Tai chi, an ancient, “internal” Chinese martial art focused on slow, intentional movements, may help curb the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease for several years, a new study from China shows.
About Parkinson’s disease: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symptoms such as slowness of movement, resting tremors and stiff muscles. It is a debilitating condition that has no known cure to date.
One notable difference is that 2% of those who received standard care reported hallucinations, while none of those who practiced tai chi did. Still, it is important to note that the study is observational and does not establish cause and effect.
Participants: The researchers monitored two groups of patients between January 2016 and June 2021. One group, consisting of 147 patients, practiced tai chi under the aforementioned schedule, while the other group, consisting of 187 patients, continued with standard care.
How the researchers studied: The study assessed the severity of each patient’s disease at the beginning of the monitoring period, while progression and increases in the need for medication were assessed in November 2019, October 2020 and June 2021. Researchers also tracked other symptoms, complications, sleep, quality of life and other variables using validated scales.
What the researchers are saying: The researchers say their study shows tai chi’s “long-term beneficial effect” on the disease. These include modifying effects on both motor and non-motor symptoms, including gait, balance, cognition and autonomic symptoms.
