Tai Chi shown to benefit patients with Parkinson’s

From DynaMed:

“Patients (mean age 69 years) with mild to moderate Parkinson disease were randomized to tai chi vs. resistance training vs. stretching for 60-minute sessions twice weekly for 24 weeks.”

“At the end of treatment, the rate of falls was significantly lower in the tai chi group (62 total falls corresponding to a rate of 0.22 falls per patient-month) than in either the resistance training group (133 falls, 0.51 falls per patient month, p = 0.05 vs. tai chi), or the stretching group (186 falls, 0.62 falls per patient-month, p = 0.005 vs. tai chi) (level 1 [likely reliable] evidence). Tai chi was also associated with significantly greater improvement in balance compared to both groups and significantly greater improvement in gait, strength, and motor scores compared to stretching.”

You can read the full article at DynaMed by clicking here.

The full-text peer-reviewed article is freely available from the NEJM by clicking here, and signing in to your NHS Athens account.

You can read more informal coverage here and here.

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