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Thread: Tai Chi as medicine

  1. #196
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    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.

  2. #197

    Tai chi as medicine

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    This in from Reuters recently.


    It's an expanded study of earlier work done by Prof. Michael Irwin. Here's an older report:
    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

  3. #198
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    Good for the elderly, which I will remember when I get elderly...

    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

    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 site comes up with 144 results.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  4. #199
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    A search of "tai chi" on the British Journal of Sports Medicine 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)

  5. #200
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    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.
    It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand. - Apache Proverb

  6. #201
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    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.

  7. #202
    Quote Originally Posted by Xiao3 Meng4 View Post
    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;

  8. #203
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    barefoot elderly?

    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    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.

    Quote Originally Posted by Brule View Post
    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.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #204
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    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!
    Last edited by taai gihk yahn; 05-19-2011 at 09:50 AM.

  10. #205
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    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.

  11. #206
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    You know what else reduces the slip and fall among the elderly?

    Squat toilets.

  12. #207
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    Some one needs to do a study

    A Comparison of Taiji Versus Squat Toilet and the Effects on Falls in Seniors.

    tgy, this study has your name written all over it. 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, 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 ).
    Gene Ching
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  13. #208
    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.
    Last edited by Hendrik; 05-27-2011 at 06:58 PM.

  14. #209
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    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.

  15. #210
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    ttt

    MU study shows tai chi might improve cognitive function after chemotherapy
    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.
    Gene Ching
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