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BACKGROUND: Aging adversely affects balance and increases the propensity to slip and fall. Loss of plantar sensation due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy and other diseases has been shown to further increase this propensity to fall. The ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi has been previously shown as a method to improve balance in healthy elderly adults.
METHODS: The aim of this study was to determine if Tai Chi intervention improved both balance and plantar sensory perception in healthy elderly adults and elderly adults with diabetes and plantar sensory loss. Elderly subjects (mean +/- SD age = 73.1 +/- 5.9 years, n = 18) were tested for plantar sensory ability and several balance metrics before Tai Chi training and again after 6 months of weekly sessions. Participants were grouped by initial sensory perception scores (as measured by a vibrometer) in order to make inferences on the effects of Tai Chi on sensory perception.
RESULTS: Plantar sensation results show all participants showed significant improvement in sensory ability with the 6 months of Tai Chi training. All groups also had a general improvement in all balance measures, with the greatest improvement seen in those subjects with large sensory losses. Hemoglobin A1C measurements also decreased as a result of the intervention.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Tai Chi training as a method of improving plantar sensation and balance in elderly adults and elderly adults with diabetes with a large plantar sensation loss.
Temporal characteristics of foot movement in tai chi exercise.
Hong Y, Mao de W, Li JX. Med Sport Sci. 2008;52:1-11
Quote:
The concept of proper foot movement is always emphasized in the practice of Tai Chi. Sixteen experienced Tai Chi practitioners participated in this study. Each subject practiced the whole set of 42-form Tai Chi movements and the performance was video-recorded and analyzed. The study found that Tai Chi is performed with the interchange of seven support patterns and six step directions of the foot. Compared with normal walking, there is a bigger percentage of time spent performing double support and less percentage of time spent performing single support movements in Tai Chi. However, the average duration of each support movement is longer and the change from one type of support to another is slower. In Tai Chi, the duration of steps in each direction is short and there are frequent changes from one direction to another. Tai Chi was found to be more effective than walking in simulating the gait challenges that are encountered in daily activities.
Medical News Today are reporting: Tai Chi For Elders: Improving Balance And Reducing The Risk Of Falls
Quote:
Thirty-percent of ambulatory seniors over the age of 65 living in a community fall every year. Another 50% of the same age group living in long-term care facilities suffer from at least one fall annually. One in 10 of these falls in turn results in a fracture.1 Falls represent the leading cause of death for people over 65 and the number of fall-related deaths continues to increase with every passing year.2
Shocking statistics such as these have recently been brought to the attention of trainers, physicians and therapists. Many in the medical world are well aware of the absolute necessity to pursue ways to lower these numbers and help elders to remain on their feet. Though it is now commonly accepted that any exercise is a successful intervention for fall prevention, the exact form of exercise is a debatable issue with major developments still to be made. One of the rapidly emerging programs prescribed by a number of medical professionals is Tai Chi. ....
Of interest as I have started a program to teach my patients Tai Chi to improve core stability , balance and assist with diabetes. Spent a fortune knocking out walls in the practice to create a room big enough so its all steam ahead as first class is next Thursday. I have been an instructor for many years and frequently use aspects of Tai chi and Qigong to treat my patients. When researchers assess something like Tai chi they frequently come unstuck because they simplify the biomechanics too much and don't know the right questions to ask. For example the comment that double support was more frequent than single support. Double support is common but the weight is not evenly distributed with the term "double weighted" being classified as an error. More advanced forms have weight changing within in the single support and these advanced forms appear even looser refering back to older names of Tai chi being "loose boxing" or even "drunken boxing".
All very interesting and I could go on for ever but most likely not many will read this post.
Ciao
__________________
Colin Power
Masters of Podiatry
The Following User Says Thank You to PowerPodiatry For This Useful Post:
hi powerpodiatry,
I am quite interested to know the techniques you use when teaching taichi? I am doing a small education session with nurses in an aged care facility and I was thinking of incoroporating taichi movements or its principles into falls prevention activities.
Even some links to useful websites would be much appreciated!
hi powerpodiatry,
I am quite interested to know the techniques you use when teaching taichi? I am doing a small education session with nurses in an aged care facility and I was thinking of incoroporating taichi movements or its principles into falls prevention activities.
Even some links to useful websites would be much appreciated!
thanks!
Try www.taijiworld.com Erle is a friend of mine and has possibly the best website in the known universe. Their is extensive articles for free download as well as over 300 samples of his DVD's to view. On the site look for the instructor listing and you will find some help in the Brisbane /Gold Coast area. Wally Simpson is a TCM practitioner as is Steve McDermot and would be very helpful. Have a look at the site then if you like ask some questions thru the forum and I can relate some of the activities that I teach my old girls. If you like you can come to Hervey Bay for a lesson or 2.
__________________
Colin Power
Masters of Podiatry
The Following User Says Thank You to PowerPodiatry For This Useful Post:
I'm doing more with postural stability in our Tai chi classes at the practice and have added in an exercise from a related Martial art called Bagua Chuang. The practitioners of this were noted for their balance. The exercise that I have started them on is "Walking the circle" which is just the start-up of the circular form from Bagua. I have modified it slightly for my very tottery old girls to include stability contact with a partner. Even my younger participants find it more demanding than they first thought when I add in progressive modifications until we get it more along the line that is correct. So in fact we start by teaching it "wrong" so we can add to it until they get it "right". For some of my patients Tai chi is a little too demanding so we concentrate on Chi kung exercises to build them up.
Its the same old story as in the practice "if you had only come in sooner then it would have been so much easier".
Cheers
__________________
Colin Power
Masters of Podiatry
The Following User Says Thank You to PowerPodiatry For This Useful Post:
Changes in muscle strength, endurance, and reaction of the lower extremities with Tai Chi intervention
Jing Xian Lia, Dong Qing Xub, Youlian Hong Journal of Biomechanics (in press)
Quote:
This study examines the effects of a 16-week Tai Chi (TC) training program on the muscle strength, endurance, and reaction time of the lower extremities of elderly people. A total of 40 elderly individuals (aged 60 years) completed the study. They were divided into two groups: the TC group (11 men and 11 women) underwent a supervised TC exercise program for 16 weeks, while the control group (9 men and 9 women) received general education for a comparable time period. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were conducted. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure the maximum concentric strength and dynamic endurance of the knee flexors and the extensors, and the maximum concentric strength of the ankle plantarflexors and dorsiflexors. The neuromuscular response of the rectus femoris, semitendinosus, gastrocnemius, and anterior tibialis muscles was measured by the onset latency to sudden perturbations using an electromyography system. After 16 weeks, the TC group showed a 19.9% increase in muscle strength of the knee flexors (p<.000) that was significantly greater than that in the control group (p=.046). There was also a significant decrease in semitendinosus muscle latency (6.6%, p=.014) that was significantly shorter than that in the control group (p=.042). No significant training effects were found in other measures. These results suggest that improving biomechanical characteristics of lower extremity muscles may need longer TC intervention for elderly people.
Tai Chi improves plantar sensation
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