored, and I would suggest it's a research bias that ignores it...

let the hating commence :p

so, in your perspective, do you disclude the traditional chinese medicinal practices that go along with good quality taiji?

anyways, i do agree that there can be types of exercise with many of the same benefits. i am just curious as to where you stand - as i am new here. but not new to internal boxing and qigong.

btw, personally, i do feel that the specific requirements to be able to even do the form somewhat correctly and that type of motion makes a big difference from a standard rehabilitation type exercise. of course if u mimic the same type of work, u will get some/most similiar results. almosts sounds like you are trying to descredit - and i am not saying you are for the record.

and, i am going into the health field btw, as my mom had been in the health field before as a nurse - but i am more into physical therapy and kinesiology. so i do a bit of homework on movement in relation to effects on the human body.

not meaning to be judgemental at all, just wanna see what your veiws are.

taai gihk yahn

08-09-2009, 05:41 AM

so, in your perspective, do you disclude the traditional chinese medicinal practices that go along with good quality taiji?
define disclude? I am not talking about TCM per se to begin with: TCM is a PRC artifact that is to classical Taoist health practice / medicine as the taiji 24 etc. has to do w/the 108 long form; that said, "traditional" Chinese medicine was, to a large extent, a lineage-based practice that, while adhering to certain principles (5 element, yin/yang, etc.) was predicated largely on individual, subjective, anecdotal history as well as operator skill level; that doesn't discount it, it just contextualizes it; in fact, so-called "western" medicine was of a similar construct for centuries - only recently has the paradigm of relatively-objective evidence based medicine come to the fore, for a variety of both clinical as well as social reasons; thus, the whole idea of doing EBM vis-a-vis taiji is somewhat akin to reverse engineering - you are taking a construct from one social paradigm and applying it to another; which is fine and can work, but the "problem" is that to take taiji as such, well, first off, what is your lowest common denominator? even a quick perusal yields the discovery that "taiji" is a wide-ranging practice, that the parameters of what constitutes "good quality" is equally broad: to whit, I know several "traditional" teachers who consider the PRC 24 and its ilk an abomination of what taiji is / should be; similarly, "qigong" is a term that has no real operational power at all, given the wide disparity of what falls under that heading; finally, bear in mind that to a large extent, TCM has nothing to do w/taiji at all, they have only recently been "associated"...

anyways, i do agree that there can be types of exercise with many of the same benefits. i am just curious as to where you stand - as i am new here. but not new to internal boxing and qigong.
you have to go back to basics: taij / qigong did not sping into being ex nihilo - and they did not follow some sort of linear development; only in the last century were they standardized by the PRC, but in a way that was designed to disconnect them from their "roots"; and it is this artifact that we see today as representative of the practice more so than the older "classical" stuff; so as far as where I "stand" it is from a vantage point of having done both types, understanding the operational definition of both, having an appreciation for the value of each in context of what one is trying to do, but not invested via self-identification where that would be inappropriate (meaning that I have a very deep personal connection to my own personal practice, but I do not project it into areas when it is not called for)

btw, personally, i do feel that the specific requirements to be able to even do the form somewhat correctly and that type of motion makes a big difference from a standard rehabilitation type exercise.
yes - a lot of "standard" rehabilitation exercises will work much better for specific pathologies, whereas taiji and to a large extent qigong will have generalized effects only; if OTOH, one finds that a lot of "standard" rehab stuff doesn't "work", maybe the problem is not with the techniques of "standard" rehab, but wth the way in which much of it is misapplied by PT's who don't have the ability to think critically as to what is the appropriate application thereof (meaning that I think a lot of PT's over generalize and under analyze, as my first clinical instructor once put it); it's really a matter of content and context being matched properly: I could waste 3 months trying to improve someone's low back pain by having them do a bunch of taiji / qigong stuff, or I could get rid of it in 3 minutes with one well-applied manual technique followed up by application of one highly specific "standard" rehab exercise; OTOH, if you are working with something like fibromyaligia, taking all of the psychosomatic issues into account, a group taiji class might "work" far better than the "correct" manual therapy techniques...

of course if u mimic the same type of work, u will get some/most similiar results.
depends what you mean by "mimic" - if you are taking about "just" doing the "external" movements w/out the so-called "internal" work, I would be unmoved: "internal" is not something unique to Chinese movement practice, it's just contextualized a certain way; you can take any so-called "western" movement practice like Feldenkreis, Alexander Technique, Ariga Gym, Trager Mentastics, Brain Gym, etc. and arrive at pretty much the same effects; infact, bear in mind that most, if not all taiji reserach does not involve so-called "internal" practice as part of the research protocol...

almosts sounds like you are trying to descredit - and i am not saying you are for the record.
if you interpreted my original post biased towards "discrediting", then you may want to check your own personal / emotional stance, because no where do I state that the effects seen from taiji practice are false - in fact, I am saying just the opposite, that I don't find them in the least surprising; what I am proposing though, is that what constitutes the "essential" parameters of taiji /qigong, etc. (e.g. - conscious, intentioned movement with a great deal of unilateral weight-bearing), could be replicated outside of the convention of taiji and gain similar results; of course, there is a bot more to it than that: one could go into more depth and talk about coordinated activation of the connective tissue / neuromuscular system via unimpeded vertical transmission of ground reaction force through the body and the sort of postural alignment one needs for that to happen; also, as far as some qigong, the breath work has certain physiological effects, although upon clear analysis, it's not all that different from yogic practice; so again, there are numerous 'benefits", but they do not dissapear when one takes them out from under the moniker of "taiji"

and, i am going into the health field btw, as my mom had been in the health field before as a nurse - but i am more into physical therapy and kinesiology. so i do a bit of homework on movement in relation to effects on the human body.
good luck w/your endeavors;

not meaning to be judgemental at all, just wanna see what your veiws are.
my views are what I originally posted: which is that people shouldn't fool themselves or hold onto sacred cows for their own sake: if you are doing "research", then you need to get very clear as to what you are actually looking at and evaluating; if you want to research "taiji", you need to break don what you are studying into pure operational definitions and look at those for what they are;
the same problem exists in other ares: for example, in osteopathic manual medicine, there is an area of technique called cranial-sacral, that seem to operate in ways that get people talking about highly subjective experiences that they variously term as "energy" and "potency" and "the Tide" and what not; on the other end, you have patients who have had relief of issues via cranial that have not been resolved through any other means; as such, you get both practitioners and patients alike having a highly emotional connection to cranial, one which they hold onto fiercely in the face of objective research that pokes holes into all of the major theoretical assumptions as to what cranial is and why it "works"; at bottom, what you find is that, despite the clinical anecdotal "validity" of cranial, it's just not quite as "special" as its adherents would like for it to be - you can distill the technique down to a set of generalized physiological principles w/out all the bells and whistles; so too for taiji - it's good stuff, but not all that special per se...

OTOH, if you don't want to research taiji, and just simply apply it as such, that's fine too! I am not of the opinion that you necessarily have to research it - but then you can't make generalized claims or talk about what it's "good for" in certain venues;

Scott R. Brown

08-09-2009, 08:04 AM

...as such, you get both practitioners and patients alike having a highly emotional connection to cranial, one which they hold onto fiercely in the face of objective research that pokes holes into all of the major theoretical assumptions as to what cranial is and why it "works"; at bottom, what you find is that, despite the clinical anecdotal "validity" of cranial, it's just not quite as "special" as its adherents would like for it to be - you can distill the technique down to a set of generalized physiological principles w/out all the bells and whistles; so too for taiji - it's good stuff, but not all that special per se...

Haven't these people heard of the placebo effect? Which apparent is effective nearly 1/3 of the time!

BTW do you find that after all your specubation and assumpjaculation you get very sleepy?:confused::confused::confused:

taai gihk yahn

08-09-2009, 08:21 AM

Haven't these people heard of the placebo effect? Which apparent is effective nearly 1/3 of the time!
I dunno about that*, but I find that in general my success rate is about 33%...

BTW do you find that after all your specubation and assumpjaculation you get very sleepy?:confused::confused::confused:
indeed, and it seems that my postanecdoital reflectatory periods have been increasing as well...

*seriously, in regards to a lot osteopaths and cranial-heads in particular, they are so bedazzled by their own craptacularness, when you bring that sort of thing up they look at you like they want to offer you a glass of Kool-aid...

Scott R. Brown

08-09-2009, 08:28 AM

I dunno about that*, but I find that in general my success rate is about 33%...

So what you are saying is that you are AT LEAST as good as placebo huh? LOL!!

How does that make you feel?:(

*seriously, in regards to a lot osteopaths and cranial-heads in particular, they are so bedazzled by their own craptacularness, when you bring that sort of thing up they look at you like they want to offer you a glass of Kool-aid...

I guess I am just surprised that PT"s are so susceptible to fads as well. It irks me to no end when we get Doctors latching on to the latest medication fads. My biggest complaints lately are the ones who give the newest anit-dementia medications to patients that clearly are not benefiting from them. They may slow down the process a bit, but you sure couldn't tell from looking, LOL!!

An there are the ones who insist on giving the latest osteoporosis meds to old ladies who don't even walk! :rolleyes:

taai gihk yahn

08-09-2009, 11:56 AM

So what you are saying is that you are AT LEAST as good as placebo huh? LOL!!
How does that make you feel?:(
pretty placebanemic...

I guess I am just surprised that PT"s are so susceptible to fads as well.
?!?!?:confused::confused::confused::confused:?!?!? !

are you KIDDING me? PT is possibly the most "fad-prone" of any allied health profession out there - you wouldn't believe the kind of crap that gets taken seriously on a large scale (c.f. - Upledger Institute; Barnes MFR Seminars);

It irks me to no end when we get Doctors latching on to the latest medication fads. My biggest complaints lately are the ones who give the newest anit-dementia medications to patients that clearly are not benefiting from them. They may slow down the process a bit, but you sure couldn't tell from looking, LOL!!
An there are the ones who insist on giving the latest osteoporosis meds to old ladies who don't even walk! :rolleyes:
you don't happen to work w/PM&R docs by any chance, LOL...

Scott R. Brown

08-09-2009, 03:02 PM

pretty placebanemic...

Back to a serious note for a sec.....

Do you find that the success rate is so low because many patients have an emotional investment in their condition, as you have mentioned concerning Fibromyalgia, but in this case I refer to actual injuries?

taai gihk yahn

08-09-2009, 03:32 PM

Back to a serious note for a sec.....

Do you find that the success rate is so low because many patients have an emotional investment in their condition, as you have mentioned concerning Fibromyalgia, but in this case I refer to actual injuries?

well, as far as actually gauging "success rate" overall, I really don't have any concrete numbers - first, you'd have to define success, then you'd have to keep track longitudinally, because theoretically what you fixed should stay fixed over time, barring any other untoward event - but that's really hard to determine if they have symptom return, what it was due to exactly (that's why when people post here that they have a 90% + success rate, I have serious doubts about that - it would imply a level of record keeping that would almost preclude having time to treat)

BUT ANYWAY...

in terms of FM specifically, I'd consider my "cure" rate non-existent, although my "success" from day-to-day in terms of flair-up control was pretty good - maybe ~70%? but that's a guesstimate at best; in regards to that specific pop, I'd say that to a not insignificant extent there is a large percentage of investment in their condition, and indeed the nature of the condition - chronic inflammatory state / hyper-stimulated immune response - is highly conducive to an emotional piece - nothing surprising there, of course; from personal experience, the few times I had someone w/FM walk out of my office essentially pain-free, the rebounds were always the worst; as I got more savvy, I mediated my treatments so that it was a gradual progression; of course, sooner or later something would "happen" and they'd ended up in crisis, largely because of poor self-management ability (despite my having worked on that with them); overall, I dislike treating FM, because it's really more about figuring out how not to enable someone's self-sabotage mechanism then it is about clinical management: you get a small window until they figure out how to "beat" you and add you to their list of failed therapists (my style towards the end of when I was working w/this pop was to ask them day one why they thought that I was going to be able to help them after they had been to so many other people w/out result - that at least got that reality out in the open and gave us some chance of defining realistic goals and create an exit strategy for me);...this population was typically suburban house-wives with crappy lives...

now in the case of chronic pain that was not FM, the people I can think of who did the best were the ones who self-managed well - these were people who had specific injuries that had not gotten better over time and were ever-present (often activity dependent) or that flared-up routinely; typically, these were people not invested in their pain, their lives didn't revolve around it, they wanted to be functional, maybe too much; for them, getting them pain-free was about clinical skill, finding the right thing and fixing it, then teaching them how to head re-injury off at the pass; this population was typically career-oriented Manhattan types: smart, driven, motivated to get better; many of these patients would get to the point where they were very good at telling the difference between the kind of pain that they could self-manage, and the kind that they need to come see me about, the frequency of the latter typically diminishing over time (yay)

the easiest were people coming in w/fresh / new injuries that hadn't had time to become entrenched in the system's compensatory mechanism: that was just a question of getting rid of the pain and normalizing the specific structure in question and making sure they didn't re-injure;

for me, the way around placebo effect is simple: I find something, anything really, that a patient can't actively do w/out having pain or stiffness: raise an arm, bend forward, turn their head one way, etc.; I make it very clear to them and make sure they know exactly what I am noting as dysfunctional - no illusions, it's right there; then I treat it; and then we re-test - and then they feel /see the difference; so it's about concretely establishing the change; and the less I talk the better (can you imagine that?!?), the faster I do it the better, almost so that they don't know what's happening - that is what, to me, helps avoid the placebo bit;

the opposite is someone who comes in and says, first thing, "I want you to do technique 'x' (usually cranial work, LOL) to me, because I know that's going to fix my problem"; well, I can go along w/the charade (I've done it, not recently though), or I can try to get them to agree to letting me do something else...ugh...

Scott R. Brown

08-09-2009, 05:22 PM

well, as far as actually gauging......

Thank you for the response.:)

20 years ago, I worked as the fitness trainer at a physical therapy/occupational health facility. I mostly set up training programs for the fitness club members and supervised weight training for the patients that were transitioning to a maintenance weight training program. I noticed a tendency for co-dependence to develop between the PT's and their patients!

Of course that happens a lot in my field too!

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mawali

08-09-2009, 06:15 PM

I am not talking about TCM per se to begin with: TCM is a PRC artifact that is to classical Taoist health practice / medicine as the taiji 24 etc. has to do w/the 108 long form; that said, "traditional" Chinese medicine was, to a large extent, a lineage-based practice that, while adhering to certain principles (5 element, yin/yang, etc.) was predicated largely on individual, subjective, anecdotal history as well as operator skill level; that doesn't discount it, it just contextualizes it; in fact, so-called "western" medicine was of a similar construct for centuries - only recently has the paradigm of relatively-objective evidence based medicine come to the fore, for a variety of both clinical as well as social reasons; thus, the whole idea of doing EBM vis-a-vis taiji is somewhat akin to reverse engineering -

While I agree en toto, the lineage based system had too much abuse and was abused so the reformulation into the TCM of the past 50 years! with anatomical and physiological principles, is still valid up to a point. Even the lateral usage of Clasical Chinese Medicine is a stretch due to abuses on that side also but I do agree caution is the best strategy in acceptance.

As you know, acording to the historical record, acupuncture was banned at least 3 times? during the Qing due to secrecy, agendas, lack of professional acupuncturists, unsanitary practices of location and person and I believe that without this reformulation, TCM would have died a slow death.

You mention EBM and you must have seen studies with placebo points showing efficacy! Is it the voice or the person with compassion entering the sensory magnetic field of the sick person and healing, OR, is it the power of the eyes of the healer, OR, the touch that clears imbalances of the energy field! One of my teachers had some knowledge of Daoist Acupuncture (I am ignorant of the extent) but most of its objective tools would be laughed and ridiculed since its tools cannot be measured or even placed on an objective reality basis.

I had a small class with 6 people who had sarcodosis (they use to work in a coal mine-retired) and on a few occasion I put my hand on the shoulder of one fellow
who could not feel anything and his skin was usually hard to the touch. He shouted "God d*mm" your hands are on fire". At which point I was shocked that his awareness was such. Stuff like that cannot be quantified and if it was, it would be discounted as BS!

taai gihk yahn

08-09-2009, 07:20 PM

While I agree en toto, the lineage based system had too much abuse and was abused so the reformulation into the TCM of the past 50 years! with anatomical and physiological principles, is still valid up to a point. Even the lateral usage of Clasical Chinese Medicine is a stretch due to abuses on that side also but I do agree caution is the best strategy in acceptance.

As you know, acording to the historical record, acupuncture was banned at least 3 times? during the Qing due to secrecy, agendas, lack of professional acupuncturists, unsanitary practices of location and person and I believe that without this reformulation, TCM would have died a slow death.

You mention EBM and you must have seen studies with placebo points showing efficacy! Is it the voice or the person with compassion entering the sensory magnetic field of the sick person and healing, OR, is it the power of the eyes of the healer, OR, the touch that clears imbalances of the energy field! One of my teachers had some knowledge of Daoist Acupuncture (I am ignorant of the extent) but most of its objective tools would be laughed and ridiculed since its tools cannot be measured or even placed on an objective reality basis.

I had a small class with 6 people who had sarcodosis (they use to work in a coal mine-retired) and on a few occasion I put my hand on the shoulder of one fellow
who could not feel anything and his skin was usually hard to the touch. He shouted "God d*mm" your hands are on fire". At which point I was shocked that his awareness was such. Stuff like that cannot be quantified and if it was, it would be discounted as BS!
not quite sure about the overall point(s) you are trying to make, or if you are just sharing some anecdotes; as far as TCM being preferable to the older system, I'm not saying it is or isn't, but just that TCM itself is a recent construct, so it can hardly be used as a means by which to examine Chinese medicine as such over the last few millennia;

as for the whole "placebo" thing - I think that this "effect" is indicative of the organism's innate capacity, given just about any sort of impetus, to move towards homeostasis; meaning that, any kind of "healing" interaction, be it touch, acupuncture, verbal, etc. can be used by the system as an external fulcrum, of sorts, to leverage itself towards intrinsic balance (e.g. - regulation of ANS being a big piece of it); and that is fine, and I certainly try to capitalize on that effect when treating, but not as the prime mover of what I do;

that said, when researching a technique that necessarily is dependent upon operator skill, one faces the challenge of accounting for this generalized effect; with a bit of foresight, I think that this is possible, but one has to be rather skilled as a researcher to do so effectively and consistently; it also means you cannot be personally or professionally vested in the outcome, as it is too easy to bring this bias into play as a determining factor;

taai gihk yahn

08-09-2009, 07:23 PM

I noticed a tendency for co-dependence to develop between the PT's and their patients!
in retrospect, I find it borderline negligent that at no point during my schooling were we ever taught about transference and counter-transference, which, given the nature of the typical PT / client interaction, is a major issue to consider!

and yeah, many PT's need that co-dependency thing to feel good about themselves; some I know actually get romantically involved w/their clients, which I personally find unethical and just a little pathetic (although one guy I know used to get with any female relatives of patients that he could, which I find to be resourceful...)...

Skip J.

08-10-2009, 09:48 AM

in retrospect, I find it borderline negligent that at no point during my schooling were we ever taught about transference and counter-transference, which, given the nature of the typical PT / client interaction, is a major issue to consider!

This entire sequence you've provided with Scott has more information - real information - on your field in a few pages than I have ever seen in total. In particular, you tie into taiji with:

"......because it's movement guys, get over it: intentioned, conscious, parasympathetic activating movement, often with 80 to 100% weightbearing on a single lower extremity, which, among other things, is going to have a big impact on lymphatic drainage of the lower quarter and balance capacity will improve dramatically as well, especially in the group most studied for that effect, namely geriatric population, which is going to stand to have the most dramatic statistical gains in balance because they are in general doing poorly in that area to begin with;

and it's social - show me it gets the same effects if people were made to practice alone instead of in a group, that would be surprising..."

I realize your real issue is with research and related findings; but the information is very detailed.

Thanks!

GeneChing

08-10-2009, 05:04 PM

Haven't chased down the original source, but I don't think I'm going to in this case...

Dorothy’s Story: Tai Chi gave me a purpose (http://beyondbreastcancer.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/dorothys-storytai-chi-gave-me-a-purpose/)
August 10, 2009 by JBBC

I came across the story of Dorothy and her experience with Tai Chi on the Real Women, Real Advice blog. Dorothy says when she received her breast cancer diagnosis, it felt like a death sentence. At the age of 66, she had already retired and was looking forward to teaching and spending time with her grandchildren. Cancer has a way of divorcing the mind from the body. It is hard not to feel betrayed by something that has turned against you. Dorothy turned to her love of tai chi to get her through the fight of her life.

Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion” because it promotes serenity through gentle movements–connecting the mind and body. Simply watching graceful movements of people gliding through dance-like poses as they practice tai chi is relaxing. Along with reconciling her mind and body, Tai chi enabled Dorothy to have a purpose in life, “It gave me positive movement.”

At close to eighty years of age, Dorothy continues to be an inspiration to other women with a diagnosis of cancer and says: “Being a 13-year breast cancer survivor, I feel very blessed. There’s so much hope now compared to when I went through the treatment. I feel that I’m still here for a reason – to help other victims of breast cancer.”

GeneChing

08-11-2009, 10:02 AM

I met Douglas at the Zhang San Feng Festival (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30555)earlier this year. He's really made his name on World Tai Chi day (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53840). There's a review of that ZSF in our current issue (Sep Oct 2009 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=830)).

KC tai chi master Bill Douglas is taking his case to D.C. (http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/1374397.html)
By JAMES A. FUSSELL
The Kansas City Star

Bill Douglas has two words for a country desperate to cut its skyrocketing health care costs.

Tai chi.

He’s not kidding.

“If you look at a Kaiser Permanente study that says that 70 percent of illnesses are caused by stress, you’re talking about a potential savings of trillions of dollars, year after year if we teach our citizens effective stress-management techniques on a massive scale.”

For decades Douglas has believed that the regular practice of the Chinese martial art, meant to unblock the flow of energy though the body, can be used to treat and even prevent a wide range of illnesses.

The medical world is beginning to agree with him.

In a few weeks, Douglas will give a presentation to the National Institutes of Health focusing on tai chi as a modern health solution, the first ever. And thanks to what he calls a “groundbreaking tectonic shift in health care,” he’s taking some persuasive ammunition with him: a stamp of approval from Harvard Medical School.

The May 2009 Harvard Health Publication said that tai chi, often described as moving meditation, should more aptly be called moving medication.

Douglas is the 52-year-old tai chi instructor who started World Tai Chi Day 11 years ago in Kansas City; the celebration is now observed in more than 65 countries.

Fabia

09-01-2009, 08:25 PM

Taiji is based on achieving a fullness of internal energy, breath, and spirit. Wudang Kung Fu contains profound Chinese philosophical theories, combining the traditional concept of Taiji, Yin and Yang, Wuxing and the Bagua.

Wudang Taiji Quan is based on achieving a fullness of internal energy, breath, and spirit. While practicing, the eight kinds of body awareness that Wudang Taiji Quan stresses are; lightness, easiness, roundness, evenness, flexibility, changeableness, steadiness and precision.

The motto for practice is: to be relaxed, complete, well-timed, and swift. Wudang Taiji requires one to be hard and strong inside, round and smooth outside and to strike out quickly, so fast that the opponent does not have the time to react. Move like the waves of the Yangzi River flowing to the ocean, one after another, never stopping.

Skip J.

09-02-2009, 05:35 AM

Welcome Fabia!

GeneChing

09-28-2009, 10:17 AM

This reminds me of slightly of our 2006 March/April cover (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=646) Jonathon Miller (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=645). The hospital angle is nice.

Hospital CEO takes tai chi as medicine (http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2009/09/28/lifestyle/health/438562.txt)
BY CARRIE MACMILLAN | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

How does a chief executive officer release stress? Waterbury Hospital's John Tobin trades his business suit for a silk jacket with an embroidered dragon. He picks up a shiny steel saber and practices the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi.

Created centuries ago as a form of self-defense that channels one's "chi," or internal energy, for smooth and fluid movements, tai chi is now practiced by millions worldwide. In the West, it is usually a combination of yoga and meditation, a "soft" martial art that uses internal power, as opposed to "hard" forms like kung fu that use external power. It is believed to improve one's balance, flexibility and stability. Tai chi can be learned at any age, and is especially popular with seniors because the movements can be modified and even done from a wheelchair.

On Tuesday, Waterbury Hospital will offer members of Evergreen Club 50, a wellness organization for adults 50 and over, a preview of an upcoming 10-session tai chi class. Tobin, along with the class instructor, Pierce Reignier from Stillwater Meditation Center in Wolcott, will demonstrate moves and talk about the physical and mental health benefits of tai chi.

It's a side of Tobin, who has been CEO at Waterbury Hospital for 22 years, few know. At the many board meetings, banquets and concerts he attends, acquaintances are more likely to hear about how the city's largest employer is weathering the tough economy than about how a sense of introspection enables him to listen to what others are saying.

GeneChing

09-30-2009, 10:18 AM

Good article. Glad progress is being made here.

I always wonder what kind of tai chi they are doing...

UF study: Tai chi can help people with diabetes lower glucose levels (http://news.ufl.edu/2009/09/30/tai-chi/)
Filed under Health, Research on Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A regular tai chi exercise program can help people better control their diabetes and lower glucose levels, according to a University of Florida study.

In a study of adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, those who participated in a supervised tai chi exercise program two days a week with three days of home practice for six months significantly lowered their fasting blood glucose levels, improved their management of the disease, and enhanced their overall quality of life, including mental health, vitality and energy.

“Tai chi really has similar effects as other aerobic exercises on diabetic control. The difference is tai chi is a low-impact exercise, which means that it’s less stressful on the bones, joints and muscles than more strenuous exercise,” said Beverly Roberts, the Annabel Davis Jenks endowed professor at the UF College of Nursing.

Roberts, with Rhayun Song, of Chungham National University, studied tai chi’s effect on older Korean residents. The research was featured in the June issue of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

About 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8 percent of the population, have diabetes. It occurs when the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

Risk factors include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, high blood pressure and cholesterol, a history of gestational diabetes and increased age, many of which can be reduced through exercise.

“People assume that for exercise to be beneficial you have to be huffing and puffing, sweating and red-faced afterward,” Roberts said. “This may turn people off, particularly older adults. However, we have found that activities like tai chi can be just as beneficial in improving health.”

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow, gentle circular movements. This low impact exercise uses shifts in body position and stepping in coordination with arm movements.

Sixty-two participants, mostly Korean women, took part in the study. Half the group participated in at least 80 percent of two supervised sessions one hour per week, with three days of home practice for six months, and the other half served as a control group. Those who completed the sessions had significantly improved glucose control and reported higher levels of vitality and energy.

“Those who participated in the tai chi sessions actually had lower blood glucose at three and six months,” Roberts said. “Those individuals also had lower hemoglobin A1c, which means they had better diabetic control.”

In addition to improved blood glucose levels, participants also reported significantly improved mental health. This was very encouraging especially since people with less depression are typically more active and independent, Roberts said.

Tai chi has also been used for people with arthritis and disabilities to increase balance, muscle strength and mobility and to reduce the risk of falls. It is worth investigating its effects in other conditions, especially in older people, Roberts said.

“Tai chi provides a great alternative for people who may want the benefits of exercise on diabetic control but may be physically unable to complete strenuous activities due to age, condition or injury,” Roberts said. “Future studies could examine if tai chi could similarly benefit conditions such as osteoporosis or heart disease.”

Since tai chi is an exercise that involves so many parts of the body and also helps to relax the mind, it is more likely participants will adhere to the exercise, said Paul Lam, a lecturer with the University of South Wales School of Public Health and Community Medicine and a practicing family physician in Sydney, Australia.

“This study shows that tai chi can have a significant effect on the management and treatment of diabetes — a significant and growing health challenge for all Western countries,” Lam said.

chusauli

10-01-2009, 09:44 AM

Skip J.

10-01-2009, 01:12 PM

I think if you have someone who does absolutely no exercise with diabetes, then have them do exercise, it will of course be better in all areas.

Obesity, Heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes is all helped by regular exercise. And it can be as simple as walking, not Tai Ji Quan.
My wife and I walk 2 miles every morning and 6 miles on Saturday. I have lost a little weight over the past few years and am willing to eat less meat in my diet now. Shortly, we will make one of the few trips a year we do for ourselves to get away; we will go walking in the woods for two days over the weekend now that it is cooling off somewhat. So our main entertainment for the entire year consists of doing something good for us both.

