is Tai Chi good for Parkinson's Disease sufferers?

[dehro]

my father is 69 years old and has been diagnosed with PD about 7-9 years ago (I don't remember exactly). It's getting to him slowly but steadily. a bit more visibly, as of late; no, I don't know what "stage" he is in. We're doing all we can to avoid him driving for more than a few dozen Km.
As an old afficionado of martial arts it occurred to me that he would find the practice of Tai Chi beneficial to counter the progressive loss of physical ability, since it enhances balance (a major issue for people affected with PD) and keeps all sort of muscles in motion.
My dad however isn't really into martial arts, and has not been doing any sports at all, in the last 15 years or so..so I want to give my words a bit more weight than "I think it would be good for you"...to which he's reacted with noncommittal grunts... (the grunts are his usual way of being non-committal..it's not due to parkinsons :smallamused:)
I'm doing a little research on whether there is any substance behind the theory that Tai Chi is especially good for Parkinson's sufferers.

Applying my google-fu to the task, I've found several publications that claim it's definitely a good thing and that they've had visible results in pupils affected by the disease. These claims however come 10 times out of 10 from practicioners and otherwise Tai Chi enthusiasts who I fear may be less than objective in their analysis.
A few more "clinically oriented" of my findings say that it's not really proven to any satisfactory degree. the most recent of those skeptical papers I was able to find, is dated 2008, so it may be that recent studies have subverted this stance...

I therefore turn the question to the board. has anybody had a meaningful/direct anecdotal or scientific evidence pointing one way or the other? to the "medical people" and researchers on the board..have you bumped into some definitive word on this during your studies or work? have I missed a publication on this matter?

no, I'm not looking for a miracle cure nor will I take your words for the ultimate authority in this matter, unless you can point me in the direction of scientific publications that support your words...I'm just trying to find out if somewhere out there, there's a consensus on this matter that I haven't been able to ascertain from the web in general.
I'm sure doing any physical activity at all will be good for my father..I just don't want to be nudging him into a direction that may be pointless..since it's not what he'd naturally go for (unless he somehow knew it really was a good thing for him, in which case he would seriously consider it)

[Brother Oni]

In my experience, Tai Chi isn't really taught as a martial art, more as a set pattern of stretching and balance exercises. It's also very light and non-strenuous, so there should be no major strain on him.

Whether it's any better for him than taking a brisk walk or light exercise, is a judgement I can't really make as I'm not very familiar with the effects of Parkinson's.

[Xondoure]

I've heard that learning new physical activities be they sports or martial arts is absolutely the best thing one can do to combat situations like these. As it forces the brain to make new connections which get reinforced from all the physical activity. That said, I don't have a ton of facts offhand to back me up on this.

[paddyfool]

@dehro,

A quick scan of the literature brings me to pretty much the same conclusion as you reached, I'm afraid - the specific benefits of exercise-based therapy of any kind, or even physiotherapy in general, have not been studied in sufficient detail to really say what works, or if any of it works. Given that there is good evidence for a general benefit of exercise of this kind, however, and a tantalisingly not-conclusive-but-promising amount of evidence pointing to a protective effect of exercise in general on the dopaminergic neurons which are lost in Parkinson's, and a wealth of resources with advice on the topic (such as this site (http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/advice/living_with_parkinsons/exercise_and_parkinsons/benefits_of_exercise.aspx)), it's certainly not a bad idea to try it. Just as long as everyone's clear on the "no guarantees" part.

What course of action have the docs advised for your father, btw?

[dehro]

mostly pills..and keeping active. he still works, kinda, (desk job a few hours a day..which mainly means he helps me in my job)..so that's a bonus, and he plays the saxophone which is good for the manual skills..although lately he's getting more and more frustrated because apparently his fingers get away from him, which means he isn't playing as well as he used to..
driving is also a big part of the job, and that's something he's learning to accept he can't do anymore, at least not long distance, because concentration and relfexes simply aren't what they were (also, his balance being affected means he tends to be all over the place, with his car..so...a lot of caution is required..which is tiring)
he's not kicking the bucket or going to need a hand in cleaning after him for a few years yet..but I'm feeling he could do more from a physical pov.

