Here's some really exciting new evidence to support the use of tai-chi (a version of which I personally practice in my free time -- usually for 30-60 min at least once a week) in one of the world's most credible peer-reviewed publications (albeit for geriatrics)...I haven't had any trouble with falls as far as I know, but some particular women have gotten close to making me lose my composure recently [mellow], so maybe that's where tai-chi may come in handy; but what aid is a single anecdotal report from a subject outside the study population worth anyways?
Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion and the prevention and treatment of disease and disability in later life. The term itself can be distinguished from gerontology, which is the study of the aging process itself. The term comes from the Greek "geron" meaning "old man" and "iatros" meaning "healer", and was proposed in 1909 by Dr. Ignatz Leo Nascher. It is cognate with Jara in Sanskrit which also means old.
Scope
In the United States, geriatricians are primary care physicians who are board-certified in either family practice or internal medicine and have also acquired the additional training necessary to obtain the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in geriatric medicine.
In the United Kingdom, most geriatricians are hospital physicians, while some focus on community geriatrics. While originally a distinct clinical specialty, it has been integrated as a specialism of general medicine since the late 1970s.[1] Most geriatricians are therefore accredited for both. Specialized geriatrics services include orthogeriatrics (close cooperation with orthopedic surgery and a focus on osteoporosis and rehabilitation), psychogeriatrics (focus on dementia, depression and other conditions common in the elderly), and rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation may also take in intermediate care, where patients are referred by a hospital or family doctor, when there is a requirement to provide hospital based short term intensive physical therapy aimed at the recovery of musculoskeletal function, particularly recovery from joint, tendon, or ligament repair and, or, physical medicine and rehabilitation care when elderly patients get out of synch with their medication resulting in a deterioration of their personal health which reduces their ability to live independently.
However, first -- let me please provide some introductory information regarding the primary source of evidence: The American Geriatrics Society; here's some data from Wikipedia that appears to be accurate as of July 31, 2007:
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS): a professional society founded on June 11, 1942 for doctors practicing geriatric medicine. Among the founding physicians were Dr. Ignatz Leo Nascher, who coined the term "geriatrics," Dr. Malford W. Thewlis, who was named the first executive secretary of the Society, and Dr. Lucien Stark who was appointed the first AGS president.
The Society’s peer-reviewed journal, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is one of the top journals on aging. Its other journals include the Annals of Long-term Care and Clinical Geriatrics. The Society also publishes the Geriatrics Review Syllabus (now in its 6th edition). The Society has published clinical practice guidelines on persistent pain, diabetes mellitus, and falls. Its pocket tool, Geriatrics at Your Fingertips, is one of the most widely used geriatric clinical tools with average annual sales of over 15,000 copies.
Eligible members included any physician with an interest in geriatrics who had graduated from a recognized medical school and was a member in good standing of a state medical society. In 1997, membership was opened to other professional members of the geriatrics interdisciplinary team.
The AGS annual scientific meeting has occurred every year since 1946.
Okay, here is the abstract:
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Volume 55 Issue 8 Page 1185-1191, August 2007
To cite this article: Alexander Voukelatos MA (Psychol), Robert G. Cumming PhD, Stephen R. Lord DSc, Chris Rissel PhD (2007)
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of tai chi for the Prevention of Falls: The Central Sydney tai chi Trial
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 55 (8), 1185–1191.
doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01244.x
Abstract
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of tai chi for the Prevention of Falls: The Central Sydney tai chi Trial
Alexander Voukelatos, MA (Psychol)**Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, Australia; , Robert G. Cumming, PhDSchool of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, Sydney, Australia; , Stephen R. Lord, DSc§§Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia., and Chris Rissel, PhD**Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, Australia; School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; From the *Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, Australia; School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital, Sydney, Australia; §Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Presented at the 13th Meeting of the Australasian Epidemiological Association, Adelaide, Australia, 2004.
Address correspondence to Robert G Cumming, Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, Concord Hospital (Building 18), Concord NSW 2139, Australia. E-mail: bobc@health.usyd.edu.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of a 16-week community-based tai chi program in reducing falls and improving balance in people aged 60 and older.
DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial with waiting list control group.
SETTING: Community in Sydney, Australia.
PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred two relatively healthy community-dwelling people aged 60 and older (mean age 69).
INTERVENTION: Sixteen-week program of community-based tai chi classes of 1 hour duration per week.
MEASUREMENTS: Falls during 16 and 24 weeks of follow-up were assessed using a calendar method. Balance was measured at baseline and 16-week follow-up using six balance tests.
RESULTS: Falls were less frequent in the tai chi group than in the control group. Using Cox regression and time to first fall, the hazard ratio after 16 weeks was 0.72 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.51–1.01, P=.06), and after 24 weeks it was 0.67 (95% CI=0.49–0.93, P=.02). There was no difference in the percentage of participants who had one or more falls. There were statistically significant differences in changes in balance favoring the tai chi group on five of six balance tests.
CONCLUSION: Participation in once per week tai chi classes for 16 weeks can prevent falls in relatively healthy community-dwelling older people.
A related story of interest may be: Tai chi chih may guard against shingles.
Thoughts or comments? Does anyone else here practice tai-chi?
Take care.