Unfortunately walking ( and other exercise efforts) are BORINGGGGGGG! We have been walking together off and on for over 40 years.

What has changed for me, the difficult one to get out the door, eat right, etc..... is that at about 3 years of taiji practice I found that being old, fat and slow was a considerable "hindrance" (sp?). That CMA wannabe in my mind was not keeping up with my desire to advance by just being in so-so shape.

Taijiquan is not boring! What taiji has to offer is something the old, fat, slow, guys can do that is good for them, and is not boring! Of course ladies - young, old, whatever - will do yoga, jazzersize, ride a stationary bike, taijiquan or the latest Oprah recommendations... they will put up with boring for health benefits.

But me? Already been there and done all the other stuff, lifted weights, tae kwon do, running - nothing stuck over the long term but taiji has.

Just my 2 cents worth....

chusauli

10-01-2009, 04:32 PM

mawali

10-01-2009, 08:52 PM

Skip J.

10-02-2009, 05:19 AM

Skip, Its best to walk 5 miles a day - schedule 2 half hour walks for yourself twice a day, or wear a good pedometer and go for 10000 steps a day. Eat a largely dark green leafy vegetable diet with 2 ounces of protein and some fats/oils, with fruits, nuts. Avoid processed foods, hidden sugars, artificial stuff, preservatives. Boring or not, walking is the king of all exercises. I say walk in a mall, in a new place, in a crowded outdoor area, you'll never find it boring. Tai Ji is good, but does little for your cardiovascular system (except maybe for Chen style done in high reps) and hardly burns the calories. Its fun and varied, but diet and exercise are the pillars to good health. Look at Tai Ji as a way to vary your time with a healthy lifestyle.
Hey Robert;

Yep, I agree with all of that..... but I look at taiji as encouraging me to get out and walk to train for taiji..... or I would not be out walking at all... again....

It's not an either/or situation for me, it's both.... And also, while at 61 my mind has not quite vegetated yet, I notice the not-boring part engaging the minds of older students in their '70's and '80's to be a very good thing.....

GeneChing

10-05-2009, 09:49 AM

Again, I'd like to know what form of tai chi exactly...

Tai Chi May Be An Effective Treatment For Dizziness, Balance Issues (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091004141000.htm)

ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2009) — Tai Chi, a form of Chinese martial arts often practiced for its health benefits, may be an effective treatment option for patients who suffer from dizziness and balance disorders (also known as vestibular disorders).

In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers evaluated the utility of Tai Chi in managing patients with vestibular symptoms who have failed conventional vestibular therapy. It could include individualized physical therapy or different sets of physical maneuvers that a doctor performs on a patient.

Researchers conducted a questionnaire study from April 2008 to March 2009 at an outpatient rehabilitation program, utilizing the activities-specific balance confidence scale and dynamic gait index survey, both prior to therapy and at the conclusion of an eight-week course. A total of 21 patients (18 females, 3 males) completed the study to date. Patients reported subjective improvements in their vestibular symptoms.

Researchers theorize that the technique may be effective because Tai Chi promotes coordination through relaxation, rather than muscular coordination.

GeneChing

10-13-2009, 09:43 AM

I was a PhD candidate in psych. APA format still haunts me... :o

Complementary and Alternative Therapies ResearchReview - Complementary and Alternative Therapies Research
by Tiffany Field (http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=5182&cn=452)
American Psychological Association, 2009
Review by Roy Sugarman, Ph.D.
Oct 13th 2009 (Volume 13, Issue 42)

So much for these therapies being 'flakey'. Dr Field is a serious and acknowledged researcher in the field, and holds appointment and has received awards in and from prestigious universities and societies, as well as publishing hundreds of journal articles, and many books, of which this is the latest.

She thus sets about demonstrating the evidence base for therapies that can be combined with psychotherapy, and the evidence for the success or lack of it in doing so.

In this way, she takes on Massage therapy, Acupressure, Reflexology, Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Yoga, Pilates, Exercise as a whole, Music Therapy, Aromatherapy, Progressive muscle relaxation, Imagery, Hypnosis, Biofeedback, Meditation, and so on, including what works in children. Elsewhere in the book , she looks at resources for complementary medicine, training and credentialing of therapists, what works for what illnesses or conditions, and the origins of the therapies above as an alternative or complementary set of approaches.

Suffice it to say it's a thinnish book, despite being thorough. She notes she could only find two decent studies on combining complementary therapies with psychotherapy, specifically in depression. These two studies cover CBT and mindfulness, and interpersonal therapy combined with massage therapy. There are a myriad of lighter weight studies and concepts examined, such as light music or incense/oil burners in a therapy room, through to movement or massage being incorporated, or being practiced at a separate venue. Many of the subjects examined in the book, as listed above, are already part of many standard approaches to psychological intervention, such as relaxation, hypnosis and biofeedback to name a few.

She spends some time on the origins of complementary and alternative therapies, eg Ayurvedic medicine (not much research) and Chinese medicine ( a lot of evidence in many conditions) , Shamanism (weakest support of all approaches for efficacy), Homeopathy (highly individualized, with contradictory results), Native American Medicine (no standardized data, but high acceptance in 80% of patients), Naturopathy (individualized, but with seemingly good results in some conditions, studies not scientific though), Osteopathy (hard to evaluate as it is conventional medicine-friendly, but more expensive), Chiropractic (only modest evidence despite widespread acceptance in nonjoint problems) and so Field must conclude that although most of the evidence is from Zero impact journals, or in non-English speaking journals, there is good evidence to support many alternatives to the standard approaches, and many are highly effective in certain conditions.

Massage therapy in particular has been shown to enhance the activity of the Vagal system, leading to a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, and perceived stress, changes in the EEG, higher dopamine and serotonin levels versus lower epinephrine and cortisol levels, and with applications in pre and post natal depression, borderline personality disorders, bulimia, smoking cessation, anorexia nervosa, pain syndromes with evidence of lowered substance P measures, lower adrenergic levels, and in headaches, a good response to migraine as well. MS and Parkinson's patients also declared benefits, as did those with objective measures of wellbeing in hypertension, CVD, the immune system in cancer patients, and in HIV patients. There are successful findings in sport and injury as well, as expected, and acupressure and reflexology are also examined here.

Acupuncture in particular longer duration manual acupuncture, has been demonstrated to have the most effect on different parts of the brain. The only problem is that sham procedures often produce significant brain effects as well. As the world overall accepts, placebo is a real effect, not psychological, but accompanied by brain changes. In this way, some forms of acupuncture are effect irrespective of where the needles are placed, eg in auricular acupuncture in smoking cessation, but in others, e.g., cocaine users, only in the 'correct' locations. Similarly, outcome expectations will also affect results. There is apparently a correlation between acupuncture and local nitrous oxide levels, and patients with fibromyalgia may benefit. Neck pain and back pain may benefit. Evidence in more severe musculoskeletal conditions and neurological disorders is scarce and contradictory. Some effects in ulcerative colitis may be noteworthy, but moxibustion may also help in such cases (little dirt cones piled on acupuncture sites).

Movement such as that in Tai Chi and Chi Gong is expected to work, given our sedentary lives, and it does. Blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate, aerobic measures, EEG, pain, osteoporosis, immune conditions such as HIV and cancers all show changes along with the obvious physical benefits. Age is not immune, and so in one study at least, older Tai Chi practitioners (and Golfers!) were able to compare performances with young university students in reaction times and leaning flexibility. Chi Gong has less impressive characteristics, but there is some evidence.

Yoga appears to increase vagal activity and reduce cortisol, and can improve various medical conditions such as pain, migraine, insomnia, hypertension and so on. Anxiety, depression, sleep, all show improvements. A host of conditions respond to yoga and Pilates.

The benefits of exercise are well known, and accepted, and there is an emerging trend in books anyway from authors such as John Ratey that the benefits to both body and brain are extensive and way in excess of what has been traditionally accepted to be the case.

Music therapy has also received attention, increasing blood flow in reward and arousal areas of the brain, and with a role in anxiety, depression, and a large number of more serious mental conditions. The list of conditions here studied is really large, more so than exercise for instance. T cells and killer cells increase, cortisol decreases and so on, as for other interventions, but in some ways, for many more conditions across the board.

Field continues in this vein for the treatments noted above, demonstrating in each case the benefits of each intervention as studied in various conditions.

Interestingly, the human responses are not just in certain conditions, but in multiple, suggesting this less targeted approach is universally better for the body and brain complex. However, whilst medicine may target individual complaints or conditions, there appear to be benefits in some conditions and not others, but mostly, intervening for one thing may improve other things in a single person.

Many of the interventions are highly personalized, and with the entire field of personalized medicine, one size fits all randomized control studies may not be possible, as in homeopathy for instance.

Field has done extensive work with touch, and this is evidenced in the chapter on children, a small but compelling one. Evidence is presented for glucose levels and peak airflow in particular that is most impressive. The role of exercise in children, especially in a new generation of sedentary indoor kids, is well established, and her results as presented here are accepted widely. The most frequent intervention in children was in those with autism and attentional disorders, with nearly all being supplemented with some complementary or alternative intervention.

Field has produced a sound and comprehensive work, arguing impassively for consideration to be given to complementary and alternative approaches to most conditions, with few exceptions, but with some reservations mentioned in some treatments noted above. She has produced a very welcome and useful work, for things to do when what you do is not working entirely as you want it, and as a way of empowering patients to do more, and safely so. For overall, there is virtually not a word given to side effects and very few to contraindications, hence, the popularity of many of these interventions.

chusauli

10-13-2009, 10:05 AM

Skip J.

10-13-2009, 10:57 AM

Sham acupuncture is a sham! If you put anything over an acupuncture point, it will get stimulated.

APA and AMA standards are the accepted, but human beings can get well in other means than just chemical or surgical means.
mmmmmm... Robert;

And you would be concerned about what any APA folks said why????

They are the ones with the "real" mumbo-jumbo after all....

RAF

10-15-2009, 06:49 AM

One of my favored sources of studying TCM:

http://www.osher.hms.harvard.edu/default.asp

http://www.osher.hms.harvard.edu/research.asp

http://www.osher.hms.harvard.edu/file/docs/about/Osher_Publications.doc

Division Directors

David M. Eisenberg, MD
Director, Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center
Bernard Osher Associate Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Program Director, Integrative Medicine
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Sally M. Andrews, BA, MBA
Executive Director

Julie E. Buring, ScD
Director of Clinical Research
Professor of Medicine
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Donald Levy, MD
Medical Director, Osher Clinical Center
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Russell S. Phillips, MD
Director, Fellowship Training
Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Peter Wayne, PhD
Director, Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Programs
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Roger Davis, ScD
Director, Biostatistics
Associate Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Ted J. Kaptchuk
Director, Complementary Specialties
Associate Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Jon Clardy, PhD
Co-Director, Marcus Natural Product Program
Hsien Wu and Daisy Yen Professor
Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Harvard Medical School

Bruce A. Littlefield, PhD
Scientific Director, Marcus Natural Product Program
Lecturer on Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Harvard Medical School

Associated Faculty

Andrew Ahn, MD, MPH
Instructor in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Gurjeet Birdee, MD, MPH
Instructor in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Shugeng Cao, PhD
Director, Marcus Natural Product Laboratory
Research Associate
Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Harvard Medical School

Lisa Ann Conboy, MA, MS, ScD
Instructor in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Co-Director of Research
New England School of Acupuncture

Eric Jacobson, PhD
Lecturer on Medicine
Department of Global Health and Social Medicine
Harvard Medical School

Catherine Kerr, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Weidong Lu, MB, MPH
Instructor in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Acupuncture Therapist
Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Diana E. Post, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Steven C. Schachter, MD
Professor of Neurology
Director of Research, Department of Neurology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Gloria Yeh, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Program Fellows

Eric Harris, PhD
Botanist, Marcus Natural Product Program
Research Fellow
Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Harvard Medical School

Jacinda Nicklas Mawson, MD, MA
Research Fellow in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Asghar Naqvi, MD
Research Fellow in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH
Research Fellow in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Long T. Nguyen, PhD
Research Fellow in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Christopher Trojanovich, MD
Research Fellow in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Rebecca Erwin Wells, MD
Research Fellow in Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Division Staff

Jackie Craigue, BS
Director of Operations

Ellen Connors, BS, MA
Project Coordinator

Jane Craycroft, BA, MPH
Administrative Director, Natural Product Program

Mark Cunningham, BA
Clinical Administrator
Osher Clinical Center

Mary Teresa Quilty, BA, BS
Project Coordinator

Kim Ravenscroft
Assistant to the Executive Director

Susan Rodliff
Executive Assistant to the Director

Mary Anne Ryan, BA, LMT
Grants Manager

Robert Scholten, MS
Information Architect

Patricia Wilkinson
Faculty Assistant

chusauli

10-15-2009, 09:03 AM

mmmmmm... Robert;

And you would be concerned about what any APA folks said why????

They are the ones with the "real" mumbo-jumbo after all....

Not concerned at all.

Yes, the "psycho analysis is the disease" and chasing the mind is a real problem.

:)

GeneChing

10-29-2009, 02:30 PM

..it just makes for dry reading, not appropriate for a newsstand magazine. But for a psych journal, it's great.

Ok, here's another article.

Research shows Tai Chi exercise reduces knee osteoarthritis pain in the elderly (http://www.physorg.com/news176014700.html)
October 29th, 2009

Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine have determined that patients over 65 years of age with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who engage in regular Tai Chi exercise improve physical function and experience less pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy. Full findings of the study are published in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

The elderly population is at most risk for developing knee OA, which results in pain, functional limitations or disabilities and a reduced quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are 4.3 million U.S. adults over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, a common form of arthritis that causes wearing of joint cartilage. A recent CDC report further explains that half of American adults may develop symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85.

For this study, Chenchen Wang, M.D., M.Sc., and colleagues recruited 40 patients from the greater Boston area with confirmed knee OA who were in otherwise good health. The mean age of participants was 65 years with a mean body mass index of 30.0 kg/m2. Patients were randomly selected and 20 were asked to participate in 60-minute Yang style Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included: a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles; 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement; 10 minutes of breathing technique; and 10 minutes of relaxation.

"Tai Chi is a mind-body approach that appears to be an applicable treatment for older adults with knee OA," said Dr. Wang. Physical components of Tai Chi are consistent with current exercise recommendations for OA, which include range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic work out. Researchers believe the mental feature of Tai Chi addresses negative effects of chronic pain by promoting psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, and perceptions of health.

The remaining 20 participants assigned to the control group attended two 60-minute class sessions per week for 12 weeks. Each control session included 40 minutes of instruction covering OA as a disease, diet and nutrition, therapies to treat OA, or physical and mental health education. The final 20 minutes consisted of stretching exercises involving the upper body, trunk, and lower body, with each stretch being held for 10-15 seconds.

At the end of the 12-week period, patients practicing Tai Chi exhibited a significant decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group. Using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scale, researchers noted a -118.80 reduction in pain from baseline between the Tai Chi and control group. Researchers also observed improved physical function, self-efficacy, depression, and health status for knee OA in subjects in the Tai Chi group. "Our observations emphasize a need to further evaluate the biologic mechanisms and approaches of Tai Chi to extend its benefits to a broader population," concluded Dr. Wang.

More information: "Tai Chi Is Effective in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Chenchen Wang, Christopher H. Schmid, Patricia L. Hibberd, Robert Kalish, Ronenn Roubenoff, Ramel Rones, and Timothy McAlindon. Arthritis Care & Research; Published Online: October 29, 2009 (DOI:10.1002/art.24832); Print Issue Date: November 2009.

GeneChing

10-29-2009, 02:32 PM

Nice that they specified Yang. That wouldn't be my pick for something to ward off knee pain. Nice usage of 'ward off' in the article title.

Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=107045)

THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Want to improve that osteoarthritis in your knee? New research suggests that regular Tai Chi exercise can reduce pain and help your knee function better.

"Tai Chi is a mind-body approach that appears to be an applicable treatment for older adults with knee osteoarthritis," Dr. Chenchen Wang, co-author of a study published in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research, said in a news release from the journal's publisher.

In the United States, an estimated 4.3 million adults over 60 suffer from this form of arthritis. As many as half of American adults may develop symptoms by age 85, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported recently.

Wang and colleagues from Tufts University School of Medicine recruited 40 patients, with an average age of 65, who had been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis.

Half of the group took part in Yang-style Tai Chi sessions for an hour at a time, twice weekly over a period of three months. The Tai Chi session consisted of 10-minutes of self-message and review, a half hour of movement, 10 minutes of breathing exercises and 10 minutes of relaxing.

The other participants took two 60-minute classes per week for three months and learned about issues such as diet and nutrition, and treatments for osteoarthritis. They also stretched for 20 minutes.

Those who practiced Tai Chi had significantly less knee pain than the other group and also reported less depression, more physical function and better overall health.

"Our observations emphasize a need to further evaluate the biologic mechanisms and approaches of Tai Chi to extend its benefits to a broader population," Wang said.

GLW

10-29-2009, 02:48 PM

Skip J.

10-29-2009, 03:22 PM

They said Yang but did the MEAN Yang or something else.

Many people call 24 Posture Simplified Yang style...even though it is based on concepts from Yang mixed with influences from Wu and Sun...and simplified to make it easier to learn and easier on the knees due to the use of the rock step in moving Gong Bu.

If they were taught Cheng Manching's 37 posture, the higher stances and easier movements make it easier on the knees and also not in the mainstream of Yang style.

So...not all Yang style is Yang style.
Newbies in their 60's and up, all with knee problems - would be starting out with the 24 Simplified I think.... Advanced movements will come later, years later - if any of them stick with it. That first year is really tough on the old folks... and they come in thinking that they want to do taiji because it looks soooo easy...

mawali

10-29-2009, 04:11 PM

Skip J.

10-30-2009, 05:24 AM

Level of instruction, if good enough then even Beijing (24) shi taijiquan is a great way towards health. It has shown excellent effects for well being and general welfare as evidenced by a Japanese study done about 5 years ago, if I recall rightly.
Absolutely right!

Those old folks that will stay with a beginners course all the way thru the 24 will improve their health in many ways.... including me...

And a few stay on after that.... I don't believe that there is a limit to their (our) health improvement other than dropping out...

GLW

10-30-2009, 07:46 AM

I have had students with MS as well as Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis...knee surgeries, and so on.

All of them were able to start with 24 Posture Taijiquan. (I can also say that none of those would have ever been able to approximate traditional Yang style without a number of major modifications in stance work.)

The ones with knee or joint issues, should they continue after learning 24 Posture (and 32 sword), I will teach differently. I include things like 20 Postures for Longevity Qi Gong and even Sun Style Taijiquan since its stance requirements can be slackened off a bit...and it is quick enough to hold the interest as far as spirit and complexity.

The only real issue I have ever had with older students is when a couple comes in. The men end up quitting. I think it is that their wives seem to pick up on things easier....and the old male ego rears its head and they quit.

Skip J.

10-30-2009, 12:04 PM

The only real issue I have ever had with older students is when a couple comes in. The men end up quitting. I think it is that their wives seem to pick up on things easier....and the old male ego rears its head and they quit.
Almost always..... I have heard one say he felt like a dancing bear and quit after two weeks. Most men who stay with it for years come on their own because they wanted to. For me, this is the one activity I have separate from my wife. I have no interest in her coming to class, and she has no interest.... she does her yoga on occasion, and is so far ahead of me physically I'll never catch up, so I don't feel guilty about it. We have a new guy that just retired that has come to 4 classes with his wife. She has been coming over a year, so maybe he won't feel like he should be in competition with her. His attitude is good so far.

GLW

10-30-2009, 01:16 PM

Skip J.

10-30-2009, 03:09 PM

Funny thing is that in each instance where a couple came in and the husband quit, two things of note:

(1) of the two, the husband NEEDED to to Taijiquan more than the wife. He was always one of those guys who would have said "I need to get BACK into shape." but was NEVER in shape in the first place...unless you consider ROUND a shape.

(2) when the man quit, soon after, he began to pressure the woman to quit too...and eventually she did...and in each case she quit reluctantly.

I still give family and couple discounts...I just don't expect too much out of it until BOTH show an interest. I teach the same...I just don't externalize my expectations any longer.
Yes and yes to both..... unfortunately.... as you say, these guys start out round, and they want to stay round..... except we're talking about old folks here.

The young ones (in their '40's) - well, the wife wants the husband to come but that does not affect whether she comes or not. If anything, they are less distracted with the husband gone and progress faster...

GeneChing

11-09-2009, 10:53 AM

...what style of tai chi?

Study finds tai chi helps treat osteoarthritis symptoms in elderly (http://www.drcutler.com/joint-health/study-finds-tai-chi-helps-treat-osteoarthritis-symptoms-in-elderly-19441626/)
By Health News Team • Nov 9th, 2009 • Category: Joint Health, True Health News

Tai Chi can help alleviate osteoarthritis symptoms, according to study

Treating arthritis pain may be possible with a relaxing alternative therapy, according to researchers. They say the ancient Chinese martial art known as tai chi may be effective in reducing knee pain in older people with osteoarthritis (OA).

The study, published in the November issue of the journal Arthritis Care and Researchsuggests that practicing tai chi can help seniors suffering from OA reduce their pain and improve their physical function.

A research team in Boston studied the effects of twice- weekly 60-minute tai chi sessions over a period of 12 weeks on a group of seniors with confirmed cases of knee OA. The sessions included practicing tai chi movements as well as breathing and relaxation techniques.

At the end of the 12-week study period, patients practicing tai chi exhibited a significant decrease in knee pain compared with those in the control group. In addition, researchers say they observed improved physical function, self-efficacy, depression, and health status in the group that took part in the exercise.

Tai chi features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy. Components of the martial art are consistent with current exercise recommendations for OA, which include range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are 4.3 million U.S. adults over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, a common form of arthritis that causes wearing of joint cartilage.

Nutritional supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin are also believed to help reduce symptoms associated with joint pain.

This link is worth clicking just for the tai chi pic...;)

Skip J.

11-09-2009, 12:38 PM

...what style of tai chi?

This link is worth clicking just for the tai chi pic...;)
I can say for a fact that we have never had an elderly student that looks like that....

GeneChing

01-20-2010, 10:39 AM

I should really netsearch the details of SMILE, just to find out if there's anything notable there. Or maybe someone else here should... ;)

Tai Chi therapy against depression encouraging: Australian scientist (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2010-01/20/c_13144110.htm)
English.news.cn 2010-01-20 15:29:38

CANBERRA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientist Liu Xin, who designed a Tai Chi exercise program to fight depression, diabetes and obesity said Wednesday that an initial trial of the program is encouraging.

Hailing the program as a breakthrough in the fight against depression, diabetes and obesity, the University of Queensland scientist said 50 volunteers took part in the three-month trial of the SMILE exercise regime.

The proportion of participants with clinical levels of depression dropped from 60 percent to 20 percent.

Participants also saw significant reductions in their body mass index and waist circumference.

"Without involvement of any dietary intervention and high intensity training, it was very encouraging to see such impressive results over a short period of time," Liu said.

In addition to the improvements in depression and obesity, participants also said they slept better, had more energy, higher self-esteem and improved confidence.

With one in five Australians experiencing depression at some stage of their lives, Liu said the program has great potential to ease suffering.
Editor: Fang Yang

GeneChing

02-11-2010, 10:39 AM

More from University of Queensland researcher Liu Xin.

Tai Chi Moves May Benefit Those With Type 2 Diabetes (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,585483,00.html)
Thursday, February 11, 2010

An ancient form of Chinese exercise may hold hope for staving off a modern illness - type 2 diabetes, according to a university researcher.

People with - or at risk of developing - diabetes who took part in preliminary studies of a tai chi-based program recorded falls in blood pressure, weight and blood sugar levels.

Many reported decreases in depressive symptoms after their involvement in the classes, designed by University of Queensland researcher Liu Xin.

Dr Liu said the program had been tailored to benefit people with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes and included movements to specifically exercise the pancreas, which is involved in digestion and in the regulation of blood sugar levels.

"Like in designing or producing medication, we need to target the disease specifically," Dr Liu said.

"Different movements target different internal organs."

Shirley Fraser said she signed up to a trial of Dr Liu's program after watching her father struggle with the effects of type 2 diabetes towards the end of his life.

She attended the tai chi classes for up to 90 minutes a day, three days a week, for three months and also performed the exercises at home. Although the program did not involve a change of diet, she lost 10kg.

She said her blood pressure and blood sugar levels had also improved.

chusauli

02-15-2010, 08:42 PM

If Tai Ji were "medicine", you'd have to be licensed to practice it!

Any exercise would help Type II diabetes... and a better diet would, too.

Skip J.

02-16-2010, 11:49 AM

If Tai Ji were "medicine", you'd have to be licensed to practice it!

Any exercise would help Type II diabetes... and a better diet would, too.
Hello Robert;

My grandson is 14 with Type 1 diabetes - is skinny as a rail and eats life a horse and gets moderate exercise with the other kids.

Any advice???

GeneChing

02-26-2010, 10:35 AM

I know, I know, this is ripe for parody, but that would be in rather poor taste (as if that's ever stopped anything around here :rolleyes:).

Ancient art of tai chi finds new disciples (http://www.mercurynews.com/san-jose-neighborhoods/ci_14473017)
By Marissa Cevallos
mcevallos@mercurynews.com
Posted: 02/25/2010 06:39:26 PM PST
Updated: 02/25/2010 09:54:58 PM PST

Knees apart and shoulders back, wheelchairs steady, a circle of students hovers their palms above their laps like yogis.

In tandem, their wrists draw slow, elegant hoops in the air before returning to their laps.

"You're just floating in a sea of chi," reminds the instructor. "Imagine you're kelp in the Monterey Bay, moving effortlessly."

Once practiced in secret by Chinese martial arts masters, tai chi has found a new, unlikely batch of disciples: paraplegics.

Every Monday afternoon, a handful of people roll, hobble and shuffle to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to learn an ancient art that students say reduces pain, steadies their balance and makes them feel happy.

"You're not going to be able to kung fu people with this class," says instructor Darlene Karasik, a nurse who discovered tai chi helped ease her arthritis pain. "Your best self-defense might be putting people to sleep."

Tai chi, known for its meditative qualities and slow, gentle movements, can improve health, doctors say. It increases upper body strength, improves flexibility and balance, reduces pain from arthritis and lowers blood pressure, according to a number of studies.

Valley Medical Center had already offered regular tai chi classes, but altered some moves last fall so patients can do it sitting down, hoping the seated version might provide the same benefits, said rehabilitation physician Dr. Kazuko Shem. She's enrolled six participants in a study tracking pain, emotional well-being and mental focus over the course of 12 weeks.

For patients with spinal cord injuries—about 475 at Valley Medical alone—exercise options are slim, and most are done alone. Patients with spinal cord injuries are more likely to be depressed, and Shem hopes that tai chi, which is often done in a group, will help them feel more "emotionally connected."

"There aren't that many group activities," said Shem, "but a tai chi class is almost like going to the gym."

Indeed, there are more smiles every week, says instructor Karasik. She watched camaraderie grow within a tai chi class of three quadriplegics last fall.

"When they come to class, I watch them relax, get more peaceful," said Karasik.

Charles Hanks, 69, lives in Campbell and takes public paratransit to tai chi. He's not paralyzed, but he can't walk more than 75 yards before sharp pain shoots up his calves because of an artery disease he attributes to smoking four packs of Pall Malls a day. Before a friend harangued him into attending his first tai chi class at a senior center eight years ago, he was physically drained and mentally blue.

"My balance had gone to hell. I was depressed, getting more depressed," says Hanks, who now attends both seated and standing tai chi classes at Valley Medical. "But now it's all coming back."

His disease has not progressed, which he attributes to tai chi.

Others are new to the practice.

Lawrence Viariseo has been wheelchair-bound since a skiing accident in the early 1980s paralyzed him from the knees down, but he still considers himself a jock. He does push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and yoga. And now, tai chi?

"I rolled my eyes, I have to admit," says Viariseo. "It's just not something I would do, so holistic. But I'm always pleased. I like it."

taai gihk yahn

02-26-2010, 11:08 AM

If Tai Ji were "medicine", you'd have to be licensed to practice it!
I am!;)

Any exercise would help Type II diabetes... and a better diet would, too.
LOL, and when I point this out to people who cite various taiji studies in regards to decreasing BP, levels of depression, chronic generalized / systemic inflammatory processes, etc., that those studies never compare it to other forms of movement / exercise, only control groups that do nothing, they get all grumbly on me...

Skip J.

