Using Tai Chi to Improve Therapy Outcomes

Tai Chi is an ancient form of exercise that integrates mind and breath with slow and complex movements of the entire body. It has been used for hundreds of years to maintain agility and wellness. In recent years, however, the scientific eye has turned to Tai Chi to understand how it helps participants improve balance, co-ordination and quality of life. Research demonstrates that regular practice of Tai Chi can result in decreased falls, improved single leg stance, co-ordination, proprioception and leg strength. It is also associated with increased confidence in balance. Growing numbers of therapists are integrating this ancient art into their practice because these are issues we deal with every day.

There are many reasons these activities work so well to enhance our therapeutic programs:

• The whole body movement patterns and rotational elements help to improve co-ordination.

• By combining torso rotation with standing movements, Tai Chi utilizes good specificity of training. This reinforces balance through a variety of functional positions.

• During Tai Chi, the upper extremities are quite literally a ‘lever arm’ that requires support from the core to effectively move through space. To remain upright and successful with the activity, the patient must continually change their balance and support strategy through the torso and lower extremities as the position of the arms change.

• These gentle movements also help restore suppleness to the spine. Subtle spine movements are required to keep our upper body and lower body in good alignment during functional activities like gait. Without these reactions, balance can be impaired.

• Finally, thoughtful performance of these skills can enhance motor learning and functional performance.

-- In treatment settings from ICU to sports rehab, therapists can use Tai Chi to help their clients achieve goals more quickly. These techniques are particularly useful for patients with neurological deficits, but have proven quite useful for treating general frailty, arthritic pain and joint replacements as well.

-- A skilled clinician can harness the power of these movements to challenge their patients in sitting or standing. With a wide variety of movements to choose from, we can select activities to target spinal mobility, core stability, upper extremity co-ordination, leg strength and more. Once the movement is mastered, the difficulty can be increased either by modifying the position or environment that the activity is being performed in. We can integrate some of the tools we use every day like exercise balls and other unstable surfaces to add a new twist to an old art form. Changing to a more advanced movement or sequencing activities can also increase difficulty.

-- Clinical practitioners and patients alike have been delighted to see significant gains by adding a few of these movements to their rehab plan. Check out TherapeuticTaiChi.com for a listing of seminars and products to make Therapeutic Tai Chi a reality in your practice.