[Keld Denar]

I do yoga, specifically hot yoga.

The instructors in our studio often mention the various health benefits of doing the yoga, including strengthened muscles and joints, boosted immune system, greater circulation, flushing of joints, and a host of other benefits.

Tai chi is pretty similar to yoga. I don't know enough about it, but if it involves a lot of compression and release of various muscle groups, it should help. I'd actually highly recommend hot yoga over tai chi for a beginner. The heat increases flexibility, allowing greater stretches for newbies with less risk of injury, and the heat has its own health benefits.

As always, ask your doctor if you are healthy enough for yoga. If you experience a pose lasting for longer than four hours, seek medical attention right away.

[Thes Hunter]

I saw a news article pop up about this in my Medscape feed. Haven't had time to read it, but my gut reaction is...


Any exercise couldn't hurt, and would most likely help. How much recoverable degeneration happens in the cerebellar pathways in parkinson's I can't say exactly, but if you're a tight rope walker who get Parkinsons, you're gonna be ahead of the curve than the couch potato.

So, any exercise is good... however the most challenging bit is getting your grandpa interested and motivated to do so. If he isn't, and he chooses not to, then that is his choice, and try to respect that choice as much as you can, though it's really hard to watch someone you love doing something to themselves that you know is hurting them, it is still their choice.

[Trog]

Here's (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/09/tai-chi-parkinsons-balance-falls_n_1265139.html) a recent article on precisely this. Ran across it earlier this week, actually.

My grandfather had Parkinson's (as well as Alzheimer's). I vaguely recall that doctors encouraged him to do activity to help out his motor control. For what it's worth.

[Brother Oni]

Reading up on Trog's article, the doctor leading the study (Fuzhong Li (http://www.ori.org/Research/scientists/liF.html)) has a number of papers on Tai Chi benefits, the only one I can find is here:

Tai Chi and Postural Stability in Patients (http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1107911).

Hope that helps.

[dehro]

very well... on the principle that it can't hurt, I think I shall press the issue with my dad, provided that the guy who's teaching Tai Chi at the dojo nearby (where my little brother is already doing Judo) has the skills to develop an exercise routine specifically tailored on my dad's needs.

[paddyfool]

Go for it. There's even some new evidence it may work better than a couple of the simpler alternatives. (http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1107911) But, as I said... no guarantees.

[sana]

From pub med:Effectiveness of tai chi for Parkinson's disease: a critical review. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18374620)

While there is nothing that seems to prove that it's significantly better then any other light exercise, it sure wont hurt either.
Just a bit of light exercise can raise the quality of life.

[Kindablue]

Relevant:
Exercise: Parkinson’s Patients Benefit From Tango (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/research/12exer.html)

[dehro]

Relevant:
Exercise: Parkinson’s Patients Benefit From Tango (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/research/12exer.html)

interesting but, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango..and I don't think I love my dad enough to wear stockings and high heels for his sake. (his wife has 2 left feet)
on a more serious note, I stand a better chance to involve him in tai chi than in tango

[Keld Denar]

Huh, that is interesting. I'm kinda surprised by the study that showed yoga being the least effective. As a former resistance lifter turned to yoga practitioner, I find that yoga has given me HUGE amounts of fine motor control that I've always lacked, despite having lifted pretty extensively for the last 10ish years.

Interesting.

[Brother Oni]

Huh, that is interesting. I'm kinda surprised by the study that showed yoga being the least effective. As a former resistance lifter turned to yoga practitioner, I find that yoga has given me HUGE amounts of fine motor control that I've always lacked, despite having lifted pretty extensively for the last 10ish years.

Bear in mind that the exercise regimes were tested on Parkinson's sufferers, so while yoga works for you (I'm assuming you're a healthy adult male), it may not work so well for them.