02-26-2010, 11:31 AM

I am!;)

LOL, and when I point this out to people who cite various taiji studies in regards to decreasing BP, levels of depression, chronic generalized / systemic inflammatory processes, etc., that those studies never compare it to other forms of movement / exercise, only control groups that do nothing, they get all grumbly on me...
Right... and still, after a rehab program ends; they quit doing any exercise at all, even tho their doc says they absolutely have to (to) live.

They will come to tai chi class, and keep coming to tai chi class.... that is the difference...

Scott R. Brown

02-26-2010, 11:32 AM

I am!;)

LOL, and when I point this out to people who cite various taiji studies in regards to decreasing BP, levels of depression, chronic generalized / systemic inflammatory processes, etc., that those studies never compare it to other forms of movement / exercise, only control groups that do nothing, they get all grumbly on me...

grumble......grumble....no good.......grumble grumble.....know-it-all....grumble....grumble.....humble grumble.......samba. bumble......grumble bumble, hum bug!!!! :p

Scott R. Brown

02-26-2010, 11:33 AM

Right... and still, after a rehab program ends; they quit doing any exercise at all, even tho their doc says they absolutely have to (to) live.

They will come to tai chi class, and keep coming to tai chi class.... that is the difference...

grumble......grumble....no good.......grumble grumble.....know-it-all....grumble....grumble.....humble grumble.......samba. bumble......grumble bumble, hum bug!!!! :p

Hendrik

02-26-2010, 01:42 PM

Hello Robert;

My grandson is 14 with Type 1 diabetes - is skinny as a rail and eats life a horse and gets moderate exercise with the other kids.

Any advice???

Skip,

if you could find her;

http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/qgsk/mxz.htm

and cultivating the six healing sound/ Ma Litang Yangqigong, there is a good chance on healing.

Best Wishes

taai gihk yahn

02-26-2010, 03:30 PM

Right... and still, after a rehab program ends; they quit doing any exercise at all, even tho their doc says they absolutely have to (to) live.
They will come to tai chi class, and keep coming to tai chi class.... that is the difference...
sort of; it's got less to do w/the taiji per se and more to do with the social aspect; which is evidenced by rehab facilities that offer any sort of group exercise activities for patients post rehab;

Skip,
if you could find her;
http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/qgsk/mxz.htm
and cultivating the six healing sound/ Ma Litang Yangqigong, there is a good chance on healing.
Best Wishes
it's really very irresponsible of you to give assurances to anyone about the potential benefit of something for which there is no documented evidence, especially when it's a parent (or sorts) looking for something to help their child; by saying there is a "good chance", you are giving prognostic opinion inappropriately; the fact is, you have absolutely no idea about his nephew's condition (do you even know what is happening pathophysiolgically in Type I diabetes?), and to propose that six healing sounds can impact something like that borders on the absurd;

herbal medicine would be a much more logical choice, if one were inclined to pursue TCM, but it would need to be done by someone relatively skilled who also understands contemporary physiology as well;

once again, Hendrick t3h fail;

Hendrik

02-26-2010, 03:48 PM

it's really very irresponsible of you to give assurances to anyone about the potential benefit of something for which there is no documented evidence, especially when it's a parent (or sorts) looking for something to help their child; by saying there is a "good chance", you are giving prognostic opinion inappropriately; the fact is, you have absolutely no idea about his nephew's condition (do you even know what is happening pathophysiolgically in Type I diabetes?), and to propose that six healing sounds can impact something like that borders on the absurd;

herbal medicine would be a much more logical choice, if one were inclined to pursue TCM, but it would need to be done by someone relatively skilled who also understands contemporary physiology as well;

once again, Hendrick t3h fail;

Do you know what is a six healing sound / Yang Qigong ,and what does it do?

Please enligthent all of us here with your insight and attainment.

You speak about logical,
Do you know why Ma Li-Dang comes to a conclusion of teaching his transmission of the Six healing sound instead of using herbal medicine? and how many who has serious chronic disease got heal or improve after practicing the technics ?

Do you know what is Zhen qi and can you evoke it, and use it as in the Six healing sound to balance all of the internal organs?

Do you even know who is Ma Li-Dang and his position in modern China's healing art?

if you do, you will not post as what you post above.

BTW. read carefully, check into details, before post something or place any accusation influence by your bias and self rigtheousness.

Again,

my post said

if you could find her;
http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/qgsk/mxz.htm
and cultivating the six healing sound/ Ma Litang Yangqigong, there is a good chance on healing.

My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.

I dont know your agenda,

my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and saying prayer for him so that he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.

Skip J.

02-26-2010, 05:00 PM

sort of; it's got less to do w/the taiji per se and more to do with the social aspect; which is evidenced by rehab facilities that offer any sort of group exercise activities for patients post rehab;
Exactly taai... that is the reality.....

Except for one little thing, tai chi will attract Chinese men students and all the yoga and line dancing and etc. will not. When the western men get bored and move on, the Chinese men stay with it. While 90% of the students are women, because of the Chinese men, we always have some men still in the class years later.

Skip J.

02-26-2010, 05:02 PM

My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.

....my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and hopefully he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.

It will be another day or two before I can get back on the 'puter... but I will check for myself when I do!

Hendrik

02-26-2010, 05:16 PM

It will be another day or two before I can get back on the 'puter... but I will check for myself when I do!

Skip,

The six healing sound is the real deal which the chinese has practiced it for thousand of years and even incoorporate into the Buddhist cultivation program in Hsui Dynasty .

Dr. Ma Li-Dang has the transmission and attainment. He has also reverified and evolve the system. Thousands benifit from Dr. Ma.

It is the advance TCM, It is the art use when the herb and needdle cant do the job. It practically re balance the internal organs directly and indirectly.

Directly via the different "sound" making (which actually not making any sound at all when one practice it, but using the different shape of the mouth, location of the tounge, and lower abs breathing to generate resonance and influence the particular internal organ), and indirectly via quiet the mind and grow the Zhen Qi to support the needs of the organs to heal.

and it is also purposely re organized the life style of the person to no longer live as the past. Every expect of life changes.

It is one of the most effective method of healing and for old age health. The important key here is one needs to have a sifu who knows every details to lead one that is a must. and a few hours a day, in general more then 2 hours a day of practice and fully examp from Sex.

Certainly, some will not take it because they dont like to change their life style.

Scott R. Brown

02-26-2010, 06:50 PM

Do you know what is a six healing sound / Yang Qigong ,and what does it do?

Please enligthent all of us here with your insight and attainment.

You speak about logical,
Do you know why Ma Li-Dang comes to a conclusion of teaching his transmission of the Six healing sound instead of using herbal medicine? and how many who has serious chronic disease got heal or improve after practicing the technics ?

Do you know what is Zhen qi and can you evoke it, and use it as in the Six healing sound to balance all of the internal organs?

Do you even know who is Ma Li-Dang and his position in modern China's healing art?

if you do, you will not post as what you post above.

BTW. read carefully, check into details, before post something or place any accusation influence by your bias and self rigtheousness.

Again,

my post said

My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.

I dont know your agenda,

my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and saying prayer for him so that he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.

Henrik, I think you missed the point here.....your advice is not necessarily good advice just because you said it or just because Dr. Ma says it!

Perhaps Dr. Ma's method has a benefit, however in Western Medical culture, to advertise something as helping with a medical condition, absent a scientific demonstration of it effectiveness, is both illegal and dangerous!

Diabetes can be a very serious disease, a person can die, go blind, lose bodily extremities, have kidney failure, etc. if it is not dealt with effectively.

If one prescribes a therapy for diabetes absent any demonstration of its effectiveness, which is a legal matter here in the West, the legal liability can send one to jail and subject one to HUGE lawsuits and criminal action.

Just because Dr. Ma says it works IS NOT PROOF!!!!! He must demostrate it works scientifically which is a fair and rational expectation considering one could die or lose bodily function if an ineffective therapeutic modality is followed!

taai gihk yahn

02-27-2010, 11:49 AM

Do you know what is a six healing sound / Yang Qigong ,and what does it do?
not that is has ANY relevance to my refutation of your claim that SHS can "cure" Type I diabetes, I am in fact very familiar w/SHS, including the effect it has on both myself and patients I have treated who I have taught it to (none of whom I have given it out for Type I diabetes, or any other organic medical condition, for that matter); in fact, my teacher wrote a book (http://www.amazon.com/Taoist-Qigong-Health-Vitality-Meditation/dp/1590300688) about it; and this (http://users.erols.com/dantao/6sounds.html) is him doing them;
as for Yang Qigong - that could be anything; it's like me asking are you familiar with Yi Jin Jing - there are so many versions out there, to ask someone if they are familiar with it is meaningless;

Please enligthent all of us here with your insight and attainment.
your sarcasm aside, my personal practice is irrelevant to the topic at hand, and the fact that you even ask it underscores your inability to look at a given matter objectively - you always need to turn it into some sort of resume in regards to what a given person has attained; whether or not I personally have practiced SHS or any other sort of qigong has no bearing on whether or not that particular practice has been objectively shown to have a healing effect, either in general or on Type I diabetes;

You speak about logical,
Do you know why Ma Li-Dang comes to a conclusion of teaching his transmission of the Six healing sound instead of using herbal medicine? and how many who has serious chronic disease got heal or improve after practicing the technics ?
do you know what the term "anecdotal" means? LOL, you ask me about logical and then jump straight into an argument that has nothing to do with logic whatsoever;

Do you know what is Zhen qi and can you evoke it, and use it as in the Six healing sound to balance all of the internal organs?
why do you always come back to the same question about evoking Zhen qi? as far as SHS balancing the "internal organs" - you DO realize from a classical perspective, that the "organs" that SHS allegedly balances have NOTHING to do with the organs as delineated by current anatomical knowledge, right? in fact, the specific organ involved in Type I diabetes is not even described in TCM, or Taoist Internal Landscape, right? so tell me, how then, does SHS specifically influence that organ and the specific cells within that organ to do the job that they are not doing?

Do you even know who is Ma Li-Dang and his position in modern China's healing art? if you do, you will not post as what you post above.
wrong; even if I know about a given individual's status in a given field, it does not de facto mean I will just accept whatever it is they say just because of who they are; no scientist worth their salt should ever broke on their reputation or past achievements when making a claim about something; the point is that you claim that his SHS will have a beneficial effect on Type I diabetes; awesome; cite some documented evidence to support that claim specifically;

BTW. read carefully, check into details, before post something or place any accusation influence by your bias and self rigtheousness.
it's sad when you consistently misunderstand the points people try to make, and then go and personalize the argument as a way of refuting what someone says; indeed, you constantly cite other people's biases, yet you are so blindingly unaware of your own, it's pathetic; but sure, if you want to talk about my "bias", here it is: as a healthcare professional I have seen many BS claims made by people about energy healing, qigong, etc. and have seen many people get suckered in when they are desperate to get better or to help friends / relatives; as such, I have no tolerance for people who make claims without substantiating them;
so if you want to claim that SHS/qigong will help hypertension, improve respiratory capacity, balance autonomics, decrease generalized inflammation, improve balance, improve emotional well-being - no problem: these are all things that have been researched and documented, and the physiology behind such changes is pretty straight-forward; but to leap-frog from there to make claims about qigong curing Type I diabetes without any clinical evidence is just ridiculous;
you should "check into details" before posting irresponsibly

My opinion is to lead Skip to the expert who is a real deal and let them make the decision.
you think he is an expert, that is your opinion; how about some documented evidence that objectively demonstrates that the man has been able to cure Type I diabetes?

I dont know your agenda,
to keep people who are searching for valid treatments from being mislead by claims for which their is no evidence for efficacy;

my intention is simple, to give Skip good information and saying prayer for him so that he can find cure or healing and decrease the suffering.
that's very nice of you; my suggestion is that you act a bit more responsibly in the future when dispensing information

taai gihk yahn

02-27-2010, 11:56 AM

Exactly taai... that is the reality.....

Except for one little thing, tai chi will attract Chinese men students and all the yoga and line dancing and etc. will not. When the western men get bored and move on, the Chinese men stay with it. While 90% of the students are women, because of the Chinese men, we always have some men still in the class years later.

ok, fine, but now we are onto a somewhat different topic, which is the way in which culture influences what someone might want to do activity-wise and their ability to engage in it over the long-term; it has nothing to do with whether or not taiji is intrinsicaly more beneficial than yoga or line-dancing (I would argue that, when self-selection of the sort you mention is involved, it is not, since we tend to select what we enjoy doing, and that will have a positive impact on outcomes)

taai gihk yahn

02-27-2010, 12:10 PM

Hendrick: it appears that I now undertand the reason for your various affectations; having reviewd the website of Dr. Ma, I came across the following "research":rolleyes:

CONCUSSION OF BRAIN TREATED BY QIGONG (http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/clinical%20study/clinical2.htm)
GalaShenburen
(Mongolian Hospital, Wushenqi, Inner Mongolia, China)
Concussion of brain is triggered by trauma. Since there is no special treatment for it I have used Mongolian qigong to treat it with success. The total effective rate is 100/00 and the cure rate is 98/00.
I. Clinical data
200 cases, male 139 cases, female 61 cases
Age: 5 to 71 years old
mean age : 2526 years old
Duration of disease: half an hour-three years
Ⅱ.Treatment:
1. Shake the patient's head three times gently, read the healing sound “Em, Dom” for 3 times. Strike the patient's head from-the left to right gently for 3 times. Strike Baihui (DU 2) gently for 3 times. Press the head and strike the jaw bone for 3 times.
2. Ask the patient to relax himself totally. The operator emits his qi to his head and draws evils out. It only takes five minutes. For mild cases one treatment is enough whereas for severe cases 37 treatments are given.
3. Nursing: After treatment the patient's head should be tightly bandaged with a piece of yellow cloth.

Hendrick, it is fully apparent to me that you were one of the 139 males cited in this study for whom the treatment did not work (maybe they shook your head too hard? or maybe not hard enough? maybe you needed 38 treatments to draw out the evil? who's to say?)! As such, it is no surprise that you carry on the way that you do, and I therefore apologize to you for assuming normal brain-function when clearly, it is not possible in your case, since even the Mongolian Qigong didn't work for you;

however, if I may offer one bit of advice: I would loosen that yellow-bandage a bit, especially as it does not seem to be having much of a positive effect...

oh, and Scott - as an RN, you may want to consider the "nursing" recommendation for your own patients...

Scott R. Brown

02-27-2010, 12:40 PM

Hendrick: it appears that I now undertand the reason for your various affectations; having reviewd the website of Dr. Ma, I came across the following "research":rolleyes:

oh, and Scott - as an RN, you may want to consider the "nursing" recommendation for your own patients...

At least he doesn't have Type I DM anymore!

I know a guy who tried that treatment once......he'll get out of prison in another 18 years!:rolleyes:

taai gihk yahn

02-27-2010, 12:52 PM

At least he doesn't have Type I DM anymore!

I know a guy who tried that treatment once......he'll get out of prison in another 18 years!:rolleyes:

if you want a really good laugh, go read the various research studies (http://www.chinaqigong.net/english/clinical%20study/index.htm) on her website...

anyone who posts stuff like that as supporting their claims should be avoided at all costs...

Skip J.

02-28-2010, 04:34 PM

ok, fine, but now we are onto a somewhat different topic, which is the way in which culture influences what someone might want to do activity-wise and their ability to engage in it over the long-term; it has nothing to do with whether or not taiji is intrinsicaly more beneficial than yoga or line-dancing (I would argue that, when self-selection of the sort you mention is involved, it is not, since we tend to select what we enjoy doing, and that will have a positive impact on outcomes)
Mercy taai! I never said that it was better "intrinsically", I said it was more effective because it wasn't boring; so that folks folks would come and take it - that would not take other activities, because they are so boring....

You see the taijiquan glass as half empty, I see it as 1/2 full - it's the same glass....

Don't make this more complicated than it is... it doesn't matter if other activities are as effective medically.... if folks do not get their lazy butts up off of the couch and go. Especially men...... Maybe you're not 50 yet and go down to the senior center and watch these guys sit around and shoot the bull all day??? You can see'em just melt away day after day when they retire.... If you haven't spent a couple of years in the senior centers yet, then you need to walk a mile in my moccasins my man....

Scott R. Brown

02-28-2010, 04:48 PM

Ill be 51 in two months and you couldn't pay me to spend time at a senior center, EVER!!!!!:)

taai gihk yahn

02-28-2010, 05:51 PM

Mercy taai! I never said that it was better "intrinsically", I said it was more effective because it wasn't boring; so that folks folks would come and take it - that would not take other activities, because they are so boring....
again, that has nothing to do with the activity itself - you may think taiji is less boring, someone else might think it's more boring than yoga, line dancing, etc.; when you factor out self-selection though, then you get down to the specifics of the given activity, which you then have to break down into component pieces to be able to analyze in terms of what impact they have on the organism

You see the taijiquan glass as half empty, I see it as 1/2 full - it's the same glass....
really? how exactly do you come to that conclusion? I've been studying taiji for over 15 years and teaching it for about 1/2 that time; if I thought it was half-empty, I can't imagine having stuck with it that long...

Don't make this more complicated than it is...
it's as complicated as it is, which is that as soon as you want to start making medical claims for a given activity, you need to back those claims up in a very specific way; you teach taiji recreationally, whereas I teach it to a clinical population, so the bar is a little higher in that regard

it doesn't matter if other activities are as effective medically.... if folks do not get their lazy butts up off of the couch and go. Especially men...... Maybe you're not 50 yet and go down to the senior center and watch these guys sit around and shoot the bull all day??? You can see'em just melt away day after day when they retire....
everyone makes their own choices; some people choose to die more concertedly than others; for those that choose to live, you provide a means that can help them do so;

If you haven't spent a couple of years in the senior centers yet, then you need to walk a mile in my moccasins my man....
I've worked as a PT in nursing homes; I think that qualifies...

Skip J.

03-01-2010, 11:34 AM

Ill be 51 in two months and you couldn't pay me to spend time at a senior center, EVER!!!!!:)
Ahhh, you youngsters.... under 60.... There will come a time..... trust me on this...

Scott R. Brown

03-01-2010, 03:03 PM

Ahhh, you youngsters.... under 60.... There will come a time..... trust me on this...

LOL!!! I've heard that my WHOLE life, Skip! The ole, "Wait til it happens to you." comment, and it has yet to be proven true even ONCE!:p;)

The only senior center I'll EVER be entering is the one I am running......or going into looking for my kids!:D

Skip J.

03-01-2010, 05:27 PM

LOL!!! I've heard that my WHOLE life, Skip! The ole, "Wait til it happens to you." comment, and it has yet to be proven true even ONCE!:p;)

The only senior center I'll EVER be entering is the one I am running......or going into looking for my kids!:D
Ah yes, I was full of life and energy in my 50's too... I look back fondly on such a happy time.... Frankly, my 50's were some of the best years of my life. I am happy to be amongst this august group of folks who enjoy considerably better health as we get older. I know I get kinda wound up about it at times, but I watched my Dad just slowwww down when he retired, and then one day he was gone. If I can help just one guy stretch that out awhile longer, I'm a happy camper.

It's kinda funny talking about not going into a senior center - I'm self-employed and may never be able to afford to retire.... I will agree, if you can stay busy at that age without need for an external supply of motivation - that is the best way.

Still, watching my Dad just sit in a chair and do nothing for nearly a decade was really tough - it shaped my perception about the way I would approach retirement completely.

Never say never tho, about anything ....

Scott R. Brown

03-01-2010, 06:34 PM

Ah yes, I was full of life and energy in my 50's too... I look back fondly on such a happy time.... Frankly, my 50's were some of the best years of my life. I am happy to be amongst this august group of folks who enjoy considerably better health as we get older. I know I get kinda wound up about it at times, but I watched my Dad just slowwww down when he retired, and then one day he was gone. If I can help just one guy stretch that out awhile longer, I'm a happy camper.

It's kinda funny talking about not going into a senior center - I'm self-employed and may never be able to afford to retire.... I will agree, if you can stay busy at that age without need for an external supply of motivation - that is the best way.

Still, watching my Dad just sit in a chair and do nothing for nearly a decade was really tough - it shaped my perception about the way I would approach retirement completely.

Never say never tho, about anything ....

I've worked amongst geriatrics for years. I have see first hand the penalty paid for inactivity, improper diet, lack of mental stimulation, etc.

One of the things I have noticed amongst people in general in my life is they make it easier for themselves to live with their own limitations by projecting them onto to others by saying, "This will happen to you too!"

So far it never has for me because I don't accept other peoples limitations for me!

The truth is limitations are self imposed. It won't happen to me because I won't allow it to happen to me.

taai gihk yahn

03-01-2010, 07:27 PM

I've worked amongst geriatrics for years. I have see first hand the penalty paid for inactivity, improper diet, lack of mental stimulation, etc.

One of the things I have noticed amongst people in general in my life is they make it easier for themselves to live with their own limitations by projecting them onto to others by saying, "This will happen to you too!"

So far it never has for me because I don't accept other peoples limitations for me!

The truth is limitations are self imposed. It won't happen to me because I won't allow it to happen to me.
exactly; my parents are both in their 70's - they certainly have had their share of injuries / health related issues / surgeries, they both are war-zone survivors as children and came to the US as refugees at various points, got themselves educated to master's degrees and worked for decades as teachers, they have varied interests: my dad, 78, and former Hungarian Olympic basketball player, still teaches tennis and coaches team handball; my mom, 72, gives tours at the Met opera in NYC and frequents museums; both read extensively, they exercise 2-3x/week, get massages 1x/week, enjoy what they eat without stressing too much about diet, they have many friends all over the world and they travel internationally at least once if not twice a year, and they spend at least a day / week with my 5 y/o son who they adore;

while I don't know how much longer they have, I am pretty sure (as much as one can be), that they are not just going to dwindle away, at least not anytime soon, because their underlying perspective is that life is for living fully; and FWIW, neither of them have any interest in taiji / qigong - they think pretty much all of what I do is really weird, in fact!

Scott R. Brown

03-01-2010, 07:43 PM

exactly; my parents are both in their 70's - they certainly have had their share of injuries / health related issues / surgeries, they both are war-zone survivors as children and came to the US as refugees at various points, got themselves educated to master's degrees and worked for decades as teachers, they have varied interests: my dad, 78, and former Hungarian Olympic basketball player, still teaches tennis and coaches team handball; my mom, 72, gives tours at the Met opera in NYC and frequents museums; both read extensively, they exercise 2-3x/week, get massages 1x/week, enjoy what they eat without stressing too much about diet, they have many friends all over the world and they travel internationally at least once if not twice a year, and they spend at least a day / week with my 5 y/o son who they adore;

while I don't know how much longer they have, I am pretty sure (as much as one can be), that they are not just going to dwindle away, at least not anytime soon, because their underlying perspective is that life is for living fully; and FWIW, neither of them have any interest in taiji / qigong - they think pretty much all of what I do is really weird, in fact!

Totally cool Chris....

so.......

you must be hungary!:p

taai gihk yahn

03-01-2010, 08:30 PM

Totally cool Chris....

so.......

you must be hungary!:p

i just put some chile on some turkey and eat it :D:D:D

bawang

03-01-2010, 08:32 PM

ur parents r awesom
can i borrow them

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 06:23 AM

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 06:39 AM

again, that has nothing to do with the activity itself - you may think taiji is less boring, someone else might think it's more boring than yoga, line dancing, etc.; when you factor out self-selection though, then you get down to the specifics of the given activity, which you then have to break down into component pieces to be able to analyze in terms of what impact they have on the organism

really? how exactly do you come to that conclusion? I've been studying taiji for over 15 years and teaching it for about 1/2 that time; if I thought it was half-empty, I can't imagine having stuck with it that long...

it's as complicated as it is, which is that as soon as you want to start making medical claims for a given activity, you need to back those claims up in a very specific way; you teach taiji recreationally, whereas I teach it to a clinical population, so the bar is a little higher in that regard

everyone makes their own choices; some people choose to die more concertedly than others; for those that choose to live, you provide a means that can help them do so;

I've worked as a PT in nursing homes; I think that qualifies...

Hello taai....

I don't have any adrenaline left anymore to discuss these serious issues "properly", I may never get it back.

If you wish to delude yourself that the students you treat for pay are not the same exact students (as in the "same glass of water") that come to us recreational instructors the week after your clinical employer cuts them off for their insurance running out...... then go right on ahead....

You know, I really find ironic in the extreme that you value the health benefits of your parents participating in recreational activities, any recreational activities.... and blow all the rest of us recreational instructors off as of no benefit to students...

Scott R. Brown

03-02-2010, 09:10 AM

Hello Scott;

I don't have many words at the moment, all I can say is I felt exactly the same way you describe at your age. Enjoy it, and I hope you get to continue to enjoy it!

Hi Skip,

Once again words I have frequently heard and yet have never borne true to date, so I hope you will pardon me for being confident of my own judgment. :)

Scott R. Brown

03-02-2010, 09:18 AM

Hello taai....

I don't have any adrenaline left anymore to discuss these serious issues "properly", I may never get it back.

If you wish to delude yourself that the students you treat for pay are not the same exact students (as in the "same glass of water") that come to us recreational instructors the week after your clinical employer cuts them off for their insurance running out...... then go right on ahead....

You know, I really find ironic in the extreme that you value the health benefits of your parents participating in recreational activities, any recreational activities.... and blow all the rest of us recreational instructors off as of no benefit to students...

Please pardon me Skip for being honest here, and please believe me when I say I am fond of you, so my intentions are not to be confrontational, but your posts appear to have an underlying negative tone to them!

Negativity colors all of our experiences with a bleakness that is not inherently there!

A half glass of water can be viewed as half full or half empty and even though it is the same glass of water either way, what we bring to any experience determines the quality of that experience NOT the experience in and of itself!

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 09:38 AM

Please pardon me Skip for being honest here, and please believe me when I say I am fond of you, so my intentions are not to be confrontational, but your posts appear to have an underlying negative tone to them!

Negativity colors all of our experiences with a bleakness that is not inherently there!

A half glass of water can be viewed as half full or half empty and even though it is the same glass of water either way, what we bring to any experience determines the quality of that experience NOT the experience in and of itself!
It seems that is what I thought of taai's posts, but my thinking has gone off the rails.. I stand corrected, my apologies to all concerned...

Still, after giving my time, I prefer to think it has some value.... I just can't think any other way and keep going back... sorry if that resembles an "attachment"......

I do like the positive comments taai has said about his own learning and his own school and especially his Master; I'll restrict myself to those words I guess..

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 09:39 AM

Hi Skip,

Once again words I have frequently heard and yet have never borne true to date, so I hope you will pardon me for being confident of my own judgment. :)
I do envy you that you know.......

Scott R. Brown

03-02-2010, 09:53 AM

It seems that is what I thought of taai's posts, but my thinking has gone off the rails.. I stand corrected, my apologies to all concerned...

Still, after giving my time, I prefer to think it has some value.... I just can't think any other way and keep going back... sorry if that resembles an "attachment"......

I do like the positive comments taai has said about his own learning and his own school and especially his Master; I'll restrict myself to those words I guess..

I can see how you may have misinterpreted tgy's posts, but I do not think he was intentionally meaning to diminish the value of your experiences.

I do envy you that you know.......

It appears, to my experience, that people have inherent temperaments that influence their outlook on life. The old nature or nurture argument, to me is merely two sides of the same coin. It appears to me we are influenced by both nature and nurture. I have been blessed with a temperament possessed of inherent tenacity that does not allow me to give up under any circumstances, no matter how apparently discouraging they may appear.

It causes my wife some consternation, for if plans do not work out, I merely change the plans rather than become preoccupied with the fact the original plan failed. :)

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 10:08 AM

I can see how you may have misinterpreted tgy's posts, but I do not think he was intentionally meaning to diminish the value of your experiences.

Accepted... again, my apologies please....

It appears, to my experience, that people have inherent temperaments that influence their outlook on life. The old nature or nurture argument, to me is merely two sides of the same coin. It appears to me we are influenced by both nature and nurture. I have been blessed with a temperament possessed of inherent tenacity that does not allow me to give up under any circumstances, no matter how apparently discouraging they may appear.

It causes my wife some consternation, for if plans do not work out, I merely change the plans rather than become preoccupied with the fact the original plan failed. :)
Oh yes, that has been my exact attitude my whole life, including the part about my wife.

Even tho the last 3 years nearly wiped us out, we did survive and now it's all about how can I get "it" all done, I can't afford to miss anything. Still - even tho we did survive and even have the potential to thrive in the future - my "mind spirit" was trampled a good bit and has not bounced back to match yet. Yeah, I know - after a good year it'll be like it never happened.

