By Dené Fraser
In a world where everything is expected to move at lightning speed and new medical interventions are being generated every day, perhaps the secret to a longer, healthier life is one that is slower and more intentional.
Tai Chi and Qigong are Chinese medicine practices seen to have originated around the 12th century that encourage slow movement and calming mind-body practices. Tai Chi utilises intentional movement and breathing, requiring focus on correct body postures and acute awareness of the body. Similarly, Qigong focuses on slow movements and focused meditation in conjunction with controlled breathing, but incorporates repetitive sequences, making it easier to follow for those with limited mobility.
In previous studies, Tai Chi has been seen to benefit patients in a variety of clinical areas, including stroke rehabilitation, depression, and cardiac rehabilitation. This review summarises and evaluates evidence of Tai Chi and Qigong as adjunctive therapies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a progressive neurodegen rative disorder characterised by difficulty with coordinated movement and tremors. The reviewers gathered almost 4,000 studies characterising the effect of Tai Chi and Qigong on Parkinson’s disease and narrowed them down to 26 that met the requirements for this review.
Motor function and non-motor function were measured differently across the studies reviewed; however, improvements were seen across both practices. For non-motor function, the studies examined quality of life, sleep quality, depression, and cognitive impairment. For motor function, body balance was tested, as well as stability and fall risk, dynamic balance and gait, and activities of daily living. In examining non-motor function, two studies found that the quality of life of patients who did Tai Chi training was higher than that of those who did other forms of exercise, like resistance training and stretching. However, in most studies there were no changes in quality of life for Tai Chi compared to other training interventions. Three studies showed no positive effects of Tai Chi on depression in PD patients; however, one study showed an increase in sleep quality.
Additionally, the only improvement in patients who performed Qigong training was in sleep quality. A look at motor function showed improved balance and gait in patients with PD who performed Tai Chi, and in those who did Qigong training, an improvement in gait function and a decrease in the number of falls were seen.
Due to the variety of studies utilised in this review, several limitations exist. Due to the criteria required for this review, the number of studies included was low, resulting in a small sample size. Additionally, the stage of PD of the patients varied, and the duration of intervention of the practices differed across the studies. Despite these limitations, evidence remains that Tai Chi and Qigong can be used as complementary therapies for patients with Parkinson’s disease, particularly for gait, balance, and fall prevention – issues that affect a patient’s injury risk every day. These therapies will not be able to replace standard Parkinson’s treatment; however, for such a low-risk, low-cost practice, there is definitely no harm in trying.
Reference:
(Kamieniarz et al., 2021)Kamieniarz, A., Milert, A., Grzybowska-Ganszczyk, D., Opara, J. &
Juras, G. 2021. Tai Chi and Qi Gong therapies as a complementary treatment in Parkinson’s
disease – a systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 56:102589.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102589.
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