Tai Chi improves balance and mobility in people with Parkinson disease.

This pilot study examines the effects of Tai Chi on balance, gait and mobility in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Thirty-three people with PD were randomly assigned to either a Tai Chi group or a control group. The Tai Chi group participated in 20 1-h long training sessions completed within 10-13 weeks; whereas, the control group had two testing sessions between 10 and 13 weeks apart without interposed training. The Tai Chi group improved more than the control group on the Berg Balance Scale, UPDRS, Timed Up and Go, tandem stance test, six-minute walk, and backward walking. Neither group improved in forward walking or the one leg stance test. All Tai Chi participants reported satisfaction with the program and improvements in well-being. Tai Chi appears to be an appropriate, safe and effective form of exercise for some individuals with mild-moderately severe PD.

[1]  The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS): Status and recommendations , 2003, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[2]  G. Ng,et al.  The effects on sensorimotor performance and balance with Tai Chi training. , 2006, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[3]  Elizabeth Eckstrom,et al.  Tai Chi and fall reductions in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. , 2005, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[4]  M. Rundle,et al.  Evaluation of a screening questionnaire for genetic studies of Parkinson's disease. , 1999, American journal of medical genetics.

[5]  A J Nelson,et al.  Functional ambulation profile. , 1974, Physical therapy.

[6]  Susan Brody,et al.  The validity of the GaitRite and the Functional Ambulation Performance scoring system in the analysis of Parkinson gait. , 2002, NeuroRehabilitation.

[7]  R. Baumgartner,et al.  One‐Leg Balance Is an Important Predictor of Injurious Falls in Older Persons , 1997, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[8]  S. Yeh,et al.  Regular tai chi chuan exercise enhances functional mobility and CD4CD25 regulatory T cells , 2006, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[9]  C. Marsden,et al.  Recent Developments in Parkinson's Disease , 1986 .

[10]  R. Fimmers,et al.  Qigong exercise for the symptoms of Parkinson's disease: A randomized, controlled pilot study , 2006, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[11]  J. Hughes,et al.  Accuracy of clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease: a clinico-pathological study of 100 cases. , 1992, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[12]  S. Wood-Dauphinée,et al.  The Balance Scale: reliability assessment with elderly residents and patients with an acute stroke. , 1995, Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine.

[13]  M. Woollacott,et al.  Neural mechanisms underlying balance improvement with short term Tai Chi training , 2006, Aging clinical and experimental research.

[14]  S Fahn,et al.  Committee. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. , 2001 .

[15]  D. Maraganore,et al.  Fracture risk after the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease: Influence of concomitant dementia , 2006, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[16]  H. Taggart.  Effects of Tai Chi exercise on balance, functional mobility, and fear of falling among older women. , 2002, Applied nursing research : ANR.

[17]  W. E. Bacon,et al.  Secular Trends in Hip Fracture Occurrence and Survival , 1996, Journal of aging and health.

[18]  S. Wolf,et al.  The influence of intense Tai Chi training on physical performance and hemodynamic outcomes in transitionally frail, older adults. , 2006, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[19]  B. Snow,et al.  Criteria for diagnosing Parkinson's disease , 1992, Annals of neurology.

[20]  U S Nayak,et al.  Balance in elderly patients: the "get-up and go" test. , 1986, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[21]  R. Gregor,et al.  The influence of Tai Chi training on the center of pressure trajectory during gait initiation in older adults. , 2004, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[22]  R. Cumming,et al.  A Randomized, Controlled Trial of tai chi for the Prevention of Falls: The Central Sydney tai chi Trial , 2007, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[23]  Graham Lawton,et al.  Get up and go , 2006 .

[24]  M. Morris,et al.  Reliability of measurements obtained with the Timed "Up & Go" test in people with Parkinson disease. , 2001, Physical therapy.

[25]  P. Harmer,et al.  Tai Chi-based exercise for older adults with Parkinson's disease: a pilot-program evaluation. , 2007, Journal of aging and physical activity.

[26]  S. Fahn.  Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale , 1987 .

[27]  S. Wolf,et al.  Tai Chi and vestibular rehabilitation improve vestibulopathic gait via different neuromuscular mechanisms: Preliminary report , 2005, BMC neurology.

[28]  P. Klein,et al.  Taiji for Individuals with Parkinson Disease and their Support Partners: Program Evaluation , 2006, Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT.

[29]  C. Hui-Chan,et al.  Standing balance after vestibular stimulation in Tai Chi-practicing and nonpracticing healthy older adults. , 2006, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[30]  G. Ko,et al.  A 10-week Tai-Chi program improved the blood pressure, lipid profile and SF-36 scores in Hong Kong Chinese women. , 2006, Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research.