I guess what I was saying is that in my 50's and younger I never did consider that we mite not survive... so this is a new thing for me...

Again, thanks for your kind words!

taai gihk yahn

03-02-2010, 10:09 AM

Hello taai....

I don't have any adrenaline left anymore to discuss these serious issues "properly", I may never get it back.
I would suggest that adrenaline is exactly what one does not want fueling a clinically-oriented discussion, because emotion has no place in that;

If you wish to delude yourself that the students you treat for pay are not the same exact students (as in the "same glass of water") that come to us recreational instructors the week after your clinical employer cuts them off for their insurance running out...... then go right on ahead....
LOL - wow, that's like a whole barrel-full of assumptions right there man! well, maybe when you are ready to let those go, then you first might consider asking me about the nature of my practice, before you bring a bunch of preconceptions to bear; however, FWIW, when I was working with adults - I treat only kids right now - my employer never cut anyone off, he always worked something out for people in need (he's a practicing Buddhist, so considered it his oblligation to take care of people who were sincere but lacked the means for full payment); and during / since then I privately often treat people for greatly reduced amounts or even for free when they had no funds; your cynicism may be well-founded based on your own experience, but don't presume to lump me in with the elements of my profession that I find equally as distasteful just because it suits your agenda;

You know, I really find ironic in the extreme that you value the health benefits of your parents participating in recreational activities, any recreational activities.... and blow all the rest of us recreational instructors off as of no benefit to students...
talk about ironic, again, you are projecting like crazy here man - maybe it's your own inadequacy issues clouding your ability to think critically? I really don't know (or care)
first off, I never dismissed what you do, instead, I put it in context - that's because there is no way that as a recreational instructor you are beholden to the same standards that I am as a licensed healthcare provider, and, as such, it is my responsibility to look at every modality I employ with a highly critical eye; meaning that I cannot afford to accept taiji in and of itself without conducting a detailed task analysis of what comprises the practice; only after having done that can I draw any conclusions about its relative efficacy as compared to other forms of movement; if you recall, the title of this thread is taiji as MEDICINE - if taiji wants to hold that status, then it needs must be subjected to the same rigorous criteria as any other modality making the same claim; meaning that, although I can get excited about how well it "works", at the same time I also have to discern why, and if in fact there might not be better ways to achieve the same or better results with other approaches (be they qigong, yoga, Alexander, Feldenkreis, Mentastics, etc.); and while I have no doubt that what you teach benefits your students greatly (again, find where I suggested that it did not), it's just a whole different ball of wax when dealing with clinical diagnoses (e.g. - what taiji / qigong movements would you have a student with a grade 2 L5 spondylolisthesis avoid? emphasize? - see what I mean?)

Skip, you seem like a sincere guy, but you are taking this discussion waaaay to personally for a clinical discussion

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 10:10 AM

Sorry about the threadjack!

Got carried away again I guess...

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 10:13 AM

Skip, you seem like a sincere guy, but you are taking this discussion waaaay to personally for a clinical discussion
Don't take this wrong taai - I know you put a whole lot of effort into writing it - but I'm not gonna read it.....

peace brother...

catch you on the backside...

taai gihk yahn

03-02-2010, 10:16 AM

ur parents r awesom
can i borrow them
dude, just bear in mind that I am describing them in one light - there's a whole other bunch of not so awesome that I could relate as well...(as could they!;))

It seems that is what I thought of taai's posts, but my thinking has gone off the rails.. I stand corrected, my apologies to all concerned...

no need to apologize, I am not offended

I do like the positive comments taai has said about his own learning and his own school and especially his Master; I'll restrict myself to those words I guess..
hey, as you like - personally, I find it more interesting to consider things others say that I don't sit well with...FYI, I disagree w/my sifu on a lot of stuff as well - certain viewpoints of his I object to significantly; and I've told him this as well (privately, of course - I wouldn't jack him in a public setting, of course)

I can see how you may have misinterpreted tgy's posts, but I do not think he was intentionally meaning to diminish the value of your experiences.

exactly - diminishment is relative - clinical application has many more requirements than recreational, that's a fact; it doesn't mean recreational doesn't have intrinsic value, just of a different nature

taai gihk yahn

03-02-2010, 10:18 AM

Don't take this wrong taai - I know you put a whole lot of effort into writing it - but I'm not gonna read it.....
well, you haven't really read anything else I've posted before all that thoroughly, why start now?
but sure, go ahead, throw out a whole bunch of stuff and then don't read the answer, it's the internet equivalent of fingers in ears going "la la la"; it's a great way to kill any possibility of actually having a discussion (although, you obviously read enough to find a part to cut and paste) - pretty lame; not very taiji either
anyway no real effort - took about 5 minutes; and, when I post, I don't have any expectations that someone will read it or not, that's on them, I have no attachment per se

peace brother...

catch you on the backside...
doubtful

Scott R. Brown

03-02-2010, 10:27 AM

Oh yes, that has been my exact attitude my whole life, including the part about my wife.

Even tho the last 3 years nearly wiped us out, we did survive and now it's all about how can I get "it" all done, I can't afford to miss anything. Still - even tho we did survive and even have the potential to thrive in the future - my "mind spirit" was trampled a good bit and has not bounced back to match yet. Yeah, I know - after a good year it'll be like it never happened.

I guess what I was saying is that in my 50's and younger I never did consider that we mite not survive... so this is a new thing for me...

Again, thanks for your kind words!

I too had a crisis in my life about 11 years ago. It is way to long and complicated to go into detail, but suffice it to say it changed the entire direction of my life, some of it is better, some of it is worse.

At the time, even though I rationally knew it could have been worse and the anxiety I experienced would one day pass, the emotions I felt were not along those lines. It was sort of like going to work and finding out they saved all the stuff you hate the most for you to do. You do it because you know you have too and you will be better off if you do, BUT I AIN'T GONNA LIKE IT!!!!

......and I'll be glad when it is over!:)

So I hear you my friend. I know it is hard! I just kept telling my self, "And this too shall pass!! And this too shall pass!!""

Keep the faith!:)

Scott R. Brown

03-02-2010, 10:30 AM

well you obviously read enough to find a part to cut and paste ; anyway no real effort - took about 5 minutes; and, when I post, I don't have any expectations that someone will read it or not, that's on them, I have no attachment per se

Whew!!! That is good news to hear, since I don't actually EVER read anything you post....I use my psychic abilities to provide me with the proper insights, you know the one where I bend over and stand up real fast? Well that one, I have found the concussions I experience from falling over lead to some very interesting insights!

For most people it knocks the sense out of them, for me, I have found it knocks the sense INTO me!!:eek:

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 11:06 AM

.....It was sort of like going to work and finding out they saved all the stuff you hate the most for you to do. You do it because you know you have too and you will be better off if you do, BUT I AIN'T GONNA LIKE IT!!!! ......and I'll be glad when it is over!:) So I hear you my friend. I know it is hard! I just kept telling my self, "And this too shall pass!! And this too shall pass!!"........"Keep the faith!:)
Thank you Scott; we will find a way to get it all done; and in a year we will look back and feel like it was a good one I know...... two years from now it will be like it never happened....

And taai, I admit to baiting you on the Type 1 diabetes question there's no doubt. You can protect me from the internet bs anytime you wish, I will not take offense...

taai gihk yahn

03-02-2010, 11:20 AM

And taai, I admit to baiting you on the Type 1 diabetes question there's no doubt. You can protect me from the internet bs anytime you wish, I will not take offense...
again, I was not baited - if someone wants to make clinical claims, then they have to back those claims up in an appropriate manner; if someone wants to discuss taiji / qigong in a clinical manner, then it requires a certain perspective be applied; that said, it is not my inclination per se to protect you or anyone from anything and if you take offense or not, it's not my concern, if it's in regards to this sort of discussion, because nothing I direct is personal - I simply apply my professional capacity towards the discussion; if people like Hendrick can't understand what I am talking about and start going ad hominum, that is their issue, not mine;
bottom line: if you make a claim, you should be able to back it up, plain and simple; if Hendrick had just said "in my personal experience, this is what I have seen Dr. Ma do", in stead of intimating that your nephew would likely have a good outcome from treatment by him / her, then it would have been appropriate, and you can make your own informed decision accordingly (btw, Hendrick's not the only one "guilty" - many licensed healthcare professionals make exactly the same error, be it from personal bias / not looking critically at something, and making assurances they ought not make)

Skip J.

03-02-2010, 11:41 AM

(btw, Hendrick's not the only one "guilty" - many licensed healthcare professionals make exactly the same error, be it from personal bias / not looking critically at something, and making assurances they ought not make)
Thanks for that... you may have inferred that our experience with the "medical industry" over this issue has not been pleasant over the years; and right now this red hot minute today it has been extremely unpleasant.... when my wife gets an adrenaline flow you can bet that a good part of that flows downhill.... When kiddoes do come very close to dying on very short notice, then for years afterward it seems almost surreal... it never goes away and comes back at you day after day after day, no matter what you do...

GeneChing

03-08-2010, 10:44 AM

Eventually, another news article will come along and put us back OT. Good to see you gentlemen have resolved this more or less peaceably. That's so refreshing - a testament to the taiji forum perhaps.

Tai Chi Helps People with Arthritis of the Knee (http://www.naturalnews.com/028320_Tai_Chi_knee_arthritis.html)
Monday, March 08, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Tai Chi can reduce pain and improve function in people who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee, according to a study conducted by researchers from Tufts University and published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research.

Tai Chi is a traditional form of Chinese exercise that involves slow, rhythmic movements. The study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Researchers conducted the study on 40 people over the age of 55 who were suffering from arthritis of the knee. Half the participants were assigned to either a twice-a-week Tai Chi class, while half were assigned to a twice-a-week general wellness and stretching class. All participants were instructed to repeat their Tai Chi or stretching exercises at home for 20 minutes per day. At the beginning and end of the study, they filled out questionnaires about their pain, mental state, quality of life and other health-related information.

All exercises used in the study were designed to avoid aggravating arthritis of the knee.

After 12 weeks, participants in the Tai Chi group reported a 75 percent reduction in pain and a 72 percent increase in their ability to perform daily tasks, such as climbing stairs. These numbers were significantly higher than those of the control group. Participants in the Tai Chi group also reported significantly less depression and better health than patients in the control group.

Thirty-six weeks after the conclusion of the study, fewer than half of the participants were still doing the exercises they had been assigned. By this time, there was little difference in pain, ability to perform daily tasks, or other health measures between the two groups. People who had been in the Tai Chi group still had significantly lower depression scores than people who had been in the stretching group, however.

Osteoarthritis patients seeking to try Tai Chi should be sure to inform their instructors about their arthritis or other health conditions.

taai gihk yahn

03-08-2010, 11:43 AM

Eventually, another news article will come along and put us back OT. Good to see you gentlemen have resolved this more or less peaceably. That's so refreshing - a testament to the taiji forum perhaps.

no, as taiji practitioners we just bury our grudges internally...:D

as for the study - it's a good start, at least there was a comparison between activities; however, the information about what both groups did specifically was lacking; that would be necessary in order to draw some more reliable conclusions; for example, what style of taiji? what stretches and "general wellness" activities?

what I personally would like to see is the difference between a group studying taiji and a group doing slow movements similar in quality but not actually taiji; my point being is that, while I agree that the qualitative aspects of moving slowly with focused awareness of body in space coordinated with breathing is a good thing, I don't believe it needs must be organized as a taiji form to be effective;

Scott R. Brown

03-08-2010, 04:28 PM

what I personally would like to see is the difference between a group studying taiji and a group doing slow movements similar in quality but not actually taiji; my point being is that, while I agree that the qualitative aspects of moving slowly with focused awareness of body in space coordinated with breathing is a good thing, I don't believe it needs must be organized as a taiji form to be effective;

I would like to see a study between Tai Chi and water aerobics!

BYT for myself this is nothing against Tai Chi, I love Tai Chi, it is just about proper scientific demonstration the benefits within the proper context. I would still recommend Tai Chi for just about anyone!

Skip J.

03-09-2010, 05:41 AM

Eventually, another news article will come along and put us back OT. Good to see you gentlemen have resolved this more or less peaceably. That's so refreshing - a testament to the taiji forum perhaps.
Thank you for your kind words Gene!

It's odd where one finds attachments that you have to let go, ain't it????

If it "stokes" my adrenaline flow.... I gotta let it go....

full disclosure: there are many, many health professionals out there who truly help their patients as best they can. Actually, it's administrators who look at the money flow and cut folks off at the pass... And, Type 1 DB will drive a whole family crazy, each and every one... that's no excuse tho....

Skip J.

03-09-2010, 05:51 AM

I would like to see a study between Tai Chi and water aerobics!

BYT for myself this is nothing against Tai Chi, I love Tai Chi, it is just about proper scientific demonstration the benefits within the proper context. I would still recommend Tai Chi for just about anyone!
Well said Scott.....

Hmmmmmm...ummmm ......... well, ok.... can I suggest very humbly that it mite be enlightening also - to scientifically study how many old folks will take tai chi that will not take other suitable activities??????? Perhaps while we are being reasonable about the comparison of effectiveness, that we should not overlook what we have???

I'm just sayin'......

taai gihk yahn

03-09-2010, 06:42 AM

Thanks for that... you may have inferred that our experience with the "medical industry" over this issue has not been pleasant over the years; and right now this red hot minute today it has been extremely unpleasant.... when my wife gets an adrenaline flow you can bet that a good part of that flows downhill.... When kiddoes do come very close to dying on very short notice, then for years afterward it seems almost surreal... it never goes away and comes back at you day after day after day, no matter what you do...

full disclosure: there are many, many health professionals out there who truly help their patients as best they can. Actually, it's administrators who look at the money flow and cut folks off at the pass... And, Type 1 DB will drive a whole family crazy, each and every one... that's no excuse tho....
there are negative issues within the medical system on all levels, from basic knowledge, to individual practitioner skill to administrative organization to insurance reimbursement; I would be the last person to paint it in a uniformly positive light;

at the same time, there is, I believe, a great value to the idea / ideal of dispassionate inquiry; and, again, since we are framing taiji as medicine and not martial art / recreation, it necessarily becomes beholden to that ideal; meaning that we have to set our personal feelings aside (personally, I luv taiji as a practice for reasons that would be difficult, though not impossible, to qualify objectively) and examine the aspects of taiji that make it "as such", and distill them down to a common demominator for 2 reasons: one, to actually understand what those components are in order to see if there are other practices that contain them and two, to see iff in fact the practice of "taiji" is in deed greater than the sum of its parts when applied clinically - meaning that, if we look at the qualitative aspects - slow, focused movement, breath awareness, etc. - do we find a difference if these are applied exclusive of the taiji super-structure, or is there something about the way in which they are organized in the form sequence that makes a difference (for example - if u do 10 taiji moves in one sequence versus another, is there a difference?)

Hmmmmmm...ummmm ......... well, ok.... can I suggest very humbly that it mite be enlightening also - to scientifically study how many old folks will take tai chi that will not take other suitable activities??????? Perhaps while we are being reasonable about the comparison of effectiveness, that we should not overlook what we have???

I'm just sayin'......
this is an excellent study topic and it's exactly the sort of thing that you want to look at in terms of patient participation and, more importantly, retention; for example, the osteoarthritis study noted that in 36 months, most people were doing neither their exercises nor the taiji - why not? so we would want to not only look at taiji per se, but at effective retention models in general; taiji in particular, i think, has the potential to be more interesting / engaging - and that might be a qualitative difference between doing the movements in isolation and in terms of a form - meaning that if you combine what effectively amounts to a study of another cultural paradigm with exercise, you have a formula for engaging people more thoroughly over the long term; of course, the social group aspect is important; also the idea that you never stop learning in terms of exploration of the form - whereas once you learn the stretching, the attitude is that you pretty much have learned it, now go do it on autopilot (which I personally disagree with, I think you can teach regular stretching in a way that is continually engaging, but anyway...) - this will lead to boredom and habituation and lack of retention of patients;

Skip J.

03-09-2010, 11:59 AM

there are negative issues within the medical system on all levels, from basic knowledge, to individual practitioner skill to administrative organization to insurance reimbursement; I would be the last person to paint it in a uniformly positive light;

at the same time, there is, I believe, a great value to the idea / ideal of dispassionate inquiry; and, again, since we are framing taiji as medicine and not martial art / recreation, it necessarily becomes beholden to that ideal; meaning that we have to set our personal feelings aside (personally, I luv taiji as a practice for reasons that would be difficult, though not impossible, to qualify objectively) and examine the aspects of taiji that make it "as such", and distill them down to a common demominator for 2 reasons: one, to actually understand what those components are in order to see if there are other practices that contain them and two, to see iff in fact the practice of "taiji" is in deed greater than the sum of its parts when applied clinically - meaning that, if we look at the qualitative aspects - slow, focused movement, breath awareness, etc. - do we find a difference if these are applied exclusive of the taiji super-structure, or is there something about the way in which they are organized in the form sequence that makes a difference (for example - if u do 10 taiji moves in one sequence versus another, is there a difference?)

this is an excellent study topic and it's exactly the sort of thing that you want to look at in terms of patient participation and, more importantly, retention; for example, the osteoarthritis study noted that in 36 months, most people were doing neither their exercises nor the taiji - why not? so we would want to not only look at taiji per se, but at effective retention models in general; taiji in particular, i think, has the potential to be more interesting / engaging - and that might be a qualitative difference between doing the movements in isolation and in terms of a form - meaning that if you combine what effectively amounts to a study of another cultural paradigm with exercise, you have a formula for engaging people more thoroughly over the long term; of course, the social group aspect is important; also the idea that you never stop learning in terms of exploration of the form - whereas once you learn the stretching, the attitude is that you pretty much have learned it, now go do it on autopilot (which I personally disagree with, I think you can teach regular stretching in a way that is continually engaging, but anyway...) - this will lead to boredom and habituation and lack of retention of patients;

Thank you taai, very well said!

Regarding other stretching, in watching the yoga class before ours to clear out of our room, it is obvious that he has his students put their mind in their bodies while stretching, and when laying flat they seem glued to the earth. No doubt they are getting there without need to imagine whacking on anybody in the process. They have very few men in yoga, but the few men who do are the ones who stick with it and advance up their chain.

What I see is that more men will try taiji than yoga, and of them, more will stick with it over the long term. They enjoy thinking about whacking bad guys, just as I do. Women will take taiji, or yoga, or whatever on a regular basis; it doesn't matter to most of them what "it" is. So my own focus is on guys like me, rather than the general population......

So your question is - is taiji really special in some way, or do we just want it to be that way????? If it is, what are the parts that make it special and how can we focus on them?

For me the question is 180 degrees out from yours, there is no doubt that taiji - any taiji - can be presented to out-of-shape elderly guys who need it and they will sign on to give it a try. That is the only difference that matters to me.

Sooooo, the subject is not so much about a 1/2 full glass as about the difference in apples and oranges... it's all good with a little bit of different taste... kinda like the difference in taiji and yoga.

Scott R. Brown

03-09-2010, 02:31 PM

the osteoarthritis study noted that in 36 months, most people were doing neither their exercises nor the taiji - why not?

It would be interesting to find out what the percentage was and how it compares to the general public, since in truth most people who start any kind of exercise program do not continue it after a period of time!

GeneChing

03-10-2010, 10:44 AM

Good one, taai gihk yahn.

I studied yoga for a spell. My wife is a former yoga instructor. I even went to India to study yoga. It wasn't that I was any good at it. I was just following my wife on an adventure. I've always disliked the comparisons between yoga and tai chi. To me, they are very different. They are only lumped together as eastern holistic practices by the West. However, tai chi trails yoga by so much here now. It's not a good comparison at all.

BTW, here's another study...sort of...

Study on preventing memory loss in seniors seeks participants (http://media-newswire.com/release_1114094.html)

(Media-Newswire.com) - We’ve all heard references to “senior moments,” but does growing older have to mean also becoming forgetful? Stanford University School of Medicine’s Victor Henderson, MD, doesn’t think so, and he is investigating ways to prevent memory loss among seniors.

In a new study, Henderson and colleagues are testing whether specific group activities can impact cognitive function. The researchers are now looking for older adults to participate in their pilot study.

Previous studies have shown that performing certain physical and mental activities and engaging in social activities may help lower the risk of mental decline among seniors. Last year, for example, research presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting showed that older adults who read books, played games and did craft activities were 30 to 50 percent less likely to develop memory loss compared with people who didn’t engage in those activities.

Henderson, a professor of health research and policy and of neurology and neurological sciences, has long been interested in risk factors and therapies for dementia and age-related cognitive decline. For this work, he decided to compare the potential memory-boosting benefits of tai chi, a Chinese martial arts form that has been called “mediation in motion;” guided autobiography writing, during which participants produce a written record of their past; and seminars focused on healthy aging. “We were looking for innovative activities that would be engaging and somewhat complex,” said Henderson. “The focus is on having participants learn a new skill or something useful.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests that tai chi can help improve memory, and a small Stanford study also showed it might boost mental capacity. But, Henderson said, this study marks the first time that tai chi, or guided writing, have been looked at in this context.

During the study, 108 healthy adults over the age of 70 will be randomized to participate in tai chi or guided autobiography writing, attend a weekly session on healthy aging, or do a combination of tai chi and writing. Participants will attend group sessions for the first six months and, if assigned to tai chi or writing, encouraged to continue the practice at home with scheduled phone calls. They will be assessed in the beginning of the study, and again at six and 12 months.

If results from this pilot study appear promising, Henderson said, he plans to conduct larger trials on the specific intervention.

Participants in this study must be age 70 or older with a relatively inactive lifestyle. They must be able to travel to Stanford for classes and must not be limited in their ability to participate in light exercise or to write. Adults with dementia are not eligible for the trial. Those interested in volunteering or obtaining more information about the trial should call ( 650 ) 721-3308 or e-mail Ace-seniors@stanford.edu.

The research is being funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

PRINT MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Brandt | Tel ( 650 ) 723-0272
mbrandt@stanford.edu BROADCAST MEDIA CONTACT
M.A. Malone | Tel ( 650 ) 723-6912
mamalone@stanford.edu Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions - Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For more information, please visit the Office of Communication & Public Affairs site at http://mednews.stanford.edu/.

GeneChing

04-13-2010, 09:51 AM

Here's an abstract of what appears to be an interesting study.

Exploring Tai Chi in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/719420)

Till Uhlig; Camilla Fongen; Eldri Steen; Sigrid Ødegård

Posted: 04/12/2010; BMC Family Practice. 2010;11:43 © 2010 Uhlig et al; licensee BioMed Central, Ltd.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory and systemic disease which affects the musculoskeletal system. Exercise programmes are reported to improve physical functioning in patients with RA. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art which combines slow and gentle movements with mental focus. The purpose of this study was to study in which way Tai Chi group exercise impacted on disease activity, physical function, health status and experience in RA patients, applying quantitative and qualitative methods.

Methods: Fifteen patients with RA (13 females, age 33–70 years) were recruited from a rheumatology department into a single group study. The patients were instructed in Tai Chi exercise twice weekly for 12 weeks. Assessments at baseline, 12 weeks, and 12 weeks follow-up were performed with a wide range of measures, including disease activity, self-reported health status, physical performance tests (Walking in Figure of Eight, Timed-Stands Test, and Shoulder Movement Impairment Scale). Qualitative data were obtained from a focus group interview conducted after completed intervention with taping and verbatim transcription. Review of the transcripts identified themes important to patients practicing Tai Chi.

Results: Within the group, Tai Chi practice lead to improved lower-limb muscle function at the end of intervention and at 12 weeks follow-up. Qualitative analyses showed that patients experienced improved physical condition, confidence in moving, balance and less pain during exercise and in daily life. Other experience included stress reduction, increased body awareness, confidence in moving and indicated that Tai Chi was a feasible exercise modality in RA.
Conclusions: Improved muscle function in lower limbs was also reflected when patient experiences with Tai Chi were studied in depth in this explorative study. The combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods shows that Tai Chi has beneficial effects on health not related to disease activity and standardised health status assessment, and may contribute to an understanding of how Tai Chi exerts its effects.

taai gihk yahn

04-13-2010, 10:16 AM

Here's an abstract of what appears to be an interesting study.

not bad, but again, no comparison that shows taiji to be uniquely beneficial as opposed to other forms of similar movement approaches (e.g. - Feldenkreis);

also a very small sample size, so there is not going to be much power statistically (u usually want at least 20 participants per sample group for this)

and the data of patient's self-report was not assessed using a standardized measurement tool, but rather based on examiner's subjective interpretation of "qualitative interviews", meaning that operator bias could be a factor as well;

not wanting to become a Medscape member, I was unable to get to the study via the provided link, so there may be things that I missed...

mawali

04-13-2010, 11:36 AM

not bad, but again, no comparison that shows taiji to be uniquely beneficial as opposed to other forms of similar movement approaches (e.g. - Feldenkreis);

also a very small sample size, so there is not going to be much power statistically (u usually want at least 20 participants per sample group for this)

and the data of patient's self-report was not assessed using a standardized measurement tool, but rather based on examiner's subjective interpretation of "qualitative interviews", meaning that operator bias could be a factor as well;

not wanting to become a Medscape member, I was unable to get to the study via the provided link, so there may be things that I missed...

You could use PubMed!
Just type variations of taijiquan, tai chi chuan, etc and you will get quite a few trials as full documents.
You could also check the background of 0.1Hz (6-10 breaths/minute) in its potential role in some movement therapies like taijiquan and qigong and even yoga

taai gihk yahn

04-13-2010, 12:57 PM

You could use PubMed!
Just type variations of taijiquan, tai chi chuan, etc and you will get quite a few trials as full documents.
You could also check the background of 0.1Hz (6-10 breaths/minute) in its potential role in some movement therapies like taijiquan and qigong and even yoga

I am very aware of Pubmed, and frequent it regularly (I get access to full articles in fact, not just abstracts, thanks to my MD wife);

as for breathing, that's a whole other area of study, certainly one of significant relevance to movement...

Scott R. Brown

04-13-2010, 04:38 PM

You could also check the background of 0.1Hz (6-10 breaths/minute) in its potential role in some movement therapies like taijiquan and qigong and even yoga

....as for breathing, that's a whole other area of study, certainly one of significant relevance to movement...

I am not trying to be a naysayer or rain on anyone's parade here.......okay I am......but I am pretending I am not so just play along please......

It has been well established since the dawning of time that breathing is pretty much a necessity!!

...I'm just saying......you know?;)

GeneChing

07-15-2010, 11:03 AM

Martial Arts Like Tai Chi Can May Improve Mental Health (http://www.emaxhealth.com/1357/martial-arts-tia-chi-can-may-improve-mental-health)
Submitted by Tyler Woods Ph.D. on 2010-07-15

A recent assessment of over 40 studies is giving positive results using Tai Chi for improving mental health. Tai Chi is a gentle Chinese martial art of slow meditative physical exercise designed for relaxation and balance and health. This helps combines mental concentration, slow breathing and dance-like movements to increase life force energy.

Dr. Chenchen Wang, associate professor at Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, worked with a team of researchers to gather the results of the studies, including 17 randomized controlled trials, into the mental health effects of tai chi.

Wang stated, “Tai chi, the Chinese low-impact mind-body exercise, has been practiced for centuries for health and fitness in the East and is currently gaining popularity in the West. It is believed to improve mood and enhance overall psychological well being, but convincing evidence has so far been lacking.”

Wang and her colleagues found that practicing tai chi was associated with reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance, and increased self-esteem.

Wang said, “More detailed knowledge about the physiological and psychological effects of tai chi exercise may lead to new approaches to promote health, treat chronic medical conditions, better inform clinical decisions and further explicate the mechanisms of successful mind-body medicine.”

In another similar study, Linda Larkey, PhD, of Arizona State University, and her research team scoured the medical literature, finding 77 published reports of scientific studies that looked at the two Chinese practices and compared them to other exercises or to a sedentary state.

The studies which we published between 1993 and 2007, looked at tai chi and qigong and the effects they have on health, physical function, falls, quality of life, one's feeling of self-efficacy, immune system functioning, psychological symptoms, and other factors.

The 77 studies they found included 6,410 participants. Both forms of activity incorporate a wide range of physical movements and slow, meditative, dance-like movements. Larkey said that this study shows ''stronger evidence base'' for the activities and their positive effects on bone health, cardio-respiratory fitness, physical functioning, balance, quality of life, fall prevention, and psychological health.

