Tai Chi Chuan and orthopaedic pathologies
In the article “The Use of Tai Chi as a Movement Modality in Orthopaedics” (September 2000 edition of Complementary Medicine) we read:The use of Taijiquan in orthopedic and musculoskeletal diseases is a therapeutic alternative that can greatly enhance the practice of orthopedic physiotherapy. It is a form of exercise that recognizes the mind/body connection. The movements are graceful and controlled, covering the entire arc of movement of each joint. There is no impact on the joints themselves. The slow and rhythmic cadence is coordinated with the breath. The movements mobilize all postural responses and challenge the proprioceptive senses. The maneuvers of the ankles and hips to maintain balance are continuously facilitated. The practice of Taijiquan has a positive effect on flexibility, muscle strength, muscle tension and posture. In theory it also has the potential to increase bone mass. In general, the beneficial effects of Taijiquan for musculoskeletal health appear remarkable. Among the recommendations published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society by the British and US Geriatrics Societies, Taijiquan is indicated as the non plus ultra of exercises because the movements are extremely slow and measured and focused precisely on balance, specifying that with a correct series of exercises falls in the elderly can be reduced by 55 percent. Arthrite – A study at Tufts University, presented in October 2008 at a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, showed that one hour of Taijiquan twice a week for 12 weeks reduced pain and improved mood and physical function more than standard stretching exercises in patients with severe osteoarthritis in the knee. According to a study published in December 2008 in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, an eight-week course of Taijiquan followed by eight weeks of home training significantly improved flexibility and slowed the progression of the disease in patients with ankylosing spondylosis. Bone density – an analysis of six studies conducted by Dr. Wayne and other Harvard researchers indicates that Taijiquan may be a safe and effective way to maintain bone density in postmenopausal women. Taijiquan training consists of slow, fluid, and interconnected movements, in search of a harmony that involves the whole body in every single movement. In addition, the emphasis in Taijiquan on correct posture teaches the body how to properly absorb and discharge both the pressure due to the weight of the body itself, and the pressure due to external sources. Taken from: officina della salute.
Oriental martial arts and psychology for female well-being and self-esteem
More and more frequently we hear about the “multitasking” woman, that is the woman capable of taking care of family, work, self-care, social role at the same time. This is what society expects from the “modern” woman and what women have learned to expect from themselves. Often, however, those who commit themselves to this goal remain, sooner or later, disappointed by their performance and end up taking a negative point of view towards themselves. There are women who have difficulty having children and undertake long and demanding health care paths that put them to the test, women who forget their needs in favor of the family, women deeply disappointed by the job position they hold, women who give themselves day after day in the care of a sick person … In these and many other cases, women are committed to becoming “well-rounded” people, capable of taking care of everything and everyone, simply neglecting themselves. Thus, they develop physical ailments closely related to the psychological condition they experience: they present anxiety attacks, eating disorders, insomnia, problems related to the sexual sphere, even depression. In most cases, due to the need to always be efficient, they look for a quick solution to such symptoms and resort to medication; They often abuse it. Few are the women who turn to a psychologist, precisely because they do not realize how much the discomforts are linked to expectations towards themselves. In addition, the specialist constitutes an expense that would weigh on the family ménage, a “luxury” that cannot be afforded without further worries. THE ORIENTAL EXPERIENCE AND THE BODY-MIND UNION: TAI CHI The Chinese term Taijiquan (simplified Tai Chi) refers to a method, a specialized art for the cultivation of health, martial practice and spiritual growth. It is a traditional practice, where traditional means its ancient origin of at least three thousand years, since the Taoist ascetics, inspired by nature and in particular by animals, devised a system of exercises to preserve health, longevity and well-being. Tai Chi, with its simple and slow movements, does not require any physical preparation and can be practiced by everyone: the exercises are gentle and can be done according to one’s abilities. The therapeutic effects of the practice are different: the lungs are toned, and the breathing rate is reduced with a healthy saving of energy. It improves blood circulation, increases lymphocytes and antibodies that defend the body. The heart “rests”, the heartbeat slows down and blood pressure regulates. It increases salivation and accelerates peristalsis (movements and secretions of the stomach) with great benefits for digestion. It stimulates thermoregulation, growth hormones and those that regulate sexual development. It is a