A Critical Review of the Effectiveness of Tai Chi for Parkinson’s
March 14, 2009 by David Bendall · Leave a Comment
A literature search of studies of tai chi for Parkinson’s found a total of seven studies that met the researchers inclusion criteria through the end of January 2008. One randomized clinical trial (RCT) found tai chi to be superior to conventional exercise in terms of the UPDRS (the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale) and prevention of falls. Another RCT study failed to find a difference between tai chi and qigong on locomoter ability. A third study failed to show effects of tai chi on the UPDRS or a PD questionnaire compared to a wait list control. The remaining for studies were either non-randomized or non-controlled. The researchers noted that most investigations suffer from methodological flaws such as inadequate study design, poor reporting of results, small sample size and publication without the appropriate peer review process. The researchers conclude that further research is required demonstrate whether there are specific benefits of tai chi for people with Parkinson’s disease such as reducing the frequency of falls and improving balance.
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