Larkey stated, "This combination of self-awareness with self-correction of the posture and movement of the body, the flow of breath, and mindfulness, are thought to comprise a state that activates the natural self-regulatory (self-healing) capacity."
I'd be interested in the original pub as it's sure to have a good bibliography.

TaichiMantis

07-20-2010, 12:38 PM

I'd be interested in the original pub as it's sure to have a good bibliography.

Ask, and ye shall receive (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/10/23);)

taai gihk yahn

07-20-2010, 12:58 PM

Ask, and ye shall receive (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/10/23);)

and, not surprisingly, here's the key paragraph (highlights mine):

Tai Chi appears to be an effective therapeutic modality to improve psychological well-being among various populations. However, it is still difficult to draw firm conclusions. First, we did not include any unpublished studies. The overall methodological quality of previous studies is unsatisfactory, consisting mostly of small sized or nonrandomized comparisons. Given the few high quality RCTs available for investigation, our review is limited by wide variations in methodological rigor of clinical trials and observational studies. Second, the heterogeneous amalgamation of instruments used to collect clinical psychological health data restricts our ability to evaluate differences in these outcomes. Third, it remains unclear whether Tai Chi mind-body exercise provides equal or superior psychological benefits compared to moderate-intensity aerobic exercises. Fourth, most studies failed to provide objective measures of stress and anxiety such as salivary cortisol level, blood pressure or heart rate, and some studies only reported a subset of psychological outcomes. Due to the limited physiological variables in our analyses, we were unable to analyze the effect of Tai Chi on physiological effects. Fifth, the studies included in the meta-analyses demonstrated a relatively high degree of heterogeneity. Various patient populations were used, and most studies involved healthy people. There were also many variations between the included studies with regard to methodological quality (eg, problems of randomization, allocation concealment, or reporting results), which prohibited us from analyzing the quantitative evidence. However, it is difficult to compare results across studies because they were assessed at different time points. Additionally, all the studies published in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan reported unanimously positive results. Differences in methodological rigor between eastern and western studies may be potential sources of heterogeneity, and publication bias may vary across countries and cultures.

THE fact that this was included in the Discussion section is a strong indicator that the authors are in fact well-trained researchers.

sanjuro_ronin

07-20-2010, 01:17 PM

I guess that people will always see what they WANT to see.

taai gihk yahn

07-20-2010, 07:27 PM

I guess that people will always see what they WANT to see.

doing good research, as u probably know, is a real biotch, and props to anyone who can maintain objectivity when researching a subject that they may have personal feelings about that they may have to supress when engaged in a balanced assessment of the topic; but they ultimately do the field a service by pointing out the shortcomings of extant studies - it will help people design better ones in the future

GeneChing

08-19-2010, 09:47 AM

There's a lot of buzz on this study in the news today. Here's the source.

Original Article
A Randomized Trial of Tai Chi for Fibromyalgia (http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0912611)

Chenchen Wang, M.D., M.P.H., Christopher H. Schmid, Ph.D., Ramel Rones, B.S., Robert Kalish, M.D., Janeth Yinh, M.D., Don L. Goldenberg, M.D., Yoojin Lee, M.S. and Timothy McAlindon, M.D., M.P.H.

N Engl J Med 2010; 363:743-754August 19, 2010

Background

Previous research has suggested that tai chi offers a therapeutic benefit in patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods

We conducted a single-blind, randomized trial of classic Yang-style tai chi as compared with a control intervention consisting of wellness education and stretching for the treatment of fibromyalgia (defined by American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria). Sessions lasted 60 minutes each and took place twice a week for 12 weeks for each of the study groups. The primary end point was a change in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) score (ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms) at the end of 12 weeks. Secondary end points included summary scores on the physical and mental components of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). All assessments were repeated at 24 weeks to test the durability of the response.

Results

Of the 66 randomly assigned patients, the 33 in the tai chi group had clinically important improvements in the FIQ total score and quality of life. Mean (±SD) baseline and 12-week FIQ scores for the tai chi group were 62.9±15.5 and 35.1±18.8, respectively, versus 68.0±11 and 58.6±17.6, respectively, for the control group (change from baseline in the tai chi group vs. change from baseline in the control group, −18.4 points; P<0.001). The corresponding SF-36 physical-component scores were 28.5±8.4 and 37.0±10.5 for the tai chi group versus 28.0±7.8 and 29.4±7.4 for the control group (between-group difference, 7.1 points; P=0.001), and the mental-component scores were 42.6±12.2 and 50.3±10.2 for the tai chi group versus 37.8±10.5 and 39.4±11.9 for the control group (between-group difference, 6.1 points; P=0.03). Improvements were maintained at 24 weeks (between-group difference in the FIQ score, −18.3 points; P<0.001). No adverse events were observed.

Conclusions

Tai chi may be a useful treatment for fibromyalgia and merits long-term study in larger study populations. (Funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00515008.)
Source Information

From the Division of Rheumatology (C.W., R.K., J.Y., T.M.) and the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (C.H.S., Y.L.), Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine; and Mind–Body Therapies (R.R.) — both in Boston; and Newton–Wellesley Hospital, Newton, MA (D.L.G.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Wang at the Division of Rheumatology, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St., Box 406, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, or at cwang2@tuftsmedicalcenter.org.

GeneChing

11-10-2010, 10:47 AM

Odd. This is the 2nd reference to UNC today. The other was with Shaolin's Sutra (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54913&page=3).

Study: Tai Chi relieves arthritis pain, improves reach, balance, well-being (http://www.med.unc.edu/www/news/2010/november/study-tai-chi-relieves-arthritis-pain-improves-reach-balance-well-being)

Sunday, November 7, 2010 — The study found that there are significant benefits of Tai Chi for individuals with all types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, said Leigh Callahan, PhD, lead author.
Study: Tai Chi relieves arthritis pain, improves reach, balance, well-being

CHAPEL HILL, NC — In the largest study to date of the Arthritis Foundation’s Tai Chi program, participants showed improvement in pain, fatigue, stiffness and sense of well-being.

Their ability to reach while maintaining balance also improved, said Leigh Callahan, PhD, the study’s lead author, associate professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a member of UNC’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center.

“Our study shows that there are significant benefits of the Tai Chi course for individuals with all types of arthritis, including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis,” Callahan said. “We found this in both rural and urban settings across a southeastern state and a northeastern state.”
A small number of studies have examined the benefits of tai chi and arthritis pain. Now researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to put tai chi through the rigors of science.

Callahan will present these results on Monday, Nov. 8, at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta.

In the study, 354 participants were recruited from 20 sites in North Carolina and New Jersey. They were randomly assigned to two groups. The intervention group received the 8-week, twice-weekly Tai Chi course immediately while the other group was a delayed control group. All participants received baseline and 8-week follow-up evaluations, after which the control group also received the Tai Chi course.

To be eligible for study, participants had to have any type of self-reported, doctor-diagnosed arthritis, be 18 years old or older and able to move independently without assistance. However, they did not have to be able to perform Tai Chi standing. They were eligible for the study if they could perform Tai Chi seated, Callahan said.

Self-reports of pain, fatigue and stiffness and physical function performance measures were collected at baseline and at the eight-week evaluation. Participants were asked questions about their ability to perform activities of daily living, their overall general health and psychosocial measures such as their perceived helplessness and self-efficacy. The physical performance measures recorded were timed chair stands (which are a measure of lower extremity strength), gait speed (both normal and fast) and two measures of balance: a single leg stance and a reach test.

At the end of eight weeks the individuals who had received the intervention showed moderate improvements in pain, fatigue and stiffness. They also had an increased sense of well being, as measured by the psychosocial variables, and they had improved reach or balance, Callahan said.

Study co-authors, all from UNC, are statistician Jack Shreffler, PhD, Betsy Hackney, BS, Kathryn Martin, PhD, and medical student Brian Charnock, BS.

Media contact: Tom Hughes, (919) 966-6047, tahughes@unch.unc.edu

GeneChing

01-05-2011, 10:45 AM

Slightly OT, but I figured it was newsworthy.

D.C. wants to teach juvenile delinquents Yoga, Tai-Chi (http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/01/dc-wants-teach-juvenile-delinquents-yoga-tai-chi)
By: Freeman Klopott 01/04/11 8:05 PM
Examiner Staff Writer
The District's troubled juvenile justice agency is looking for a yoga teacher, or maybe a tai-chi instructor, to work with some of the city's most dangerous youths. The idea for the new Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services programming comes from interim deputy director Barry Holman. Late last month, Holman e-mailed the agency's staff to see if they have "hidden talents that might be tapped to further our work with the young people in our care." In the e-mail obtained by The Washington Examiner, Holman said his primary interest was in finding among the staff an instructor certified in yoga, tai-chi, or another "mind-body connection discipline."

The agency is coming off a controversial year during which more than a dozen of its wards were charged with murder and at least a half-dozen were killed. A heavy focus on rehabilitation programs for city youths was blamed by critics for the soaring violence. Under political pressure, former Mayor Adrian Fenty fired then DYRS interim director Marc Schindler six months after he replaced Vincent Schiraldi.

Fenty appointed Robert Hildum, who came to the agency with a reputation as a tough, law-and-order type.

But Hildum resigned last month in the face of uncertainty as the city transitioned to Mayor Vince Gray's administration. Fenty, as a lame duck, appointed Neil Stanley as the fourth DYRS director in 12 months. Agency insiders believe Stanley will straddle the line between rehabilitation and keeping the city's wayward youth locked up.

Holman told The Examiner that he's received several responses since sending out the Dec. 29 e-mail, but none from anyone who can teach the "mind-body" techniques he described. He said he hoped the e-mail would begin a conversation with staff members to think broadly about programs that "might be of interest to them and the youth."

"It was an exercise on my part to see what other qualities, besides the professional qualities, that they can bring to the job," Holman said.

Among the responses he did get: a race car driver who suggested the youth build a race car, musicians and a certified boxing instructor.

Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham questioned if turning to yoga was the best approach given the problems the youth face. This week marks Graham's first as the chairman of the council's human services committee, which has oversight over DYRS. "Anything that would contribute to well-being I am in favor of," Graham said Tuesday. "But I'm much more concerned about having programs that address alcohol and substance abuse that will help turn these kids' lives around."

In his e-mail, Holman suggested hiring someone from the "outside" for the "mind-body" programming, but he told The Examiner his plans are still in the early stages and he hasn't committed any resources. "We're always looking at expanding our offerings," he said. "The benefits of yoga or tai-chi are no different for youth in a correction facility than for anyone else."

WildBill

01-05-2011, 02:07 PM

From: http://www.worldtaichiday.org/MEDResearchHighBloodPressure.html

T'ai Chi lowers blood pressure -- NEW YORK, Mar 02, 1999 (Reuters Health)

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 1999; 47:277-284.

T'ai Chi -- the slow-motion form of exercise popular in China -- can reduce blood pressure in older adults as much as regular aerobic exercise, but without speeding up their heart rates, according to researchers.

These findings ``suggest that (exercise) intensity may be less important than other factors'' when it comes to lowering high blood pressure, conclude researchers led by Dr. Deborah Rohm Young of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland. Their study is published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

After 3 months of Tai Chi practice, Systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) declined by an average of 8.4 mm Hg in the T'ai Chi group, and by 7.0 mm Hg in the aerobics group. Diastolic pressure (the second number in a reading) fell by an average of 3.2 mm Hg and 2.4 mm Hg, respectively.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAWAII MEDICAL JOURNAL, 1992, VOL ID 51, ISSUE ID 8 Participants observed a "big increase in breathing capacity", a disappearance of backaches and neckaches, those with high blood pressure claimed a drop of 10 to 15 mm Hg systolic at rest, and all participants claimed to have more energy in their daily work.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH, 1989, VOL ID 23, ISSUE ID 2,
PAGES 197-206

Relative to measurement beforehand, practice of T'ai Chi raised heart rate, increased nonadrenaline excretion in urine, and decreased salivary cortisol concentration. Relative to baseline levels, [Test Subjects] reported less tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion and state-anxiety; they felt more vigorous, and in general they had less total mood disturbance.

NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY JOURNAL

Adaptive Tai Chi; by Seana O’Callaghan - Sept. 2003 Edition

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/IMSJuly03-AdaptiveTaiChi.asp

“Recent clinical studies have confirmed that tai chi produces measurable benefits in improving balance, lowering blood pressure, . . .”

More on Tai Chi for Burn Calories, Dump Stress, Boost Immune Function
at: http://www.worldtaichiday.org/LIBRARYArticles/LIBRARYTaiChiArticlesMenu.html

GeneChing

02-07-2011, 10:34 AM

It's the best application I can think of for tai chi. Period.

Tai Chi May Prevent Falls Among Seniors (http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20110112/tai-chi-may-boost-balance-in-seniors)
New Guidelines Suggest Reducing Certain Medications Also May Improve Balance in Seniors
By Denise Mann
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Jan. 13, 2011 -- Updated guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatrics Society recommend interventions such as the slow-motion Chinese martial art tai chi along with medication reviews to help prevent falls among the elderly.

The guidelines, which appear in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, were last updated in 2001.

Falls among the elderly are linked to an increased risk for hip and other fractures and head injuries, all of which can lead to reduced independence, early admission to long-term care facilities, and even death.

“Given the frequency of falls and the injuries that occur as a result, falling is as big of a problem as heart attack and stroke, and we need to start taking it as seriously because falls are preventable,” says guideline author Mary Tinetti, MD, a geriatrician at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. “The most effective way to prevent falls is to reduce medication, make the environment as safe as possible, and improve balance and gait through exercises including tai chi or physical therapy.”

Tinetti and other panel members reviewed studies looking at fall prevention interventions published between May 2001 and April 2008 to develop the updated guidelines.

Fall Prevention 101

Tai chi and/or physical therapy can help seniors improve their balance, gait, and strength and help stave off falls, the guidelines state.

Medication checkups are also useful for older people who are at risk for falls, Tinetti says. Medications that may increase falling risk include certain antidepressants and sleeping pills.

“We should review all the medications and really decide ‘do they need this medication at this dose’ and determine if the medicine is more likely to cause overall harm vs. overall benefit,” she says. “If a medication puts a person at risk of falling, is it really worth it?”

If a medication can’t be stopped altogether, reducing the dose may also an option, she says. No one should ever stop taking or reduce a dose of any medication without first discussing these risks with their doctor.

Some falls may be caused by poor vision. “Cataract extraction has a lot of benefits for fall prevention,” she says.

Fall Prevention Is Everyone’s Issue

The onus is on everyone involved with the care of the aging population to implement these guidelines, Tinetti says.

“Nurses, physical therapists, specialists, and anybody who is caring for older people should be aware of these new guidelines and follow the components that are relevant to their area of expertise,” she says.

“Older people also need to take more responsibility when they see their care providers,” she says. For example, say ‘I want my blood pressure taken when I stand to see if it drops, and I want you to look at all my medications to see if any are going to increase my risk for falling or make me unsteady,” she says.

Make Fall Prevention a Focus

Ronald P. Grelsamer, MD, an associate professor of orthopedics at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, says fall prevention strategies should be implemented in and outside of the home.

Throw rugs, wires, telephone cables can all increase fall risk in the home, he says. "The bathroom is a dangerous place [and] mats and handles are important," Grelsamer says.

“When walking outside and there is a chance it might be slippery, move your feet apart a little bit because this makes you more stable right away,” he says. “If you are carrying something, carry it in the dominant hand, so if you fall your non-dominant hand will break your fall.”

“The main risk is that they are going to break their hip, but other fractures such as wrist fractures also occur, and emergency surgery is never minor in this population,” he says.

As for the updated guidelines, “I think it is a very good idea to make sure the eyes are as good as they can be and that an older person is not on more medication than they need,” Grelsamer says.

GeneChing

03-17-2011, 09:43 AM

Excuse me...I meant Tai Chi Chih. I wonder why we don't have a thread dedicated to Tai Chi Chih here...

American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: (http://journals.lww.com/ajgponline/Abstract/publishahead/Complementary_Use_of_Tai_Chi_Chih_Augments.99664.a spx)
POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 6 March 2011
Complementary Use of Tai Chi Chih Augments Escitalopram Treatment of Geriatric Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Nearly two-thirds of elderly patients treated for depression fail to achieve symptomatic remission and functional recovery with first-line pharmacotherapy. In this study, we ask whether a mind-body exercise, Tai Chi Chih (TCC), added to escitalopram will augment the treatment of geriatric depression designed to achieve symptomatic remission and improvements in health functioning and cognitive performance.

Methods: One hundred twelve older adults with major depression age 60 years and older were recruited and treated with escitalopram for approximately 4 weeks. Seventy-three partial responders to escitalopram continued to receive escitalopram daily and were randomly assigned to 10 weeks of adjunct use of either 1) TCC for 2 hours per week or 2) health education (HE) for 2 hours per week. All participants underwent evaluations of depression, anxiety, resilience, health-related quality of life, cognition, and inflammation at baseline and during 14-week follow-up.

Results: Subjects in the escitalopram and TCC condition were more likely to show greater reduction of depressive symptoms and to achieve a depression remission as compared with those receiving escitalopram and HE. Subjects in the escitalopram and TCC condition also showed significantly greater improvements in 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical functioning and cognitive tests and a decline in the inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein, compared with the control group.

Conclusion: Complementary use of a mind-body exercise, such as TCC, may provide additional improvements of clinical outcomes in the pharmacologic treatment of geriatric depression.

TaichiMantis

03-17-2011, 02:38 PM

Tai Chi Chih :confused:

GeneChing

03-17-2011, 03:21 PM

A new thread, just for you, TaichiMantis.

T'ai Chi Chih (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1084212)

GeneChing

04-26-2011, 10:07 AM

Available from Archives of Internal Medicine.

Vol. 171 No. 8, April 25, 2011 (http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/171/8/750)
Tai Chi Exercise in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

A Randomized Clinical Trial

Gloria Y. Yeh, MD, MPH; Ellen P. McCarthy, PhD; Peter M. Wayne, PhD; Lynne W. Stevenson, MD; Malissa J. Wood, MD; Daniel Forman, MD; Roger B. Davis, ScD; Russell S. Phillips, MD

Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(8):750-757. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.150

Background Preliminary evidence suggests that meditative exercise may have benefits for patients with chronic systolic heart failure (HF); this has not been rigorously tested in a large clinical sample. We sought to investigate whether tai chi, as an adjunct to standard care, improves functional capacity and quality of life in patients with HF.

Methods A single-blind, multisite, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial evaluated 100 outpatients with systolic HF (New York Heart Association class I-III, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%) who were recruited between May 1, 2005, and September 30, 2008. A group-based 12-week tai chi exercise program (n = 50) or time-matched education (n = 50, control group) was conducted. Outcome measures included exercise capacity (6- minute walk test and peak oxygen uptake) and disease-specific quality of life (Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire).

Results Mean (SD) age of patients was 67 (11) years; baseline values were left ventricular ejection fraction, 29% (8%) and peak oxygen uptake, 13.5 mL/kg/min; the median New York Heart Association class of HF was class II. At completion of the study, there were no significant differences in change in 6-minute walk distance and peak oxygen uptake (median change [first quartile, third quartile], 35 [–2, 51] vs 2 [–7, 54] meters, P = .95; and 1.1 [–1.1, 1.5] vs –0.5 [–1.2, 1.8] mL/kg/min, P = .81) when comparing tai chi and control groups; however, patients in the tai chi group had greater improvements in quality of life (Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire, –19 [–23, –3] vs 1 [–16, 3], P = .02). Improvements with tai chi were also seen in exercise self-efficacy (Cardiac Exercise Self-efficacy Instrument, 0.1 [0.1, 0.6] vs –0.3 [–0.5, 0.2], P < .001) and mood (Profile of Mood States total mood disturbance, –6 [–17, 1] vs –1 [–13, 10], P = .01).

Conclusion Tai chi exercise may improve quality of life, mood, and exercise self-efficacy in patients with HF.

taai gihk yahn

04-26-2011, 10:21 AM

Available from Archives of Internal Medicine.

so, basically, as compared to doing nothing, doing taiji for 12 weeks, while having no impact on walking endurance or respiratory capacity in patients with chronic systolic heart failure, does make them feel better about themselves...

<sigh>

KTS

05-03-2011, 02:21 AM

i have to say this. i applaud those who have worked and gained benefits.... i am not just saying this so that i dont seem like a d!ck. but tai chi chih is not, by any stretch i have seen, taijiquan.

and i know plenty who are in their "very" golden years or have kicked crippling problems such as arthritis for example in the butt.

but tai chi chih, although apparently useful, doesnt sit well with me being linked to the practice of taijiquan as i know it.

not a huge deal to me, just saying it doesn't help with the image.

lance

05-06-2011, 01:37 AM

This in from Reuters recently.

It's an expanded study of earlier work done by Prof. Michael Irwin. Here's an older report: (http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030923-000001.html)

GeneChing ,

ืHello , anyway , there are differebt forms of tai chi chuan Yang , chen , wu , and the sun style of tai chi chuan . The movements is ' nt just movements , they all have applications for each move just like TCMA . Tai Chi regardless of what style you practice , it helps keep you healthy because you ' re building your internal energy as well , I practice yang style tai chi the short version . It helps me develop my intuition more and developing internal energy . Internal energy is what makes you even stronger .

Intuition - Whereever I go for example store , office , school , companies of any type , you feel the aura and vibration and you can feel the people ' s energy force . And you can tell if the situation is good or bad , this all happens to me .

Other than that it helps me to get stronger when people accidently bump into me . Or when I do some kind of physical contact like when someone pushes me around in a playful , you feel the difference you notice that you can push the people , but they can ' t push you .

Tai chi of any style takes time and patient to get the benefits , but you need to relax and breath normally , and keep on practicing the movements until you feel the benefits .

Lance

GeneChing

05-18-2011, 09:41 AM

Tai Chi Prevents Falls, Boosts Mental Health in Seniors: Study
But the gentle form of exercise doesn't relieve symptoms of cancer, arthritis, researchers find (http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/cancer/articles/2011/05/17/tai-chi-prevents-falls-boosts-mental-health-in-seniors-study)
Posted: May 17, 2011

TUESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Tai chi helps reduce the risk of falls in older people and also improves their mental health, a new study has found.

However, the ancient Chinese martial art/exercise does not help ease the symptoms of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers who analyzed 35 reviews assessing the health effects of tai chi.
Click here to find out more!

The reviews in English, Chinese and Korean databases looked at the impact of tai chi on a variety of diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Some of the reviews also examined tai chi's effect on mental health, balance and fall prevention, muscle strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity.

Findings about tai chi's effects were contradictory for a number of conditions, but there seemed to be clear evidence that it offered general health benefits for older people, was effective for fall prevention and improved mental health, according to study authors Myeong Soo Lee of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine in South Korea, and Dr. Edzard Ernst of the University of Exeter in England.

The study findings were released online May 16 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

"Our overview showed that tai chi, which combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements, may exert exercise-based general benefits for fall prevention and improvement of balance in older people as well as some meditative effects for improving psychological health," the study authors wrote.

"We recommend tai chi for older people for its various physical and psychological benefits. However, tai chi may not effectively treat inflammatory diseases and cardiorespiratory disorders," they concluded. A search of "tai chi" on the British Journal of Sports Medicine (http://bjsm.bmj.com/) site comes up with 144 results.

taai gihk yahn

05-18-2011, 02:20 PM

A search of "tai chi" on the British Journal of Sports Medicine (http://bjsm.bmj.com/) site comes up with 144 results.

you know, it's great, but frankly, why do they keep needing to study the same thing over and over? it's been clearly and definitivey established for over 15 years that taiji practice has the effect of reducing falls in elderly population (a large piece I believe having to do with ameliorating the fear of falling (FOF) aspect): the first valid research on this was done by Stephen Wolfe PhD, PT back when I was still a PT student; so I just don't get why they keep revisiting this - the horse is dead, the ship has sailed, the cream has curdled;

what they SHOULD be looking at is whether practicing the taiji form is any more efficacious than simply doing a vairety of slow, intentioned movements that work on weight-shifting and sustained unilateral weight bearing - this will determine if there is anything necesarilly unique to taiji itself as opposed to the nature of the movements (I suspect that there is not, with the exception of the "foreign ginger" effect...which may be a relevant component to maintain in terms of long-term patient compliance to the practice)

JamesC

05-19-2011, 07:08 AM

You can accomplish the same thing by wearing no shoes as often as possible.

For some reason bare feet have become taboo and unsightly to most people. Take your shoes off and walk in the grass.

Wearing shoes constantly atrophies your feet and lower leg to the point that your feet aren't able to do what they're made to do.

Can you imagine not being able to feel anything that you touch with your hands all day because you have to wear gloves? You ever tried to do anything dextrous with your hands and fingers while wearing gloves?

It's the same thing.

Brule

05-19-2011, 08:28 AM

I am in bare feet as much as possible when i'm hanging aorund the house, it's a completely different feeling walking in the yard, i've even cut the grass on occassion with no shoes on. I'm sure the neighbours think i'm a weirdo.

taai gihk yahn

05-19-2011, 09:30 AM

To be fair, there is an actual physiological phenomenon that contributes to increased falls in the elderly; a weakening of the nerve signals in the soles of the feet.

So perhaps Tai Ji's emphasis on "full body awareness," with extra focus on the proprioception of the soles of the feet, plays a role in augmenting the weakened sensations of the foot, thereby restoring function to one of the most important sensory appendages necessary for balance and stability.

actually, what I think really happens is that the feet (more specificaly, the proprioceptors in the ankles), have been gone for a while, and the person has been compensating with vision; but then the eyesight goes, and that's it (basically, balance is mediated by stretch-recpetors in the ankles first, then vision a few milliseconds later, and then the inner ear after a longer lag, I forget how much - so if u loose ur balance, visually u can compensate quick enough to stay upright, the vestibular system takes too long though; so if u loose ankle prope and vision, u r basically screwed)

I think taiji (or other slow moving work) works on both ankle prope and the overall postural system via visual capacity (looking in very specific places while doing the form, which activiates the postural system via the occulo-gyro-cephalic reflex, meaning that the visual system cues the postural muscles to orient the body in reference to the direction in which one is looking); the slowness of the movement gives u time to "feel" where u r, and the full weight shifting and sustained unilateral weightbearing "stresses" the ankles through a full range and sustained loading phase, which helps w deep prope receptors;

GeneChing

05-19-2011, 09:31 AM

what they SHOULD be looking at... Yes, the world's problems have been solved by *other people* and what *they should be* doing. With all due respect, tgy, if you don't like the research, go out and make some of your own. I would be very eager to read that.

I'm sure the neighbours think i'm a weirdo.The neighbors aren't the only ones. ;)

I worked as a medical courier while in college. My route was mostly old folks homes. None of them would go barefoot. They all wore slippers. Old people get cold feet. It's a circulation issue. Besides, once you get old, you deserve to wear slippers all the time.

taai gihk yahn

05-19-2011, 09:43 AM

Yes, the world's problems have been solved by *other people* and what *they should be* doing. With all due respect, tgy, if you don't like the research, go out and make some of your own. I would be very eager to read that.

I never said I didn't like the research, it's good research; but as any professional researcher knows, before you do research, you do a literature review in order to find out if what you are looking at has been looked at already, and to what degree; a perusal of extant research on taiji will clearly demonstrate that assessing it's effects on falls in elderly has been done to death, with a positive outcome clearly having been established; therefore, to look at that in and of itself would be redundant; therefore, the next step os to compare it to other modalities that have also been established as having an impact on balance in the elderly, and see which modality gives the better outcome; this is what advances the field of medicine (of course, if one wants to do a study that one knows will give positive results, then that would be a good way to do it, and unfortunately, this does happen from time to time)

as far as my going out and making my own, it's not so easy - the people who do this sort of thing are typically attached to to some sort of institution that affords them the many resources required to run a well-designed study; however, just because I don't have those resources doesn't preclude me from critically analyzing research done by others (and frankly, no one in the medical profession would really have the attitude of "go do it yourself" if you don't like it - valid criticism is valid regardless of the source...); so in effect, sometimes one person reading research can say what another should go do, and sometimes that other person does go do it, thereby solving a problem!

Brule

05-19-2011, 10:27 AM

The neighbors aren't the only ones. ;)

I worked as a medical courier while in college. My route was mostly old folks homes. None of them would go barefoot. They all wore slippers. Old people get cold feet. It's a circulation issue. Besides, once you get old, you deserve to wear slippers all the time.

