Parkinson's Walker

In a CNN special, mayoclinic.com the Mayo Clinic reported that, "Parkinson's disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms worsen over time. But although Parkinson's disease may potentially be debilitating disease often progresses gradually, and most people have many years of productive life after diagnosis. "This suggests that there might be effective interventions that could perhaps slow the progression of the disease . When such a diagnosis, our first reaction might be to withdraw and abandon. However, the old adage "use it or lose it" tells us that the opposite is true. If you have Parkinson's disease, you're probably better to use your whole body is in every sense, on a regular.

equilibrium motions gentle Tai Chi movements can obviously help improve Parkinson's patients by helping to reduce the progressive loss of balance that Parkinson's patients often experience. However, it can be much more it offers. For example, the Tai Chi movements rotate the human body in about 95% of the ways the body can move, when a long form is practiced. It is far beyond what other exercise offers, and in fact the closest would be several swimming strokes, which together will turn the body in about 65% of how it can move. In people with Parkinson's, or anyone else for that matter, it would indicate that by using "95% of possible movements of the body several times a week, the possibility of" losing "the ability to decrease then accordingly. This is not rocket science, but simple common sense.

Yet, perhaps Parkinson's patients have even more to gain from Tai Chi. A few years ago, I taught several classes at local medical centers. I was continually frustrated because although I saw the new reports that Tai Chi is beneficial for people with Parkinson's disease, or arthritis, or chronic hypertension, etc., even if the departments specializes in these conditions are often just down the hall from my Tai Chi class. . . they might as well have been a million miles. Because the doctors who ran those departments were unaware or unwilling to see their patients about the possibilities that Tai Chi have offered their lives.

I remember well that, at a medical center a visionary neurologist began to refer patients with balance disorders to my Tai Chi and the result was very beneficial for his patients. Another physician actually wrote prescriptions for my Tai Chi for treating chronic hypertension of his patients, who had seen a significant drop in blood pressure since the start of classes weeks before. A clinical psychologist brought me in to teach Qigong (Chi Kung) meditation and Tai Chi to her patient group to enhance their sense of well-being and provide effective training for stress management. So even at that time that some doctors have the potential Tai Chi available to their customers, and even more now, but the number of doctors are still not informing their patients of Tai Chi or direct therapeutic benefits of therapy in addition to their patient efforts to cope with their lives and, increasingly indefensible in this day and age. Given the research that exposed the many physical benefits, mental, emotional and Tai Chi offers, for physicians not learn about it and share their knowledge with each patient returns to the wrong practice. Health educators should also be making such therapies part of their training programs and medical students.

Tai Chi for Parkinson's disease is recommended increasingly by support groups and some progressive medical centers, but until all those who have Parkinson's disease is common, then our work at World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is not done, nor the medical community. There are many obvious reasons everyone with Parkinson's disease should be doing Tai Chi, but it is they who.