Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disease that most commonly occurs in the elderly and is the second most commonAlzheimer’s diseaseThe second most common degenerative neurological disease. According to the paper, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityMedicineA recently released study by Chen Shengdi’s team at Ruijin Hospital, affiliated with our hospital, shows that practicing Tai Chi can suppress the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease within several years.confusion,
Parkinson’s disease affects about 1%–2% of people age 65 and older. As the global population ages, the number of patients with Parkinson’s disease will increase significantly in the future. It is estimated that by 2030 the number of affected people will reach approximately 5 million in mainland China alone.
According to data from National Taiwan University Hospital, the average age of patients suffering from this disease is about 58 years. There are three classic manifestations of Parkinson’s disease: tremor (shaking of the hands), stiffness of the limbs, and slowness of movement.
As of now, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Previously published research has shown that tai chi can relieve Parkinson’s disease symptoms in the short term, but it is not clear whether the improvements will persist over the long term.
To find the answer, the research team from Ruijin Hospital monitored two groups of Parkinson’s disease patients for more than five years, from January 2016 to June 2021. One group of 147 patients (Tai Chi group) practiced Tai Chi for 1 hour twice a week, and were supplemented with classes to improve their Tai Chi skills. The second group of 187 patients (control group) continued standard treatment without practicing Tai Chi.
All participants were formally assessed for disease severity at the beginning of the observation period and subsequently monitored for disease progression, including increased need for medications, in November 2019, October 2020, and June 2021. participants’ level of agitation and other symptoms, such as autonomic nervous system function (including bowel, urinary and cardiovascular problems); mood, sleep quality and cognition; and concomitant diseases, such as dyskinesias (involuntary movements); dystonia; Decrease in response to medication over time; mild cognitive impairment; Hallucinations; And restless legs syndrome is also monitored. Participants in both groups were similar in disease severity, medication use, gender, age and education.
According to the report, the research team used three validated scales to assess participants’ overall symptoms, gait and balance. The results showed that disease progression was slower in the Tai Chi group at all monitoring time points. The number of patients in the control group who required increased medication was significantly higher than in the Tai Chi group. The control group was 83.5% in 2019 and 96% in 2020, and the Tai Chi group was 71% and 87.5%, respectively. Furthermore, cognitive function deteriorated more slowly in the Tai Chi group, and sleep and quality of life continued to improve.
The study results also showed that complication rates in the Tai Chi group were significantly lower than the control group – dyskinesia 1.4% vs 7.5%, dystonia 0% vs 1.6%, hallucinations 0% vs 2%, mild cognition impairment 3% vs 10%, restless legs syndrome 7% vs 15.5%.
Falls, dizziness and back pain were the three side effects reported by participants, but these were all significantly less in the tai chi group. Although 23 people suffered fractures, all occurred in daily life. The number of fractures was 6 in the Tai Chi group and 17 in the control group.
The research team concluded: This study shows that tai chi has long-term beneficial effects on Parkinson’s disease. Tai chi affects motor and non-motor symptoms, particularly gait, balance, autonomic symptoms, and cognitive performance, in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Potential improvement effect.
Parkinson’s disease gets progressively worse over time, causing disability and affecting quality of life. Long-term beneficial effects in Parkinson’s disease could extend disability-free time, thereby improving patients’ quality of life, reducing caregiver burden, and reducing medication use.
However, the report also noted that this was an observational study and could not determine the causal relationship between tai chi practice and improvement of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers said the number of participants in the study was relatively small and they were not randomly assigned to a tai chi group and a control group.
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