Then i must fit in well over here. Hey, it's only around the house and yard, not like i'm walking in the forest picking berries and squatting by the river. I don't think anyone's ragging on the elderly for not going barefoot. My impression was that over time the soles of the feet lose their sensitivity and we should try to go barefoot in our younger years as much as possible in an attempt to avoid that.

wenshu

05-19-2011, 10:27 AM

You know what else reduces the slip and fall among the elderly?

Squat toilets.

GeneChing

05-19-2011, 10:59 AM

A Comparison of Taiji Versus Squat Toilet and the Effects on Falls in Seniors.

tgy, this study has your name written all over it. :p Seriously, tgy, getting involved with taiji research isn't as hard as you might think. When I wrote Stanford Lab Examines Tai Chi for our 2007 November/December issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=729), there was a group of eager researchers with access to a motion gait lab. They were nibbling at research but they lacked a solid research question. Tai Chi is a fairly hot research topic now and I'm sure you could hook up with some researchers if you just pressed your ideas to the right people (which is a sideways way of saying that the forum isn't necessarily the right people ;)).

Hendrik

05-27-2011, 06:30 PM

Taiji could be medicine.

However, every taiji form is different ;and the practioner needs to arive at a certain level of both quality and quantity for the cultivation to be effective.

Taiji is not an exercise but taiji is default to exercise when the level of quality and quantity
not arive. thus, in this case, it doesnt do much compare with usual exercise. Taiji will produce more then exercise effect if it is well above the level in quality and quantity.

I have experienced in a few Qigong / Taiji reached, from my little experience I think general western world still not mature to the point for sure short Qigong/taiji quality/quantity. So, it is easy to fall into a trap of voodo, believe, cultis and wishful thinking without a tangible fundation.

So does Qigong/Taiji works? absolutely, it is scientific and solid. It is just most was not train to that level. in my experience.

Qi and internal traning is an objective matter which could be standardize. From what I have experience, It is a fact USA can save lots of medical spending and the elderly and sick could have a better handling on their own health if the real technology is implement in USA.

Actually, I have send an email to a CEO of high tech company months ago to introduce him to the six healing sound because that is true high tech of the high tech in chinese medicine. it is much superior in some area of sickness where the whole body needs to be re tune and balance as a system , when usual medication cannot do it well without side effect. However, as usual, there is a standard or quality and quantity one needs to arive and passed to get the benifits.

I have seen in the west that some people are biasly total against or look down on the internal training, some people are biasly total support or blind following on the internal training.
I think both are off.
These internal stuffs are technology and technology could be reproduced if the process and handling is clear. why not find out what it is as it is.
But then these internal stuffs are develop with a strong chinese culture practice background which might not suitable for everyone in the west due to the preference of living style.

YouKnowWho

05-27-2011, 11:27 PM

For old people, to stand on single leg is the best way to develop "dynamic balance". Unfortunately the Taiji system is not good for that.

GeneChing

06-22-2011, 09:27 AM

MU study shows tai chi might improve cognitive function after chemotherapy (http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/15/tai-chi-might-might-improve-cognitive-function-chemotherapy-patients/)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 | 7:24 p.m. CDT; updated 12:14 p.m. CDT, Thursday, June 16, 2011
BY Sarah Strasburg

COLUMBIA — About one-third of breast cancer patients experience a decrease in cognition that lasts beyond chemotherapy, and an MU pilot study has found that practicing tai chi as little as four hours a week can help.

Chemotherapy can negatively affect cognition, including memory and concentration, said Stephanie Reid-Arndt, the MU researcher who conducted the study.

The cause of cognitive decline is not understood, Reid-Arndt said, but other current research is trying to understand the nature of the decline and its causes.

For now, though, patients need a solution, and that's what this study focuses on, she said.

The results are based on 23 patients who practiced tai chi for 10 weeks.

Kathy Windmoeller was diagnosed with the most common kind of breast cancer, intraductal breast cancer, in January 1999 and began chemotherapy the following month. She said she didn't notice a decline in her cognitive skills right away but realized one day that she was locking her keys in the car, forgetting everyday tasks and losing track of time. Windmoeller said she started asking people to give her reminders, making lists and placing sticky notes everywhere to try to solve the problems.

Like the other participants in the MU study, she had never tried tai chi before.

"The tai chi itself, it definitely does work on your balance, and it works on your memory because it's a pattern, and you need to remember the pattern," Windmoeller said. "It's a very gentle, calming, good exercise."

Windmoeller said she saw improvement in her balance while she was practicing tai chi but not in her cognition. The classes also offered her the opportunity to form new friendships.

"I really enjoyed the tai chi, very much, but I think the thing that was really nice that came out of it was the camaraderie that developed between the participants," Windmoeller said. "I don't know why, but everybody just clicked, and we became good friends, and that was an added bonus on top of whatever it was doing for us physically and mentally."

At this point, Reid-Arndt hasn’t eliminated other factors such as camaraderie or shared traumatic experience as contributing factors in patient improvements.

The next steps for the research will be more extensive testing that could weed out some of these other factors and then a comparison of the tai chi results with traditional, group-based support.

The study was funded through the MU School of Health Professions. Reid-Arndt said further testing is on hold until more funding is available. This study sounds pretty uncontrolled so far, but I do hope they get funding to pursue it more.

taai gihk yahn

06-22-2011, 09:39 AM

This study sounds pretty uncontrolled so far, but I do hope they get funding to pursue it more.

it's a good idea; and what it also is trying to look at is to see if not only the qualitative components of taiji practice make a difference, but also the pattern in which they are arranged has impact; you would need 3 groups to control for this: a group doing taiji in a pattern; a group doing taiji movements in more of a "qigong" manner (do same move each side, in isolation; a group doing some other type of exercise (e,g, - treadmill fast walk); the intersting thing, to me, is that the taiji form is asymmetrical; IMPO, asymmetrical types of practice engage the cognitive / memory system more so than symmetrical ones, simply because as being aymmetrical, there is more "contrast" of sorts; so they may be onto something here...

would be curious to see how this pans out

Scott R. Brown

06-22-2011, 09:46 AM

I would prefer to see something similar to the activity of tai chi, but not tai chi, like ballroom dancing, or tap dancing or ballet or jazzercise or some other such activity.

taai gihk yahn

06-22-2011, 09:54 AM

I would prefer to see something similar to the activity of tai chi, but not tai chi, like ballroom dancing, or tap dancing or ballet or jazzercise or some other such activity.

I don't know - I think that you want to have simple contrasts at first: taiji as such, taiji movements taken out of the sequence (since they are positing that the pattern-memorization might be a significant factor), and then some sort of regular, easily defined exercise of a similar nature in terms of its effect on aerobic capacity; dancing of any sort has a large number of variables that can impact outcome, and I don't know what it would demonstrate in terms of taiji per se; it might be a follow-up study, if it was shown that memorizing the sequence was the key factor, then contrast it to people having to learn a taiji vs. dance sequence and see if there was a difference...

Scott R. Brown

06-22-2011, 03:03 PM

That is why I think dance would be perfect. Have a movement routine that is memorized, requires coordination, is fun to perform and about as long as a tai chi form and just about as active, so for example, swing dance or salsa would be out. Then compare the results. If the results are the same or similar we know it isn't tai chi, or the way the movements are performed, but the activity and mental stimulation.

If there is a gross variation, then we have something really interesting going on!

I suspect there will me similar findings though!:(

GeneChing

08-11-2011, 09:55 AM

This is more tai chi as therapy...prison therapy.

Taiwan ensemble inspires violent inmates and drug offenders with Zen drumming lessons (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-ensemble-inspires-violent-inmates-and-drug-offenders-with-zen-drumming-lessons/2011/08/11/gIQAlNyD8I_story.html)
By Associated Press, Published: August 10 | Updated: Thursday, August 11, 3:26 AM

CHANGHUA, Taiwan — Twenty inmates pound barrel-sized drums in a Taiwanese prison courtyard until they are so drenched with sweat that colorful tattoos show through their thin cotton T-shirts.

The convicts range in age from 18 to 25 and most of their records include violence or serious drug abuse. They beat out their energetic rhythms under a blazing summer sun during their midday session at the Changhua Prison.

The prison, 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of the capital Taipei, is one of the latest proving grounds for rehabilitation programs involving dance or other performing arts. Prisons in Japan, the U.S. and several other countries have experimented with them in recent years. A Philippines prison wowed the world when a YouTube video went viral in 2009 with 1,600 of its inmates dancing to Michael Jackson.

None of the programs are quite like the one led by Taiwan’s U-Theater Ensemble of drummers and Chinese operatic dancers. It leverages the spirituality of Zen Buddhism and Tai Chi Chuan exercises to try to instill a new sense of equanimity among the convicts.

Ensemble dancer I Bau spends one day a week working in the prison, and is convinced she’s making headway with the troupe’s “mind to body” approach.

“At first the inmates were easily distracted,” she said. “But I taught them to bring their minds back and focus on the rhythm. They show a different temperament now. Everyone sits still like the Buddha meditating.”

One of her students is a sturdy 24-year-old man surnamed Chou, who settled a dispute at his former school two years ago by pulling out a pistol and shooting a rival. Because the victim survived, he received only a six-year sentence.

“The lessons give me peace of mind,” Chou says with a coy smile. “I can release my anger and all my other negative emotions by beating the drum very hard.”

Chou said he meditates in his prison dormitory at night and tries to recite by heart the choreographed drumming lessons he has learned from the ensemble.

U-Theatre founder and artistic director Liu Ruo-yu says the group’s spiritual approach emphasizes teamwork over ego.

“As each performer becomes progressively calmer, he can hear his and his partners’ drumbeats achieve a kind of harmony,” she says. “After finding their inner tranquility, they will progress from their former state of restlessness to gain maturity and stability.”

U-Theatre also works with school dropouts and runs a summer camp for wayward students amid the lush mountains of suburban Taipei. But its highest-profile endeavor is the prison program, which began two years ago as part of attempts in Taiwan to expand rehabilitation efforts beyond handicrafts and carpentry.

Changhua warden Tai Shou-nan has been so impressed with the results that he recently took the unprecedented step of allowing inmates to perform before 10,000 spectators at a local stadium. He wasn’t disappointed, saying the audience’s enthusiastic response helped boost the inmates’ confidence.

“They realized they were not inferior to other people and they too had great potential,” he said.

Tai noted with pride that U-Theatre recently hired two freed inmates to join its professional ranks.

“This gives other inmates hope that they too will have a bright future when they are released,” he said.

blackjesus

08-14-2011, 10:01 PM

Mahjong is good too.

GeneChing

08-24-2012, 10:14 AM

Fortunately, there's tai chi!

Tai Chi Benefits People With COPD (http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/news/20120809/tai-chi-benefits-people-with-copd)
Graceful Exercise Increases Endurance, Balance, and Quality of Life
By Matt McMillen
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Aug. 9, 2012 -- The gentle movements of Sun-style tai chi (SSTC) can improve the lives and boost the exercise endurance of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new study by Australian researchers.

After 12 weeks, practitioners of this form of tai chi could walk longer distances and reported better quality of life compared to those whose treatment did not include any exercise training.

This is good news for people with COPD because it gives them more fitness choices, according to researcher Regina Wai Man Leung of Concord Repatriation General Hospital and the University of Sydney.

"With increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with COPD, it is important to provide different options for exercise that can be tailored to suit each individual," Leung, a cardiorespiratory physiotherapist, said in a news release that accompanied the study.

Forty-two people with COPD participated in the study. Their average age was 73. Half of them received standard rehab. The others, meanwhile, attended twice-weekly, hour-long sessions of a modified version of SSTC, which was comprised of 21 exercises, or forms, as well as controlled breathing. They practiced tai chi at home for 30 minutes on days when they did not have a class.

This type of tai chi, the researchers write, is an excellent choice for their COPD patients.

"Each form can be broken down into several movements which are easy to teach and learn. Compared to some other styles of tai chi, SSTC involves less difficult movements, such as less deep-knee bending and single-leg standing, which may make it more suitable for older people," the researchers write.

Each of the participants underwent several tests before and after the 12-week study period. The primary test evaluated how far and for how long they were able to walk at progressively faster speeds before becoming breathless.

The researchers also measured their balance, the strength of their quadriceps, and overall physical performance. Finally, the participants completed questionnaires to determine if they had symptoms of depression and/or anxiety and to gauge how highly they rated their quality of life.
Practice Leads to Improvements

The tai chi group showed significant improvements across the board. By the end of the 12 weeks, they were, on average, able to walk about 60 yards ****her and for 348 seconds longer than the group that did not practice tai chi. They were also steadier on their feet and showed greater quad strength, both of which are important for COPD patients.

"Impairment in balance and lower limb muscle strength are common in people with COPD and are some of the major risk factors for falls," the researchers write. "Interestingly, conventional pulmonary rehabilitation has not been shown to improve balance in people with COPD."

The researchers also found that, in addition to getting the benefits of a good workout, the tai chi group was significantly less anxious and that they felt better in general than the other study participants.

"This study," they conclude, "provides compelling evidence that tai chi training achieved an appropriate training intensity and that it may be an effective alternative training modality in people with COPD."

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. As many as 90% of cases are caused by smoking. In 2008, more than 13 million American adults had COPD, a blanket term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Both make breathing progressively more difficult. In 2007, nearly 125,000 U.S. adults died of COPD.

The study is published in the online edition of the European Respiratory Journal.

GeneChing

12-05-2012, 10:13 AM

Good to see more research here.

Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2012 Dec;14(6):598-603. doi: 10.1007/s11926-012-0294-y.
Role of tai chi in the treatment of rheumatologic diseases. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23055009)
Wang C.

Source
Division of Rheumatology, Tufts Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, Box 406, Boston, MA, 02111, USA, cwang2@tuftsmedicalcenter.org.

Abstract
Rheumatologic diseases (e.g., fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis) consist of a complex interplay between biologic and psychological aspects, resulting in therapeutically challenging chronic conditions to control. Encouraging evidence suggests that Tai Chi, a multi-component Chinese mind-body exercise, has multiple benefits for patients with a variety of chronic disorders, particularly those with musculoskeletal conditions. Thus, Tai Chi may modulate complex factors and improve health outcomes in patients with chronic rheumatologic conditions. As a form of physical exercise, Tai Chi enhances cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, balance, and physical function. It also appears to be associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improved quality of life. Thus, Tai Chi can be safely recommended to patients with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis as a complementary and alternative medical approach to improve patient well-being. This review highlights the current body of knowledge about the role of this ancient Chinese mind-body medicine as an effective treatment of rheumatologic diseases to better inform clinical decision-making for our patients.

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2012 Jun;26(3):387-98. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2012.05.006.
Tai Chi and yoga as complementary therapies in rheumatologic conditions. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22867933)
Uhlig T.

Source
Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway. til.uhlig@diakonsyk.no

Abstract
Tai Chi and yoga are complementary therapies which have, during the last few decades, emerged as popular treatments for rheumatologic and musculoskeletal diseases. This review covers the evidence of Tai Chi and yoga in the management of rheumatologic diseases, especially osteoarthritis of the knee, hip and hand, and rheumatoid arthritis. There is evidence that Tai Chi and yoga are safe, and some evidence that they have benefit, leading to reduction of pain and improvement of physical function and quality of life in patients. Recommendations for Tai Chi in knee osteoarthritis have recently been issued by the American College of Rheumatology. To allow broader recommendations for the use of Tai Chi and yoga in rheumatic diseases, there is a need to collect more evidence researched with larger randomised controlled trials.

J Clin Nurs. 2012 Oct;21(19-20):2812-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.04058.x. Epub 2012 Jul 25.
Tai Chi exercise and auricular acupressure for people with rheumatoid arthritis: an evaluation study. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22830622)
Lee HY, Hale CA, Hemingway B, Woolridge MW.

Source
Nursing Policy Research Institute, Korean Nurse Association, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
(i) To assess the effectiveness of Tai Chi exercise in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). (ii) To ascertain if Tai Chi and auricular acupressure have a potentiation effect in controlling pain. (iii) To evaluate the acceptability and enjoyment of the classes.

BACKGROUND:
Tai Chi has been suggested as a suitable exercise for people with arthritis and specific programmes have been developed. Auricular acupressure is a therapeutic method by which points on the ear are stimulated to treat various disorders.

DESIGN:
A pragmatic non-randomised before/after study to compare the effects of the interventions.

METHODS:
People with RA (n=21) were recruited and allocated into two groups. Both groups followed a Tai Chi exercise programme, twice a week for 12 weeks, but one group (n=14) had, in addition, the auricular acupressure. Physical symptoms and function, pain, quality of life and self-efficacy were measured in both groups before and after the programme. Acceptability and enjoyment were assessed at the end.

RESULTS:
At 12 weeks, both groups had achieved statistically significant improvements in balance, grip strength, pinch strength, 50 foot walk time self reported joint pain, swollen joint count, tender joint count and in self efficacy in relation to pain control. All participants stated that they enjoyed the classes. There was no evidence to suggest that the auricular acupressure enhanced the effects of the Tai Chi intervention.

CONCLUSION:
The classes appeared to be mentally as well as physically helpful to participants.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE:
People with a chronic debilitating disease such as RA should be encouraged to undertake gentle strengthening exercise such as Tai Chi because of its potential for physical and psychological improvements.

GeneChing

01-29-2013, 10:40 AM

Try this Ancient “Art” for a Healthy Brain (http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/brain-function-articles/try-this-ancient-art-for-a-healthy-brain)

Tai chi can aid those with schizophrenia.Mental health problems are real, and they deserve treatment and support. Brushing them away and hoping they won’t come back isn’t always the wisest course of action to take. While most of us would rather not take medication to treat depression and anxiety (many of these drugs actually list depression and anxiety as side effects!), it can be difficult to find effective alternative treatments. Here’s one you might want to consider: tai chi. Researchers at The University of Hong Kong tested the therapeutic martial art on patients suffering from schizophrenia.

The researchers noted that patients with schizophrenia residing at institutions often suffer from negative symptoms in excess of what those who live at home do. In particular, they have trouble with movement coordination and social interaction.

The researchers found 30 Chinese patients with schizophrenia who were residing in a rehab residency. Each was assigned to receive either a six-week tai chi program and standard residential care, or only the latter. The researchers assessed movement coordination, negative symptoms, and functional disabilities at baseline, following intervention, and six weeks after intervention.

How much did the tai chi sessions help? According to the research team, the tai chi group was buffered from deteriorations in movement coordination and interpersonal functioning for six weeks after the intervention. In contrast, the controls showed marked deteriorations in those areas. The tai chi group also experienced fewer disruptions to life activities at the six-week mark.

Tai chi has been proven to help with the challenging symptoms of schizophrenia. If you suffer from much milder symptoms of depression or anxiety, tai chi may just be your ticket to improved mental health and soothing stress relief. This amuses me because I know a few people that practice tai chi who I would consider borderline schizophrenic.

GeneChing

02-06-2013, 10:44 AM

My dad is a stroke survivor and he had a fall last year. It was pretty rough. He was hospitalized for several days and took many weeks to recover. Tai Chi can't help him however, as the stroke left him as a severe aphasiac so he can't learn it.

Public release date: 6-Feb-2013
Contact: Karen Astle
karen.astle@heart.org
214-706-1173
American Heart Association

Tai Chi exercise may reduce falls in adult stroke survivors (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/aha-tce012813.php)
Abstract: P362

Tai Chi may reduce falls among adult stroke survivors, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2013.

Compared to survivors receiving usual care or participating in a national fitness program for Medicare-eligible adults called SilverSneakers®, those practicing Tai Chi had the fewest falls.

Tai Chi is a martial art dating back to ancient China. It includes physical movements, mental concentration and relaxed breathing.

"Learning how to find and maintain your balance after a stroke is a challenge," said Ruth E. Taylor-Piliae, Ph.D., R.N., the study's principal investigator and assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing in Tucson, Ariz. "Tai Chi is effective in improving both static and dynamic balance, which is important to prevent falls. Tai Chi is readily available in most U.S. cities and is relatively inexpensive."

Stroke survivors experience seven times as many falls each year than healthy adults, Taylor-Piliae said. These falls can cause fractures, decrease mobility and increase fear of falling that can result in social isolation or dependence. Tai Chi has significantly reduced falls in healthy older adults. Researchers recruited 89 stroke survivors — most of whom had ischemic strokes — for a randomized prospective study outside of a hospital setting. Participants were an average 70 years old, 46 percent were women and most Caucasian, college educated and living in the Tucson area, and suffered a stroke on average three years prior to beginning the study.

Among the participants, 30 practiced Tai Chi, 28 took part in usual care and 31 participated in SilverSneakers®. The Tai Chi and SilverSneakers® groups participated in a one-hour exercise class three times each week for 12 weeks. The usual care group received a weekly phone call and written material about participating in community-based physical activity.

During the 12-week trial, there were a total of 34 reported falls in participants' homes mainly from slipping or tripping: five falls in the Tai Chi group; 15 falls in the usual care group; and 14 falls in the Silver Sneakers group. Only four people sought medical treatment.

Yang-style Tai Chi, as practiced in the study, is the most popular of five styles used in the United States because of its emphasis on health benefits, both physical and psychosocial benefits, researchers said.

"The main physical benefits of Tai Chi are better balance, improved strength, flexibility and aerobic endurance," Taylor-Piliae said. "Psycho-social benefits include less depression, anxiety and stress, and better quality of life."

###

Co-authors are: Tiffany Hoke, R.N.; Bijan, Najafi, Ph.D.; and Bruce Coull, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

An American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Grant funded the study.

Scott R. Brown

02-07-2013, 09:15 AM

My dad is a stroke survivor and he had a fall last year. It was pretty rough. He was hospitalized for several days and took many weeks to recover. Tai Chi can't help him however, as the stroke left him as a severe aphasiac so he can't learn it.

Most of them can't stand or use half of their body. Many can't eat. Those that can usually can't feed themselves, clothe themselves, toilet themselves, etc.

On the other hand, once in awhile someone will have a stroke and suffer no lasting ill effects.

GeneChing

02-07-2013, 10:05 AM

I've learned a lot about strokes due to my dad. That was learning the hard way, but when you learn the hard way, you learn it well.

Scott R. Brown

02-07-2013, 11:02 AM

The worst kind of stroke is the one that hits your cognitive center. As long as you have some cognitive function you can improve over time with the proper guidance and determination.

Most people give up trying. But I had one patient that the Doctors wanted to pull the plug on 3 times and her husband said no.

Then they put in a stomach tube. He stayed with her 20 hrs a day for 5 or 6 months until I started to care for her. Then he was comfortable enough to go home at night.

She improved dramatically until last Thanksgiving and then went down hill almost over night. She was walking, swallowing and saying words, then she withdrew and couldn't function.

The P.T., S.T. and Doctor gave up on her again. But he insisted on finding out what was wrong. He finally harassed the Doctor into sending her to the Emergency room.

There they couldn't find specifically what was wrong, but they put her on a series of Antibiotics and within a week she was back to talking, walking with assistance and reading words, recognizing family members, etc.

If her husband hadn't bullied the Doctor she probably would be dead now, because everyone wanted to give up on her but her husband.

Tame The Tiger

02-10-2013, 05:49 PM

This is an interesting thread.

It seems that it can be summarized into a simple statement: Tai Chi and Qigong are good exercises, but there's no evidence that they're better than regular activities, such as ballroom dancing.

Basically, any activity will increase bone density, lower blood pressure, improve the immune system etc.

But Tai Chi and Qigong are more than just a collection of physical movements like dancing, walking, or aerobics. The physical side is only half the story - the rest is the meditative state that higher level practitioners attain. This is not aimed for or attained (so far as I know) by any western exercise or sport.

The meditative state has been proven to lower cortisol production and consequently increase HDL (good cholesterol). Although any exercise can raise HDl, it seems that Tai Chi and Qigong provide a dual mechanism for it, whereas western exercises only the one.

Of course, you could do sitting mediation in the morning and ballroom dancing in the evening and perhaps achieve the same result. But slow as it as, Tai Chi will get you there faster.

GeneChing

06-27-2013, 09:20 AM

That's a great point about tai chi - cost effectiveness. You just need to pay a teacher and for the elderly, it doesn't have to be some great grand master, just someone who is competent in the discipline and sensitive to elderly needs.

Tai Chi Cost-Effective to Reduce Falls in Parkinson's (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/806672)
Megan Brooks
Jun 20, 2013

SYDNEY, Australia — Training patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in the ancient art of tai chi is a cost-effective way to cut the risk for falls, new research shows.

In an earlier randomized controlled study, Fuzhong Li, PhD, from the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene and colleagues, found that tai chi reduced balance impairments, improved function, and reduced falls in patients with PD. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012, as reported by Medscape Medical News.

This week at the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) 17th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, the researchers reported a preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis of the data from the trial.

The data indicate a "significant potential return on investment value" of tai chi in PD, they said in a meeting abstract. "As treatment costs for injury falls continue to rise these results have important implications for reducing overall healthcare costs while protecting patient health and independence."

Significant Return on Investment

There is increasing evidence of the benefits of exercise for PD but, until now, meager information on cost-effectiveness of various exercise-based modalities, the researchers note.

Dr. Li and colleagues calculated all expenditures related to the tai chi intervention used in their earlier trial, including program promotion, patient enrollment, instructor teaching/training fees and travel expenses, classroom rental, training equipment, participant incentives and transportation, and printing of instructional materials.

The trial included 195 patients with PD at Hoehn and Yahr scale stages 1 to 4 who participated in tai chi, resistance training, or stretching. The Hoehn and Yahr scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher stages indicating more severe disease. Patients attended two 60-minute exercise sessions per week for 24 weeks.

During the study, the fewest falls were recorded in the tai chi group (n = 62). There were186 falls in the stretching group and 133 in the resistance group.

By their calculations, total implementation cost to prevent 124 falls (stretching vs. tai chi) was $102,872 ($791/patient; $830/fall prevented); to prevent 71 falls (resistance vs tai chi) the total cost was $107,557 ($827/patient; $1515/fall prevented).

To put their findings in perspective, the researchers note that current estimates indicate 20% to 30% of falls in community-dwelling older adults result in injury, with an average healthcare cost of a fall injury being approximately $18,470.

Therefore, for the total of 124 falls prevented, approximately 25 to 37 would have resulted in injury that would cost between $461,750 and $683,390 for medical care. For 71 falls prevented, 14 to 21 would have been injury falls generating $258,580 to $387,870 in treatment costs.

"I think the key take-home message for clinicians is that tai chi exercises not only reduce falls or risk of falling but does so at a lower cost (ie, cost-effective)," Dr. Li told Medscape Medical News.

"With the multiple health outcomes reported in our trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, we believe it is safe to recommend tai chi to patients with mild-to-moderate level of severity. Unlike drugs which induce significant side-effects, tai chi is safe to perform for patients without introducing any significant adverse events or muscular-skeletal discomfort," Dr. Li said.

An Argument for Greater Use

"One perceivable downside is that it has to be initially taught by an instructor or clinician, suggesting some level of time and practice commitment is needed," Dr. Li added.

But Tao Liu, MD, from Jilin University, Changchun, China, who was not involved in the study, told Medscape Medical News, "it should be noted that class delivery is necessary only for early-stage-tai chi-learners. After this initial stage, tai chi can be self-performed at home at almost no expense, which can make it much more cost-effective."

Dr. Liu also noted that this study used fall reduction as a measure to analyze cost-effectiveness of tai chi. "In addition to motor functions, however, substantial evidence shows that tai chi has positive effects on other health outcomes, such as cognitive performance, sleep quality, etc. If this is taken into account, tai chi will become more cost-effective," Dr. Liu commented.

"While there is evidence supporting its potential efficacy and lack of adverse effects, this study adds to the argument for more extensive use of tai chi for treating PD and other like conditions," Dr. Liu concluded.

The study had no funding. The authors and Dr. Liu have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Movement Disorder Society (MDS) 17th International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. Abstract 280. Presented June 17, 2013.

KungFubar

06-27-2013, 09:29 AM

actually, what I think really happens is that the feet (more specificaly, the proprioceptors in the ankles), have been gone for a while, and the person has been compensating with vision; but then the eyesight goes, and that's it (basically, balance is mediated by stretch-recpetors in the ankles first, then vision a few milliseconds later, and then the inner ear after a longer lag, I forget how much - so if u loose ur balance, visually u can compensate quick enough to stay upright, the vestibular system takes too long though; so if u loose ankle prope and vision, u r basically screwed)

I think taiji (or other slow moving work) works on both ankle prope and the overall postural system via visual capacity (looking in very specific places while doing the form, which activiates the postural system via the occulo-gyro-cephalic reflex, meaning that the visual system cues the postural muscles to orient the body in reference to the direction in which one is looking); the slowness of the movement gives u time to "feel" where u r, and the full weight shifting and sustained unilateral weightbearing "stresses" the ankles through a full range and sustained loading phase, which helps w deep prope receptors;

very interesting thanks.

