Tai chi is a type of physical exercise based on martial arts that has its origins in China and to which therapeutic properties are attributed. Some studies have found evidence of its health benefits and, specifically, to improve balance and stability in older adults, or even to relieve pain in patients with fibromyalgia and help them sleep better, as pointed out by the National Institutes. of Health of the United States (NIH).
A new study carried out by researchers in Shanghai (China) suggests that the continued practice of Tai Chi can slow the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms and also delay the need to increase the doses of medication to treat this neurodegenerative disease, which is due to to the deterioration of a type of brain cells responsible for producing dopamine and which can cause movement disorders or emotional or psychiatric disorders, among others.
The participants were divided into two groups, one of which, made up of 143 people, underwent training in this martial art, while another 187 people acted as a control group and did not practice it. All of them were evaluated at the beginning of the study and in November 2019, October 2020 and June 2021. The results have been published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
“It is notable that patients who exercised with tai chi demonstrated slower progression of Parkinson’s, especially in aspects such as global symptoms, movement and balance”
The researchers found that tai chi training reduced changes in deterioration on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale that occurred over a year and delayed the need for increased anti-Parkinsonian therapies. In fact, the annual increase in the equivalent daily dose of levodopa was significantly lower in the group of patients who practiced tai chi, who also experienced improvements in motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms, and associated complications.
Less cognitive impairment in patients who practiced tai chi
Another important finding was that cognitive function deteriorated more slowly in the tai chi group, as did other non-movement-related symptoms, and that sleep and quality of life also improved in these people. In addition, they also had fewer complications compared to patients who did not do tai chi: 1.4% presented dyskinesia compared to 7.5% in the other group; none suffered dystonia, compared to 1.6%, or hallucinations, compared to just over 2%. Only 3% developed mild cognitive impairment, compared to 10%, and 7% developed restless legs syndrome, compared to 15.5%.
As this is an observational study, a cause and effect relationship could not be established. Furthermore, the group of patients was not very large, but the authors have stated in their article that “tai chi training has a long-term beneficial effect on Parkinson’s disease, with an improvement in motor and non-motor symptoms and a reduction of complications.”
José Luis Lanciego, Senior Researcher of the Gene Therapy Program in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, who has not participated in the study, has pointed out that, “although in Parkinson’s disease the symptom The most striking is the tremor, in reality the most debilitating aspect is the rigidity,” as indicated by the majority of patients when their quality of life is evaluated. For this reason, adds the expert in statements to SMC Spain, “patients usually experience notable symptomatic relief with physiotherapy interventions and, in fact, these types of programs are usually available in patient associations that are part of the Spanish Federation. of Parkinson’s.”
According to Lanciego: “This scientific contribution demonstrates that sustained tai chi training achieves a notable symptomatic improvement, sustained over time and it is notable that patients who exercised with tai chi demonstrated a slower progression of the disease, especially in aspects such as symptomatology. global, movement and swing.
“In addition, another aspect derived from a slower progression of the disease is a less need to increase antiparkinsonian medication over time and less cognitive deterioration. Finally, a significant improvement was also observed in non-motor symptoms such as quality of sleep and quality of life, all together with a lower incidence of collateral complications (derived from both the progression of the disease and the medication to be received).” , he concludes.