KungFubar

06-27-2013, 09:34 AM

TaichiMantis

07-16-2013, 04:37 PM

Who knew "repulse the monkey" was good for your immune system?

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/tai-chi-immune-system :cool:

GeneChing

06-03-2014, 07:43 AM

This is trending today. Usually I chase down the source, but I'm going to leave that to someone else for this one.

Tai Chi exercises offer anti-aging benefits at cellular level, study suggests, including pain and stress reduction (http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/28/tai-chi-exercises-offer-anti-aging-benefits-at-cellular-level-study-suggests-including-pain-and-stress-reduction/)
Jason Rehel | May 28, 2014 12:47 PM ET
More from Jason Rehel | @culturejunky

http://wpmedia.news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/taichi.jpg?w=620
Steve Bosch/Postmedia News files
Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese martial art, may offer anti-aging benefits for people of all ages, encouraging the rise in cells that help rejuvenate and restore the body, reducing stress and improving balance and blood flow.

A literal fountain of youth may be the stuff of fantasy, but a virtual one, activated by Tai Chi, the traditional Chinese martial art and sport, may exist, a new study on stem cells and the exercise regimen suggests.

Study authors in Taiwan examined three groups of individuals under the age of 25 who participated either in Tai Chi regularly, brisk walking, or no exercise regimen at all. Among the Tai Chi group, the researchers observed that a stem cell important to a number of the body’s functions and structures saw a rise in its levels in the body.

Tai Chi “has been confirmed to benefit” patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia, the study authors wrote.

The stem cells, known as CD 34+, are “markers for hematopoietic stem cells (blood stem cells) involved in cell self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation.”

“Compared with the [no exercise] group, the Tai Chi group had a significantly higher number of CD 34+ cells,” researchers wrote.

In addition to its anti-aging effects, Tai Chi may also help increase blood flow in the body, and aid in pain reduction, fall prevention and balance improvement, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, quality of life and stress reduction.

But the study authors also acknowledged that this study provides only preliminary evidence of the benefits of the Chinese exercise regimen, saying more work is needed to isolate the causes of its positive effects, and how best to replicate them in varied populations.

“This study provides the first step into providing scientific evidence for the possible health benefits of Tai Chi.” said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.

“Further study of how Tai Chi can elicit benefit in different populations and on different parameters of aging are necessary to determine its full impact.”

GeneChing

10-07-2014, 12:43 PM

I'm with Kaiser. They have flyers for their Tai Chi & Qigong programs but I've never really looked into it. I think they were promoting Tai Chi Chih for a while.

Kaiser Permanente brings Tai Chi to UGA for community health (http://www.redandblack.com/variety/kaiser-permanente-brings-tai-chi-to-uga-for-community-health/article_f795e800-4cfc-11e4-91a1-0017a43b2370.html)

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/redandblack.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/b7/8b7ec186-0da1-515e-b0dc-c3a72863e0c1/4fd79c6d69571.image.jpg
Tai Chi classes provide various health benefits

? Participants in Athens Regionalâ€™s Tai Chi Chih classes work through the 19 movements said to lower blood pressure and decrease tension.

Posted: Monday, October 6, 2014 2:00 pm
Shelby Eggers @shelbyeggers

Kaiser Permanente in conjunction with UGA College of Public Health will offer free Tai Chi classes to UGA students, faculty and the local community. After opening a new health facility at UGA, the classes began last September as a part of a health promotion initiative.

“Kaiser wanted to improve the health of our community and our college responded,” Dr. Koichiro Otani, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the UGA College of Public Health. “We invite all people, faculty and staff members, but also people of the community. Everyone is welcome. “

Kaiser Permanente hired Michael Issa, a Tai Chi instructor from Atlanta, to teach the classes. Classes are every Wednesday and Friday from 9-10 a.m. for beginners and upper level classes from 10-10:45 a.m.

“I have my own studio for Tai Chi and Martial Arts,” Issa said. “We do classes in Dunwoody and Atlanta. Kaiser hired me to come and teach Tai Chi classes here at UGA. I drive up from Atlanta every Wednesday and Friday. This is the first time we started a level 2 class, so the group is growing and picking up steam.”

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese calesthenic that is a combination of Martial Arts and ancient Chinese medical practices. In the United States, Tai Chi has been marketed towards the elderly because of the benefits for joint health and flexibility.

“Tai Chi is for all age groups,” Issa said. “For young people who are interested in expanding in their expertise in martial arts, Tai Chi serves as an advanced practice to help master the hard style. Considered a soft style, it’s able to use muscles in the body that the hard style neglects. By taking incremental steps slowly, you’re able to work finer muscles that generate greater power when you move faster in a martial arts application.”

Recognized by many health organizations including the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Tai Chi is considered to have many health benefits including benefits for tendon and legement health and chronic disease prevention by reducing stress and lowering inflammation in the body.

“College and high pressure jobs cause inflammation in the body and it can cause a lot of health problems down the road. Tai Chi is becoming a health management, to prevent disease down the road and in the interim helping to improve the quality of mental health,” Issa said.

Located in George Hall on the Health Science Campus, this semester’s classes began September 17. There is no class limitation size, but registration closes October 10.

GeneChing

06-01-2015, 09:19 AM

Tai Chi Practice Has an Anti-Aging Effect and Can Help Fibromyalgia Patients Cope with the Disease (http://fibromyalgianewstoday.com/2015/05/28/tai-chi-practice-has-an-anti-aging-effect-and-can-help-fibromyalgia-patients-cope-with-the-disease/)
May 28th, 2015 Patricia Silva, PhD Patricia Silva, PhD

A study published in the journal Cell Transplantation demonstrated the benefits of Tai Chi in terms of aging and in fibromyalgia patients. The study is entitled “Tai Chi Intervention Increases Progenitor CD34+ Cells in Young Adults” and was conducted by a collaborative team of researchers at different universities and hospitals in Taiwan.

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that offers defense training but also health benefits. It is sometimes referred to as “moving meditation” because practitioners move their bodies slowly, gently, while breathing deeply. Although Tai Chi is considered a healthy practice worldwide, few efforts have been made to exploit the impact of Tai Chi on lifespan.

Researchers have now conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study with the goal of comparing the anti-aging effects of different practices in 32 participants divided into three groups: a group that practiced Tai Chi (10 participants), a group that practiced brisk walking (10 participants), and a group with no exercise habit (12 participants).

“To evaluate the potential life-lengthening effect of Tai Chi, we conducted a year-long, retrospective cross-sectional study comparing the rejuvenating and anti-aging effects among three groups of volunteers under the age of 25 who engaged in either Tai Chi (TCC), brisk walking (BW), or no exercise habit (NEH),” explained in a news release one of the study’s senior authors, Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin from China Medical University Hospital. “We used young volunteers because they have better cell-renewing abilities than the old population and we also wanted to avoid having chronic diseases and medications as interfering factors.”

The team assessed the CD34+ cell counts in peripheral blood of the participants. CD34+ cells correspond to an important cell type related to hematopoietic stem cells (blood stem cells), which are involved in cell self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation.

Researchers found that participants in the TCC group had a higher number of CD34+ progenitor cells in comparison to participants in the NEH group, while they had no significant difference when compared to the BW group.

The research team concluded that Tai Chi practice has an anti-aging effect due to the improvement it induces in CD34+ cell numbers. The authors also suggest that Tai Chi can offer a beneficial effect on patients with fibromyalgia, a medical disorder that can compromise the patient’s quality of life as they experience widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain, incapacitating fatigue, stiffness and numbness in certain parts of the body, painful response to pressure, headaches, poor sleep quality, anxiety and depression. The team suggests that Tai Chi may be valuable in reducing pain and stress, prevent falls and improve balance, blood pressure, aerobic capacity and quality of life.

“It is possible that Tai Chi may prompt vasodilation and increase blood flow,” said Dr. Lin. “Considering that BW may require a larger space or more equipment, Tai Chi seems to be an easier and more convenient choice of anti-aging exercise.”

“This study provides the first step into providing scientific evidence for the possible health benefits of Tai Chi,” concluded Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, a distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, University of South Florida. “Further study of how Tai Chi can elicit benefit in different populations and on different parameters of aging are necessary to determine its full impact.”

Here's the original study

Home / Cell Transplantation, Volume 23, Numbers 4-5

http://a465.g.akamai.net/f/465/1984/1d/www.ingentaconnect.com/images/journal-logos/cog/ct.gif

Open Access Tai Chi Intervention Increases Progenitor CD34+ Cells in Young Adults (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/2014/00000023/F0020004/art00020)

Authors: Ho, Tsung-Jung; Ho, Li-Ing; Hsueh, Kuo-Wei; Chan, Tzu-Min; Huang, Shih-Li; Lin, Jaung-Geng; Liang, Wen-Miin; Hsu, Wei-Hung; Harn, Horng-Jyh; Lin, Shinn-Zong

Source: Cell Transplantation, Volume 23, Numbers 4-5, 2014, pp. 613-620(8)

Publisher: Cognizant Communication Corporation

Abstract:
Tai Chi has been shown to have many great health benefits. However, few research attempts have been made to explore the effects of practicing TCC on life span. This study provides direct evidence of Tai Chi’s antiaging effects. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to compare the rejuvenating and antiaging effects among Tai Chi group (TCC) and brisk walking group (BW) and no exercise habit group (NEH). Thirty-two participants were selected out of a possible 60 based on a survey, and they were separated into three groups: the TCC group (practicing for more than 1 year), the BW group (practicing for more than 1 year), and the NEH group. The CD34+ cell counts in peripheral blood of the participants was determined, and the Kruskal‐Wallis test was used to evaluate and compare the antiaging effects of the three groups. Of the 32 participants in this study, the participants in the TCC group (N = 10) outperformed the NEH group (N = 12) with respect to the number of CD34+ progenitor cells. No significant difference was found between the TCC group and the BW group. TCC practice sustained for more than 1 year may be an intervention against aging as effective as BW in terms of its benefits on the improvement of CD34+ number.

Articles that cite this article?

Keywords: Antiaging; CD34+ stem cell; Longevity; Tai Chi

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/096368914X678355

Affiliations: School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Publication date: April 9, 2014

GeneChing

06-04-2015, 09:13 AM

http://m1.wyanokecdn.com/069b493784539fd1e7334e5d1b1206bc.jpg

Tai Chi Chuan-based cardiac rehabilitation program benefits patients with MI (http://www.healio.com/cardiology/chd-prevention/news/online/%7Bdfcf664c-cda6-4fc7-b780-110fbdab5d0b%7D/tai-chi-chuan-based-cardiac-rehabilitation-program-benefits-patients-with-mi)
Nery RM, et al. Am Heart J. 2015;doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2015.01.017.
June 2, 2015

A Tai Chi Chuan-based cardiac rehabilitation program was associated with an increase in peak oxygen consumption, a marker of functional capacity, in patients with recent MI.

Researchers conducted a single blind randomized clinical trial of patients with recent MI. After being out of the hospital for 14 to 21 days, all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and laboratory blood analysis. They were then assigned to three weekly sessions of Tai Chi Chuan Beijin style for 12 weeks (n = 31; mean age, 56 years; 80% men) or to three weekly sessions of full-body stretching exercise (n = 30; mean age, 60 years; 63% men).

The primary outcome was change in peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) at 12 weeks.

Mean attendance rates were 95% in the Tai Chi Chuan group and 97% in the control group, according to the researchers.

At 12 weeks, the Tai Chi Chuan group had a 14% increase in peak VO2 compared with baseline (21.6 mL/kg/min to 24.6 mL/kg/min), whereas the control group had a 5% decline in peak VO2 compared with baseline (20.4 mL/kg/min to 19.4 mL/kg/minute; difference; P < .0001 for interaction), Rosane Maria Nery, PhD, of the exercise cardiology research group at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, and colleagues found.

The results did not change after adjustment for baseline measurements, age, sex, diabetes and smoking (difference, 4.1 mL/kg/min; 95% CI, 2.6-5.6).

“This suggests that [Tai Chi Chuan] may improve aerobic capacity in the post-MI setting and can do so safely, at least in the short term, as there were no adverse effects attributable to the study intervention,” Nery and colleagues wrote. “The mechanisms underlying this improvement have yet to be fully elucidated, involving both central and peripheral effects of [Tai Chi Chuan].” – by Erik Swain

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

This makes a lot of sense to me.

GeneChing

07-15-2015, 09:15 AM

New Study Links Long-Term Tai Chi Mind-Body Exercise to Improved Cognitive Function in Older Adults (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-study-links-long-term-tai-chi-mind-body-exercise-to-improved-cognitive-function-in-older-adults-2015-07-10)

Published: July 10, 2015 9:10 a.m. ET

Study Published in the July 2015 Issue of Global Advances in Health and Medicine

BOSTON, MA, Jul 10, 2015 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- A recent study has found a link between long-term tai chi (TC) mind-body exercise practice and preserved cognitive function in healthy adults. This is an important finding as cognitive decline among older adults is a significant and growing public health concern.

The study's researchers used a hybrid design that included a 2-arm randomized clinical trial along with an additional observational comparison group. Long-term tai chi training effects on cognitive outcomes were assessed through comparisons of tai chi-naïve healthy adults vs an age-matched sample of "expert" tai chi practitioners. Sixty tai chi-naïve healthy adults, aged 50 years to 79 years, were randomized to receive 6 months of tai chi training or to usual healthcare alone. Randomization was stratified by age using a permuted-blocks randomization scheme with randomly varying block sizes. All outcomes were assessed at baseline and six months.

Tai chi-naïve study participants were asked to attend two classes per week on average and to practice a minimum of 30 minutes on two additional days per week over the 6-month intervention. Attendance at tai chi classes was recorded by instructors, and home practice was tracked by participants using a weekly practice log. Participants attending at least 70% of all classes and completing 70% or more of prescribed home practice were considered compliant or "per protocol."

In the other arm of the study, 27 healthy adults (aged 50 y-79 y) currently engaged in an active tai chi training regimen, each with an average of 25 years of tai chi practice ("tai chi experts"), were recruited for a single observational visit.

A battery of validated tests were used to evaluate visuomotor processing speed, visual attention, rapid set-shifting, verbal attention, verbal working memory, and activation retrieval.

The study found that tai chi experts exhibited trends toward better scores on all cognitive measures, significantly so for category fluency, as well as a composite z score summarizing all six cognitive assessments.

"To our knowledge, this study is the first to compare the potential long-term and short-term effects of tai chi on cognitive function in healthy active adults using common screening and outcome assessment protocols," said one of the study's authors, Peter Wayne, M.D., of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. "We found in our cross-sectional analysis that experienced tai chi practitioners displayed a higher level of cognitive function compared to age-matched and gender-matched tai chi-naïve adults. The tai chi experts outperformed the tai chi-naïve group in nearly all measures of cognitive function with statistically significant differences in one measure as well as an overall composite z score, indicating that tai chi could have the potential to preserve cognitive function with aging. In contrast, short-term exposure to tai chi training in active and very healthy tai chi-naïve adults did not significantly improve cognitive function."

For details about this study, access to other articles from the July issue, and an audio overview of the issue by co--Editor-in-Chief Robert Saper, M.D., MPH, visit www.gahmj.com.

About Global Advances in Health and Medicine

Global Advances in Health and Medicine (GAHMJ) is a global multimedia communication forum that combines original research with breakthrough thinking and analysis of policy initiatives to catalyze global conversations, collaboration, and the building of communities to advance whole-person and whole-systems approaches to care and healing. GAHMJ's platform includes an online and printed peer-reviewed, indexed, medical journal published six times per year with abstracts in three languages and an interactive website that reaches readers in more than 40 countries.

The study is here (http://www.gahmj.com/), but this journal only provides an abstract for free.

Impact of Short- and Long-term Tai Chi Mind-Body Exercise Training on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: Results From a Hybrid Observational Study and Randomized Trial
短期和长期太极身心训练对健康成人认知功能的影响：从混合观察性研究与随机试验中得出的结果
Impacto del entrenamiento con ejercicios mente-cuerpo de taichí a corto y largo plazo en la función cognitiva en adultos sanos: Resultados de un estudio observacional híbrido y ensayo aleatorizado
Jacquelyn N. Walsh, Brad Manor, Jeffrey Hausdorff, Vera Novak, Lewis Lipsitz, Brian Gow, Eric A. Macklin, Chung-Kang Peng, Peter M. Wayne
Global Adv Health Med. 2015;4:38-48. 10.7453/gahmj.2015.058
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (831 KB) | PDF Plus(773 KB) | References
XABSTRACT Background: Cognitive decline amongst older adults is a significant public health concern. There is growing interest in behavioral interventions, including exercise, for improving cognition. Studies to date suggest tai chi (TC) may be a safe and potentially effective exercise for preserving cognitive function with aging; however, its short-term and potential long-term impact on physically active, healthy adults is unclear. Objective: To compare differences in cognitive function among long-term TC expert practitioners and age-matched and gender-matched TC-naïve adults and to determine the effects of short-term TC training on measures of cognitive function in healthy, nonsedentary adults. Design: A hybrid design including an observational comparison and a 2-arm randomized clinical trial (RCT) Participants: Healthy, nonsedentary, TC-naive adults (50 y-79 y) and age-matched and gender-matched long-term TC experts Methods: A cross-sectional comparison of cognitive function in healthy TC-naïve (n=60) and TC expert (24.5 y ÷ 12 y experience; n=27) adults: TC-naïve adults then completed a 6-month, 2-arm, ...

GeneChing

09-23-2015, 08:55 AM

The effect of Tai Chi on four chronic conditions—cancer, osteoarthritis, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analyses (http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2015/09/04/bjsports-2014-094388.abstract?sid=7ddd54c2-5945-41d9-acdb-0e47411dee14)

Yi-Wen Chen1, Michael A Hunt1, Kristin L Campbell1, Kortni Peill2, W Darlene Reid3
+ Author Affiliations

1Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
3Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Correspondence to
Yi-Wen Chen, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, 2177 Wesbrook Mall Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z3; yiwenchen@alumni.ubc.ca
Accepted 12 August 2015
Published Online First 17 September 2015

Abstract
Background Many middle-aged and older persons have more than one chronic condition. Thus, it is important to synthesise the effectiveness of interventions across several comorbidities. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise current evidence regarding the effectiveness of Tai Chi in individuals with four common chronic conditions—cancer, osteoarthritis (OA), heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods 4 databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus) were searched for original articles. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts and then conducted full-text reviews, quality assessment and finally data abstraction. 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses were performed on disease-specific symptoms, physiological outcomes and physical performance of each chronic condition. Subgroup analyses on disease-specific symptoms were conducted by categorising studies into subsets based on the type of comparison groups.

Results Meta-analyses showed that Tai Chi improved or showed a tendency to improve physical performance outcomes, including 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and knee extensor strength, in most or all four chronic conditions. Tai Chi also improved disease-specific symptoms of pain and stiffness in OA.

Conclusions The results demonstrated a favourable effect or tendency of Tai Chi to improve physical performance and showed that this type of exercise could be performed by individuals with different chronic conditions, including COPD, HF and OA.
The entire article is online if you follow the link.

GeneChing

10-05-2015, 08:58 AM

This is an intriguing notion. It is offered by many health care providers, but it's more like a supplementary offer, akin to the farmer's market at some hospitals. If it were prescribe-able, like acupuncture, that opens up insurance co-pays and certification because if a doctor is going to prescribe something, it must meet some standard.

Tai Chi 'could be prescribed' for illnesses (http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34279190)
18 September 2015
From the section Health

http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/15567/production/_85599378_c0142136-tai-chi-spl.jpg
SPL
Tai Chi: Gentle flowing movements boost balance, posture and muscle power

Tai Chi is a suitable exercise for older people with conditions like arthritis, a study has found.

The ancient Chinese art improves physical performance and enhances quality of life, say researchers.

Tai Chi combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests the exercise helps with pain and stiffness in arthritis.

It can also help improve quality of life in the lung condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

And it may have some physical benefits for people with breast cancer or heart failure, according to researchers from the University of British Colombia, Vancouver.

In the future, it might even be possible to consider prescribing Tai Chi for patients with several illnesses, they said.

"Our findings support the results of a previous systematic review that showed the effectiveness of Tai Chi on health outcomes in older patients with chronic conditions," Dr Yi-Wen Chen and colleagues wrote in their research paper.

"Tai Chi can improve some physical performance outcomes in four chronic conditions (cancer, osteoarthritis, heart failure and COPD) but not at the expense of worsening pain or dyspnoea (breathlessness)."

The data comes from a review of more than 30 studies looking at the health benefits of the exercise.

Past research has found that Tai Chi may reduce the risk of falls among older adults who are at increased risk.

GeneChing

11-05-2015, 10:23 AM

Biological Psychiatry (http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223%2815%2900079-7/fulltext)

November 15, 2015Volume 78, Issue 10, Pages 721–729
To read this article in full, please review your options for gaining access at the bottom of the page.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Tai Chi Reverse Cellular and Genomic Markers of Inflammation in Late-Life Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Michael R. Irwin, Richard Olmstead, Elizabeth C. Breen, Tuff Witarama, Carmen Carrillo, Nina Sadeghi, Jesusa M.G. Arevalo, Jeffrey Ma, Perry Nicassio, Richard Bootzin, Steve Cole

Abstract
Background

Sleep disturbance is associated with activation of systemic and cellular inflammation, as well as proinflammatory transcriptional profiles in circulating leukocytes. Whether treatments that target insomnia-related complaints might reverse these markers of inflammation in older adults with insomnia is not known.
Methods

In this randomized trial, 123 older adults with insomnia were randomly assigned to cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), tai chi chih (TCC), or sleep seminar education active control condition for 2-hour sessions weekly over 4 months with follow-up at 7 and 16 months. We measured C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline and months 4 and 16; toll-like receptor-4 activated monocyte production of proinflammatory cytokines at baseline and months 2, 4, 7, and 16; and genome-wide transcriptional profiling at baseline and month 4.
Results

As compared with sleep seminar education active control condition, CBT-I reduced levels of CRP (months 4 and 16, ps < .05), monocyte production of proinflammatory cytokines (month 2 only, p < .05), and proinflammatory gene expression (month 4, p < .01). TCC marginally reduced CRP (month 4, p = .06) and significantly reduced monocyte production of proinflammatory cytokines (months 2, 4, 7, and 16; all ps < .05) and proinflammatory gene expression (month 4, p < .001). In CBT-I and TCC, TELiS promoter-based bioinformatics analyses indicated reduced activity of nuclear factor-κB and AP-1.
Conclusions

Among older adults with insomnia, CBT-I reduced systemic inflammation, TCC reduced cellular inflammatory responses, and both treatments reduced expression of genes encoding proinflammatory mediators. The findings provide an evidence-based molecular framework to understand the potential salutary effects of insomnia treatment on inflammation, with implications for inflammatory disease risk.

If Tai Chi Chih (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?60026-T-ai-Chi-Chih) can achieve an effect...;)

GeneChing

11-11-2015, 09:40 AM

Researcher to launch project to teach Tai Chi to people with dementia (http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-11-tai-chi-people-dementia.html)
November 11, 2015
A Bournemouth University researcher has been awarded a prestigious fellowship to launch a health and wellbeing project for people with dementia.

Dr Samuel Nyman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, has been awarded a Career Development Fellowship by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
The three-year fully-funded post, starting in January 2016, provides funding for Dr Nyman and a team of colleagues to conduct a research project where Tai Chi will be taught to people with dementia in a bid to improve their health.
People with dementia and their carers in Bournemouth and Southampton will be offered Tai Chi to see if it leads to improvements in health and wellbeing including balance and reducing the risk of falls.
Dr Nyman said, "I am delighted to have been awarded this fellowship. It will give me three years to concentrate on this exciting project that we hope will bring real benefit to people with dementia and their carers. It will also allow me to learn a lot from experienced colleagues so I can do more of this type of work when the fellowship comes to an end".
"It is really important that we continue to look at health and wellbeing for people with dementia, to improve quality of life and continue to show the world that many people with the condition can still live active lives and contribute to society."
Dr Nyman will be working alongside a team based at Bournemouth University, the Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit at Plymouth University, and the University of Southampton, to conduct the project, which has been called the TACIT trial: TAi ChI for people with demenTia.
The team will be supported by Elemental Tai Chi to deliver the Tai Chi classes and three NHS Foundation Trusts for inviting people into the study: Southern Health, Dorset HealthCare University, and The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals.
Two PhD students (one funded by the Faculty of Science and Technology, BU) will be working on the project.
As well as a research project, Dr Nyman will be funded to undertake a training and development programme over the three years. This will mainly entail the completion of an MSc in Clinical Trials and secondments to three UK universities with expertise in conducting similar clinical trials.

Provided by: Bournemouth University
That's an odd anagram...doesn't quite work. :o

GeneChing

03-10-2016, 10:11 AM

This new study is getting good publicity for Tai Chi because the AHA is well respected in the medical community.

Chinese exercises may improve cardiovascular health (http://newsroom.heart.org/news/chinese-exercises-may-improve-cardiovascular-health)
American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report
March 09, 2016 Categories: Heart News
Study Highlight

Traditional Chinese exercises such as Tai Chi may lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and quality of life and depression in patients living with heart disease and stroke.
Embargoed until 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 9, 2016

DALLAS, March 9, 2016 —Traditional Chinese exercises such as Tai Chi may improve the health and well-being of those living with heart disease, high blood pressure or stroke, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Traditional Chinese exercises are a low-risk, promising intervention that could be helpful in improving quality of life in patients with cardiovascular diseases — the leading cause of disability and death in the world,” said Yu Liu, Ph.D., study co-author, and dean of the School of Kinesiology, at Shanghai University of Sport in China. “But the physical and psychological benefits to these patients of this increasingly popular form of exercise must be determined based on scientific evidence.”

Chen Pei-Jie, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and president of Shanghai University of Sport in China and his team reviewed 35 studies, including 2,249 participants from 10 countries.

They found, among participants with cardiovascular disease, Chinese exercises helped reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number) by more than 9.12 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by more than 5 mm Hg on average.

They also found small, but statistically significant drops in the levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) and triglycerides. Chinese exercises also seemed to improve quality of life and reduce depression in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, traditional Chinese exercises did not significantly improve participant’s heart rate, aerobic fitness level or scores on a general health questionnaire.

The review only analyzed studies which randomly assigned participants to groups performing traditional Chinese exercises (most commonly Tai Chi, Qigong and Baduanjin), engaging in another form of exercise or making no change in activity level.

note that although their review provided a good overview of the impact of traditional Chinese exercises on cardiovascular risk factors, several limitations: inclusion criteria varied across studies; participants were followed for a year or less; traditional Chinese exercises take many different forms and most results were evaluated by study leaders who knew which group participants had been assigned to, potentially biasing results.
Liu and his team have been studying the benefits of traditional Chinese exercises on a range of diseases for more than 5 years. They plan to conduct new randomized controlled trials to confirm the effect of different types of traditional Chinese exercises on chronic diseases.

Other co-authors are Xue-Qiang Wang, Ph.D.; Xin Li, M.Sc.; Bing-Lin Chen,M.Sc.; Yi Zhu, Ph.D.; Yu-Jie Yang, M.Sc.; and Zhan-Bin Niu, M.Sc. Author disclosures and funding information are on the manuscript.

Additional Resources:

Heart graphic, blood pressure cuff image, and cholesterol image are located in the right column of this release link http://newsroom.heart.org/news/chinese-exercises-may-improve-cardiovascular-health?preview=4c166d516384e2e142b0e162da9db3f6
After March 9 view the manuscript online.
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults
Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews.
For updates and new science from JAHA, follow @JAHA_AHA.
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mawali

03-11-2016, 11:26 AM

I worked with an investigator with setting up a few trials (IRB process, Informed Consent criteria and wording, Ethics Committee content, etc) and we touched on taijiquan and dementia and the discussion was spirited, to say the least. People who have problems with memory and decreased locomotion are more at risk based on those same criteria. Risk of falls is increased considerably and that combination is potentially life threatening. Perhaps those with "mild" dementia and who have more control of their movements may be good subjects for the trial but that is courting disaster. The concept is great and by the time the exact elements are decided upon, taijiquan (the form) may just be limited to specific postures as the end result like the Emory University study on risk reduction pertaining to tai chi chuan.

Gene,
Standardization is an excellent strategy because everyone uses the same template to achieve the outcome and measurable endpoints so easier to track!

GeneChing

03-15-2016, 10:43 AM

This new study is getting some traction in Tai Chi news.

Effects of Home-Based Tai Chi and Lower Extremity Training and Self-Practice on Falls and Functional Outcomes in Older Fallers from the Emergency Department—A Randomized Controlled Trial (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.13952/abstract;jsessionid=345DC9300514245E78B770ADFE42EB CF.f01t03?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+ be+unavailable+for+up+to+3+hours+on+Saturday+19th+ March+2016+from++11%3A00-14%3A00+GMT+%2F+07%3A00-10%3A00+EDT+%2F+19%3A00-22%3A00+SGT+for+essential+maintenance.++Apologies+ for+the+inconvenience.)

Hei-Fen Hwang RN, MS1,2, Sy-Jou Chen MD2,3, Jane Lee-Hsieh RN, MSN4, Ding-Kuo Chien MD5, Chih-Yi Chen MS2 andMau-Roung Lin PhD2,6,*
Article first published online: 11 FEB 2016

Issue Cover image for Vol. 64 Issue 2
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Objectives
To compare the effects of guided home-based tai chi chuan (TCC) and lower extremity training (LET) and of levels of self-practice on falls and functional outcomes in older fallers.

Design
Randomized controlled trial.

Setting
Taipei, Taiwan.

Participants
Individuals aged 60 and older who had fall-related emergency department visits at least 6 months before participating in the study and ambulated independently at baseline (N = 456).

Intervention
Six months of TCC or LET.

Measurements
Four types of fall measures (falls, time to first fall, fallers, recurrent fallers) and six functional measures (handgrip strength, balance, mobility, fear of falling, depression, cognitive function).

Results
The TCC group was significantly less likely than the LET group to experience any falls during the 6-month intervention (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.15–0.60), and the effects remained significant after 12 months of follow-up (IRR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14–0.71). These effects remained significant for injurious falls during the 6-month intervention (IRR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.16–0.68) and the entire 18-month study (IRR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.18–0.83). Similar results were obtained when another two fall measures (time to first fall, number of fallers) were used. Moreover, participants who independently practiced TCC or LET seven times per week or more were significantly less likely to experience injurious falls during the 6-month intervention (IRR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20–0.83) and the 18-month study (IRR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.21–0.87) than their counterparts, had a significantly longer time to first injurious fall, and were significantly less likely to have an injurious fall during the 6-month intervention. Cognitive function improved to a greater extent in the TCC group than in the LET group over the 18-month study.

Conclusion
Home-based TCC may reduce the incidence of falls and injurious falls more than conventional LET in older fallers, and the effects may last for at least 1 year.

GeneChing

05-18-2016, 08:24 AM

As always, I wonder what style of Tai Chi. I'd argue that Chen Tai Chi isn't necessarily knee friendly.

Original Research | 17 May 2016
Comparative Effectiveness of Tai Chi Versus Physical Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Trial (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2522435) ONLINE FIRST
Chenchen Wang, MD, MSc; Christopher H. Schmid, PhD; Maura D. Iversen, SD, DPT, MPH; William F. Harvey, MD, MSc; Roger A. Fielding, PhD; Jeffrey B. Driban, PhD; Lori Lyn Price, MAS; John B. Wong, MD; Kieran F. Reid, PhD, MPH; Ramel Rones; and Timothy McAlindon, MD, MPH

Ann Intern Med. Published online 17 May 2016 doi:10.7326/M15-2143

Background: Few remedies effectively treat long-term pain and disability from knee osteoarthritis. Studies suggest that Tai Chi alleviates symptoms, but no trials have directly compared Tai Chi with standard therapies for osteoarthritis.

Objective: To compare Tai Chi with standard physical therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Design: Randomized, 52-week, single-blind comparative effectiveness trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01258985)

Setting: An urban tertiary care academic hospital.

Patients: 204 participants with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (mean age, 60 years; 70% women; 53% white).

Intervention: Tai Chi (2 times per week for 12 weeks) or standard physical therapy (2 times per week for 6 weeks, followed by 6 weeks of monitored home exercise).

Measurements: The primary outcome was Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included physical function, depression, medication use, and quality of life.

Results: At 12 weeks, the WOMAC score was substantially reduced in both groups (Tai Chi, 167 points [95% CI, 145 to 190 points]; physical therapy, 143 points [CI, 119 to 167 points]). The between-group difference was not significant (24 points [CI, −10 to 58 points]). Both groups also showed similar clinically significant improvement in most secondary outcomes, and the benefits were maintained up to 52 weeks. Of note, the Tai Chi group had significantly greater improvements in depression and the physical component of quality of life. The benefit of Tai Chi was consistent across instructors. No serious adverse events occurred.

Limitation: Patients were aware of their treatment group assignment, and the generalizability of the findings to other settings remains undetermined.

Conclusion: Tai Chi produced beneficial effects similar to those of a standard course of physical therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Primary Funding Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the National Institutes of Health.

GeneChing

06-07-2016, 05:09 PM

Tai Chi intervention increases progenitor CD34(+) cells in young adults (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24816453).
Ho TJ1, Ho LI, Hsueh KW, Chan TM, Huang SL, Lin JG, Liang WM, Hsu WH, Harn HJ, Lin SZ.

Author information
1 School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Abstract
Tai Chi has been shown to have many great health benefits. However, few research attempts have been made to explore the effects of practicing TCC on life span. This study provides direct evidence of Tai Chi's antiaging effects. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to compare the rejuvenating and antiaging effects among Tai Chi group (TCC) and brisk walking group (BW) and no exercise habit group (NEH). Thirty-two participants were selected out of a possible 60 based on a survey, and they were separated into three groups: the TCC group (practicing for more than 1 year), the BW group (practicing for more than 1 year), and the NEH group. The CD34(+) cell counts in peripheral blood of the participants was determined, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to evaluate and compare the antiaging effects of the three groups. Of the 32 participants in this study, the participants in the TCC group (N = 10) outperformed the NEH group (N = 12) with respect to the number of CD34(+) progenitor cells. No significant difference was found between the TCC group and the BW group. TCC practice sustained for more than 1 year may be an intervention against aging as effective as BW in terms of its benefits on the improvement of CD34(+) number.
PMID: 24816453 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

That's intriguing.

GeneChing

09-07-2016, 07:58 AM

We have two masters coming in today, so I don't have time to search out the source articles for this right now. Perhaps someone else here will. Or perhaps we'll just go with this NIH report.

Thursday, September 1, 2016
NIH review finds nondrug approaches effective for treatment of common pain conditions (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-review-finds-nondrug-approaches-effective-treatment-common-pain-conditions)

U.S. study reviews trial results on complementary health approaches for pain relief; aims to assist with pain management.

“Our goal for this study was to provide relevant, high-quality information for primary care providers and for patients who suffer from chronic pain.”

—Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., Lead Epidemiologist

Data from a review of U.S.-based clinical trials published today in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggest that some of the most popular complementary health approaches — such as yoga, tai chi, and acupuncture — appear to be effective tools for helping to manage common pain conditions. The review was conducted by a group of scientists from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health.

Millions of Americans suffer from persistent pain that may not be fully relieved by medications. They often turn to complementary health approaches to help, yet primary care providers have lacked a robust evidence base to guide recommendations on complementary approaches as practiced and available in the United States. The new review gives primary care providers — who frequently see patients with chronic pain — tools to inform decision-making on how to help manage that pain.

“For many Americans who suffer from chronic pain, medications may not completely relieve pain and can produce unwanted side effects. As a result, many people may turn to nondrug approaches to help manage their pain,” said Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., NCCIH’s lead epidemiologist and lead author of the analysis. “Our goal for this study was to provide relevant, high-quality information for primary care providers and for patients who suffer from chronic pain.”

The researchers reviewed 105 U.S.-based randomized controlled trials, from the past 50 years, that were relevant to pain patients in the United States and met inclusion criteria. Although the reporting of safety information was low overall, none of the clinical trials reported significant side effects due to the interventions.

The review focused on U.S.-based trial results on seven approaches used for one or more of five painful conditions — back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches and migraine — and found promise in the following for safety and effectiveness in treating pain:

Acupuncture and yoga for back pain
Acupuncture and tai chi for osteoarthritis of the knee
Massage therapy for neck pain with adequate doses and for short-term benefit
Relaxation techniques for severe headaches and migraine.

Though the evidence was weaker, the researchers also found that massage therapy, spinal manipulation, and osteopathic manipulation may provide some help for back pain, and relaxation approaches and tai chi might help people with fibromyalgia.

“These data can equip providers and patients with the information they need to have informed conversations regarding non-drug approaches for treatment of specific pain conditions,” said David Shurtleff, Ph.D., deputy director of NCCIH. “It’s important that continued research explore how these approaches actually work and whether these findings apply broadly in diverse clinical settings and patient populations.”

Read more about this report and find graphics at nccih.nih.gov/pain_review.

About the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): NCCIH’s mission is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and integrative health approaches and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCIH’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCIH Web site at nccih.nih.gov. Follow us on Twitter (link is external), Facebook (link is external), and YouTube.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

Reference

Nahin RL, Boineau R, Khalsa PS, Stussman BJ, Weber WJ. Evidence-based evaluation of complementary health approaches for pain management in the United States. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2016;91(9):1292-1306.
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GeneChing

10-17-2016, 09:36 AM

The link goes to the complete article.

The Effects of Tai Chi and Neck Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial (http://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(16)30105-5/fulltext)

Romy Lauche, Christoph Stumpe, Johannes Fehr, Holger Cramer, Ying Wu Cheng, Peter M. Wayne, Thomas Rampp, Jost Langhorst, Gustav Dobos

Highlights

•Tai Chi provides moderate benefit for patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain.
•Tai Chi exercises appear to be as effective as conventional exercises for neck pain.
•After 12 weeks a pain reduction of ≥50% was observed by 36.8% in the Tai Chi group.
•A pain reduction of ≥50% was observed by 45.9% after conventional neck exercises.
•Tai Chi and conventional neck exercises appear to be safe and well tolerated.

Abstract

This study aimed to test the efficacy of Tai Chi for treating chronic neck pain. Subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of group Tai Chi or conventional neck exercises with weekly sessions of 75 to 90 minutes, or a wait-list control. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity (visual analogue scale). Secondary outcomes included pain on movement, functional disability, quality of life, well-being and perceived stress, postural and interoceptive awareness, satisfaction, and safety. Altogether, 114 participants were included (91 women, 49.4 ± 11.7 years of age). After 12 weeks Tai Chi participants reported significantly less pain compared with the wait list group (average difference in mm on the visual analogue scale: −10.5; 95% confidence interval, −20.3 to −.9; P = .033). Group differences were also found for pain on movement, functional disability, and quality of life compared with the wait list group. No differences were found for Tai Chi compared with neck exercises. Patients’ satisfaction with both exercise interventions was high, and only minor side effects were observed. Tai Chi was more effective than no treatment in improving pain in subjects with chronic nonspecific neck pain. Because Tai Chi is probably as effective as neck exercises it may be considered a suitable alternative to conventional exercises for those with a preference toward Tai Chi.

GeneChing

10-27-2016, 09:16 AM

I usually post the original source for this kind of news, like with the Journal of Pain study cited above, but I really liked the Tai Chi with Bach video.

Study Confirms Tai Chi Benefits Include Reduced Neck Pain and Improved Blood Pressure (http://www.realclearlife.com/2016/10/27/study-confirms-tai-chi-benefits-include-reduced-neck-pain-and-improved-blood-pressure/)

http://www.realclearlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4637895863_1336c180ee_o.jpg
Group practicing Tai Chi in front of Shanhai skyline (leniners/Flickr)

A new study has found that the traditional Chinese exercise tai chi could be just as effective as conventional exercises in relieving long-term neck pain. Carried out by an international team of researchers, the study looked at 114 participants who had all been suffering from chronic neck pain for three consecutive months.
Published online in the official journal of the American Pain society, The Journal of Pain, results showed that after 12 weeks, the tai chi group reported significantly less pain when compared to the control group, as well as improvements with disabilities, quality of life, and postural control.
Participants were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either group tai chi classes or conventional exercises (demonstrated in the artistic motion capture video below) with weekly sessions of 75 to 90 minutes. A third group acted as a control. Conventional neck exercises were equally beneficial, with co-author Peter M. Wayne adding that 12 weeks of tai chi was neither superior nor inferior to 12 weeks of the other exercises.

https://vimeo.com/109624358

The low-impact mind-body exercise tai chi originated in China and includes a combination of slow physical movements (see above) with breathing, relaxation, and meditation. Although no studies had previously looked at relieving chronic neck pain, research had found that it can have other health benefits. Findings published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggested that tai chi could improve cardiovascular health in those who had suffered from heart disease, high blood pressure, or a stroke. The study showed that tai chi could help to reduce blood pressure and therefore lower the risk of stroke by up to 41% and coronary heart disease by up to 22%. The team also found that tai chi could lower the levels of bad cholesterol, increase the overall quality of life, and reduce depression.

http://www.realclearlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/istock_00001244.a97e5132156.h01-1200x799.jpg
Tai chi can have many health benefits, including relieving long-term neck pain according to a new study. (Spanic/iStock)

In another study published this year, Taiwanese researchers found tai chi to be effective in reducing the risk of falling in seniors. One of the main causes of injury in older adults, preventing falls is important for seniors, since stopping them can prevent further complications caused by hospitalization or admission to a nursing home.
After comparing tai chi to a physical therapy called “lower extremity training,” or LET, which involves leg-strengthening exercises, researchers from Taipei Medical University found that after six months of sessions, the tai chi group was significantly less likely to experience an injury-causing fall than those in the LET group, with participants also benefiting from an increase in cognitive function.
-Relaxnews

GeneChing

12-19-2016, 12:57 PM

Tai Chi may benefit veterans with PTSD (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314509.php)
Written by Honor Whiteman
Published: Monday 5 December 2016

Around 7 to 8 percent of Americans will experience post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime, and the condition is even more common among veterans, affecting around 23 percent of those involved in recent conflicts. According to a new study, the ancient Chinese exercise Tai Chi could help veterans manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

http://cdn1.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/314/314509/adults-practicing-tai-chi.jpg
Researchers say Tai Chi may be beneficial for veterans who have PTSD.

Study co-author Barbara Niles, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, and colleagues recently reported their findings in BMJ Open.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can arise after experiencing or witnessing a shocking or frightening event.

Because veterans have been exposed to highly traumatic events more often than the general population, their rates of PTSD are much higher. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, around 30 percent of veterans who served in the Vietnam War have experienced PTSD at some point in their lives.

Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, negative emotions, and avoidance of situations that trigger memories of the event. Some individuals may also experience anxiety, depression, physical symptoms - such as chronic pain - and alcohol or drug abuse.

Treatment for PTSD often includes a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. However, these treatments are not always effective.

Now, Niles and colleagues say Tai Chi has the potential to offer significant benefits for veterans with PTSD.

Veterans enrolled to four weekly Tai Chi sessions

Originating from China, Tai Chi is a gentle form of exercise that incorporates slow movements, breathing, and meditation.

Previous studies have documented the numerous health benefits of Tai Chi, which include improved muscle strength, increased energy, reduced inflammation, and better heart health.

Research has also associated Tai Chi with better mental health, such as reduced anxiety and depression.

According to Niles and team, few studies have investigated whether Tai Chi might help individuals with PTSD, although research has demonstrated the benefits of other mind-body practices - such as yoga - for the disorder.

With this in mind, the researchers enrolled 17 veterans - 11 males and 6 females - with symptoms of PTSD to take part in an introductory Tai Chi program, which involved four once-weekly sessions over 4 weeks.

Each session involved a warm-up - including a self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles - Tai Chi movement, and breathing and relaxation. During the 4-week period, subjects were also encouraged to practice Tai Chi at home for at least 30 minutes daily.

After the final Tai Chi session, each veteran completed a questionnaire that asked them how satisfied they were with the Tai Chi program, whether they would like to take part in future Tai Chi programs, and whether they felt it helped manage their issues.

Positive findings should spur additional research

The vast majority of veterans - 93.8 percent - said they were mostly or very satisfied with the introductory Tai Chi program and would rate the program as "excellent" or "good."

Importantly, 68.8 percent of the veterans said that the Tai Chi program "helped them deal more effectively with their problems," and all subjects said they would take part in Tai Chi again if offered.

The researchers note that the study sample size was small, and some of the participants only reported mild symptoms of PTSD, meaning their results may not apply to larger populations of veterans with the disorder.

Still, the team says the results provide "evidence for the feasibility of enrolling and engaging veterans with symptoms of PTSD in a Tai Chi exercise program," adding:

"Veterans were very satisfied with their Tai Chi experience and they indicated both willingness and a preference for additional sessions. Given these positive findings, additional research is needed to empirically evaluate Tai Chi as a treatment for symptoms of PTSD."

Read how Tai Chi may boost health and well-being for people with cardiovascular disease.

Here's the abstract on the BMJ site:

BMJ Open 2016;6:e012464 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012464
Complementary medicine
Feasibility, qualitative findings and satisfaction of a brief Tai Chi mind–body programme for veterans with post-traumatic stress symptoms (http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/11/e012464.abstract?sid=ac601b84-e180-42c9-ab34-0eefe05ad66f)
Barbara L Niles 1, DeAnna L Mori 2, Craig P Polizzi 3, Anica Pless Kaiser 1, Annie M Ledoux 3, Chenchen Wang 4

+ Author Affiliations
1 National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2 VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
3 National Center for PTSD and VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
4 Division of Rheumatology, Center for Integrative Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence to
Dr Barbara L Niles; Barbara.Niles@va.gov
Received 29 April 2016
Revised 10 August 2016
Accepted 4 October 2016
Published 29 November 2016

Abstract
Objective To examine feasibility, qualitative feedback and satisfaction associated with a 4-session introduction to Tai Chi for veterans with post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Design We observed and reported recruitment and retention rates, participant characteristics, adherence, and satisfaction across 2 cohorts. We also examined qualitative feedback provided by questionnaires, focus groups and individual interviews.

Main outcome measures Rates of recruitment and retention, focus group and individual feedback interviews, self-reported satisfaction.

Participants 17 veterans with post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Results Almost 90% (17/19) of those eligible following the telephone screen enrolled in the programme. Three-quarters (76.4%) of the participants attended at least 3 of the 4 Tai Chi sessions. Qualitative data analysis revealed themes indicating favourable impressions of the Tai Chi sessions. In addition, participants reported feeling very engaged during the sessions, and found Tai Chi to be helpful for managing distressing symptoms (ie, intrusive thoughts, concentration difficulties, physiological arousal). Participants also reported high satisfaction: 93.8% endorsed being very or mostly satisfied with the programme. All participants (100%) indicated that they would like to participate in future Tai Chi programmes and would recommend it to a friend.

Conclusions Tai Chi appears to be feasible and safe for veterans with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is perceived to be beneficial and is associated with high rates of satisfaction. This study highlights the need for future investigation of Tai Chi as a novel intervention to address symptoms of PTSD.

GeneChing

01-09-2017, 09:04 AM

This is a significant beneficial aspect of Tai Chi & Qigong now with the ever expanding elderly community.

This is just the abstract. Follow the link for the full article.

Effects of tai chi qigong on psychosocial well-being among hidden elderly, using elderly neighborhood volunteer approach: a pilot randomized controlled trial (https://www.dovepress.com/effects-of-tai-chi-qigong-on-psychosocial-well-being-among-hidden-elde-peer-reviewed-article-CIA)

Authors Chan AW, Yu DS, Choi KC

Received 13 October 2016

Accepted for publication 29 November 2016

Published 5 January 2017 Volume 2017:12 Pages 85—96

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S124604

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single-blind

Peer reviewers approved by Dr Lucy Goodman

Peer reviewer comments 3

Editor who approved publication: Professor Zhi-Ying Wu

Aileen WK Chan, Doris SF Yu, KC Choi

The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR

Purpose: To test the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a tai chi qigong program with the assistance of elderly neighborhood volunteers in strengthening social networks and enhancing the psychosocial well-being of hidden elderly.
Patients and methods: “Hidden elderly” is a term used to describe older adults who are socially isolated and refuse social participation. This pilot randomized controlled trial recruited 48 older adults aged 60 or above who did not engage in any social activity. They were randomized into tai chi qigong (n=24) and standard care control (n=24) groups. The former group underwent a three-month program of two 60-minute sessions each week, with the socially active volunteers paired up with them during practice. Standard care included regular home visits by social workers. Primary outcomes were assessed by means of the Lubben social network and De Jong Gieveld loneliness scales, and by a revised social support questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were covered by a mental health inventory and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and quality of life by using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey. Data was collected at baseline, and at three and six months thereafter.
Results: The generalized estimating equations model revealed general improvement in outcomes among participants on the tai chi qigong program. In particular, participants reported a significantly greater improvement on the loneliness scale (B=-1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.54 to -0.11, P=0.033) and the satisfaction component of the social support questionnaire (B=3.43, 95% CI 0.10–6.76, P=0.044) than the control group.

Conclusion: The pilot study confirmed that tai chi qigong with elderly neighborhood volunteers is a safe and feasible social intervention for hidden elderly. Its potential benefits in improving social and psychological health suggest the need for a full-scale randomized controlled trial to reveal its empirical effects.

GeneChing

01-17-2017, 10:01 AM

There's now 185 publications on Tai Chi in the JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY. I'm almost tempted to split this 'Tai Chi as medicine' thread into a separate 'Tai Chi as medicine for the elderly' thread.

Effects of Tai Chi on Cognition and Fall Risk in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.14594/full)

Authors
Somporn Sungkarat PhD,
Sirinun Boripuntakul PhD,
Nipon Chattipakorn MD, PhD,
Kanokwan Watcharasaksilp MD,
Stephen R Lord PhD
First published: 22 November 2016
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14594View/save citation
Article has an altmetric score of 13

Abstract

Objectives

To examine whether combined center- and home-based Tai Chi training can improve cognitive ability and reduce physiological fall risk in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI).

Design

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Participants

Adults aged 60 and older who met Petersen's criteria for multiple-domain a-MCI (N = 66).

Intervention

Three weeks center-based and 12 weeks home-based Tai Chi (50 minutes per session, 3 times per week).

Measurements

Cognitive tests, including Logical Memory (LM) delayed recall, Block Design, Digit Span forward and backward, and Trail-Making Test Part B–A (TMT B–A), and fall risk index using the Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA).

Results

At the end of the trial, performance on LM, Block Design, and TMT B–A were significantly better for the Tai Chi group than the control group after adjusting for baseline test performance. The Tai Chi group also had significantly better composite PPA score and PPA parameter scores: knee extension strength, reaction time, postural sway, and lower limb proprioception.

Conclusion

Combined center- and home-based Tai Chi training three times per week for 15 weeks significantly improved cognitive function and moderately reduced physiological fall

GeneChing

02-14-2017, 09:46 AM

Relevant here: acupuncture and tai chi. :cool:

American College of Physicians issues guideline for treating nonradicular low back pain (https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/american-college-of-physicians-issues-guideline-for-treating-nonradicular-low-back-pain)

Treatment recommendations include massage, acupuncture, spinal manipulation, tai chi, and yoga

Philadelphia, February 14, 2017 -- The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends in an evidence-based clinical practice guideline published today in Annals of Internal Medicine that physicians and patients should treat acute or subacute low back pain with non-drug therapies such as superficial heat, massage, acupuncture, or spinal manipulation. If drug therapy is desired, physicians and patients should select nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or skeletal muscle relaxants.

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for all physician visits in the U.S. Most Americans have experienced low back pain. Approximately one quarter of U.S. adults reported having low back pain lasting at least one day in the past three months. Pain is categorized as acute (lasting less than four weeks), subacute (lasting four to 12 weeks, and chronic (lasting more than 12 weeks).

“Physicians should reassure their patients that acute and subacute low back pain usually improves over time regardless of treatment,” said Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, MACP, president, ACP. “Physicians should avoid prescribing unnecessary tests and costly and potentially harmful drugs, especially narcotics, for these patients.”

The evidence showed that acetaminophen was not effective at improving pain outcomes versus placebo. Low-quality evidence showed that systemic steroids were not effective in treating acute or subacute low back pain.

For patients with chronic low back pain, ACP recommends that physicians and patients initially select non-drug therapy with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise (MCE), progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation.

“For the treatment of chronic low back pain, physicians should select therapies that have the fewest harms and costs, since there were no clear comparative advantages for most treatments compared to one another,” Dr. Damle said. “Physicians should remind their patients that any of the recommended physical therapies should be administered by providers with appropriate training.”

For patients with chronic low back pain who have had an inadequate response to non-drug therapy, ACP recommends that physicians and patients consider treatment with NSAIDs as first line therapy; or tramadol or duloxetine as second line therapy. Physicians should only consider opioids as an option in patients who have failed the aforementioned treatments and only if the potential benefits outweigh the risks for individual patients and after a discussion of known risks and realistic benefits with patients.

“Physicians should consider opioids as a last option for treatment and only in patients who have failed other therapies, as they are associated with substantial harms, including the risk of addiction or accidental overdose,” said Dr. Damle.

“Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain” is based on a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews published on noninvasive pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments of nonradicular low back pain. Clinical outcomes evaluated included reduction or elimination of low back pain, improvement in back-specific and overall function, improvement in health-related quality of life, reduction in work disability/return to work, global improvement, number of back pain episodes or time between episodes, patient satisfaction, and adverse effects.

The evidence was insufficient or lacking to determine treatments for radicular low back pain. The evidence also was insufficient for most physical modalities and for which patients are likely to benefit from which specific therapy. The guideline does not address topical therapies or epidural injection therapies.

ACP’s clinical practice guidelines are developed through a rigorous process based on an extensive review of the highest quality evidence available, including randomized control trials and data from observational studies. ACP also identifies gaps in evidence and direction for future research through its guidelines development process.

ACP’s previous recommendations for treating low back pain were published in “Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Joint Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society” in 2007. Some evidence has changed since the 2007 guideline and supporting evidence reviews. The 2007 guideline did not assess mindfulness-based stress reduction, MCE, taping, or tai chi.

About the American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States. ACP members include 148,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

GeneChing

05-15-2017, 08:40 AM

Usually I track down the source article for these posts, but I'm too busy this week (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69762-KUNG-FU-TAI-CHI-25TH-ANNIVERSARY-FESTIVAL-May-19-21-2017-San-Jose-CA).

Tai chi may ease insomnia in breast cancer survivors (http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2017/05/12/Tai-chi-may-ease-insomnia-in-breast-cancer-survivors/8741494621878/?utm_content=buffer2e2c5&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer)
By HealthDay News | May 12, 2017 at 7:47 PM

http://media.healthday.com/Images/icimages/HWE078MH.jpg?resize=800:600

FRIDAY, May 12, 2017 -- For breast cancer survivors who struggle with sleep, a new study suggests that tai chi might calm their restless nights.

Researchers found this slow-moving form of meditation was as good as talk therapy and more effective than medication in treating insomnia and reducing the risk for sleep loss-related health issues, including depression, fatigue and a weakened immune system.

"Breast cancer survivors often don't just come to physicians with insomnia. They have insomnia, fatigue and depression," said study leader Dr. Michael Irwin. He directs UCLA's Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, in Los Angeles.

"And this intervention, tai chi, impacted all those outcomes in a similar way, with benefits that were as robust as the gold standard treatment for insomnia [talk therapy]," Irwin added in a UCLA news release.

Previous studies have shown that tai chi can help relax the body and the mind. This practice can also slow breathing and reduce inflammation, the study authors said.

To investigate the effects of tai chi on sleep, the researchers asked 90 breast cancer survivors with insomnia and symptoms of depression and daytime sleepiness to take weekly cognitive behavioral therapy sessions ("talk therapy"), or weekly classes in a Westernized form of tai chi for a period of three months.

The participants, who ranged in age from 42 to 83, reported on their insomnia and other symptoms at regular intervals over the course of 12 months.

The findings showed that nearly half of the participants in both groups had significant improvement in their symptoms 15 months later.

Currently, cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the best form of treatment for insomnia, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. During treatment, people learn to identify and change the harmful thoughts and behaviors that are preventing them from getting enough sleep, the researchers explained.

But this type of talk therapy may be too expensive for some people. Others with insomnia may have trouble finding a trained professional who can help, the study authors added.

"Because of those limitations, we need community-based interventions like tai chi," said Irwin, who is also a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The findings were published May 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

More information
Breastcancer.org has more about insomnia and breast cancer.