recommended practice in case of various pathologies of the genital and urinary tract.There are many scientific studies that, especially in recent years, highlight the beneficial effects of Tai Chie show how a regular practice can fully fall into treatment paths: rehabilitation in various cardio-vascular diseases, slowing down cognitive and neuro-motor decay, pressure control in patients with arterial hypertension, prevention of relapses in cancer patients, These are just some of the health fields in which the effectiveness of this practice that identifies body and mind as a single entity has been proven all over the world. Calming the “heart” and clearing the “mind” increases calm and “centering”. You establish a positive relationship with your body and you feel active and vital. Tai Chi is also a martial art that strengthens character and will. It teaches to keep calm and cool in the face of danger (diseases or emergency situations). The effects on the psyche have also been explained scientifically: some studies demonstrate the effect of the practice on the scores of the main tests used in psychodiagnostics (MMPI, SCL-90-R, EPI, with a decrease in scores in the scales of depression, hysteria, paranoia, schizophrenia and a reduction in neurotic aspects) highlighting how the practice of Tai Chi can have a mental stabilization function, as well as a preventive value in the development of various disorders related to anxiety and depression. Taken from: www.prospettivapsicologia.it
Tai Chi Chuan
It fights hypertension, improves respiratory capacity, reduces stress and insomnia and keeps joints mobile. Moreover, it costs almost nothing. A new magic pill…? No, it’s Tai Chi Chuan. TAI CHI CHUAN is the ancient martial art that is achieving so much success in the West, precisely because of its therapeutic virtues now confirmed by dozens of scientific studies. Virtues that will be celebrated on the occasion of World Tai Chi Day. The initiative, which has the patronage of the UN, includes seminars and demonstration activities in over sixty countries. But what is the reason for the effectiveness of Tai Chi? “It is not only a valid method of relaxation”, replies F. Bottaccioli (President of the Italian Society of Psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology and expert in Chinese Medicine). “Tai Chi is also a physical activity that benefits the cardio-respiratory and musculoskeletal systems. It is said that if it were patentable it would be a widespread drug like aspirin”. Yet in Italy this ancient and relatively little known discipline is little practiced. And even in the East its revival is quite recent: it was in fact Mao Zedong (Mao Tse Tung) who imposed it on millions of compatriots as an effective and cheap anti-aging therapy. In summary, the practice of Tai Chi translates into the execution of the so-called “forms”, sequences of movements with suggestive names … “Those who see Tai Chi practice for the first time have the impression of attending a dance. In reality, Tai Chi is what is called an Internal Martial Art and as such is part of the world of martial arts”, explains Tai Chi teacher L. Autru, and adds: “Unlike Western gymnastics, which involve a certain expenditure of energy and therefore are not suitable for everyone, Tai Chi, generally it is based on gentle, conscious movements, combined with breathing, which favor the circulation of Internal Energy and help to remove the blockages that turn first into functional damage and then into organic disease”. S. Bacetti (the head of the Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Fior di Prugna of the ASL of Florence) explains: “According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, in fact, health depends on a good circulation of energy, which can be blocked by various factors, such as dietary errors, or by what the Chinese call external perverse energies: climatic variations or infections, but also negative feelings, namely emotions such as anger and sadness”. So far the supporters of this ancient martial art. But what does Western medicine think? Although with very different terminology, it seems to agree on its effectiveness. “The practice of Tai Chi involves deep, natural breathing, which deeply oxygenates the body, decreasing the activation of stress and stimulating immune responses”, explains Bottaccioli. A recent study carried out by M.R. Irwin, of the University of California, Los Angeles, on a group of over sixty, and published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, shows that a few months of Tai Chi practice are enough to significantly increase the immune response and that it is precisely the most fragile people who benefit the most. “Another research, performed on stroke patients” continues Bottaccioli “shows instead that Tai Chi can be more effective than normal physiotherapy in facilitating reintegration”. Also a review of the Cochrane Collaboration, the international non-profit organization that is perhaps the most rigorous voice in defense of evidence-based medicine, admits that the practice of Tai Chi can help those suffering from arthritis because, without defeating the disease, it can improve the mobility of the legs and hip. “The merit of the Eastern tradition is to have unified movement and meditation, combining the benefits of these two techniques,” says Bacetti. In short, in addition to the body, Tai Chi is good for the spirit and it is not said that the two things are not related. “Not only does it give health benefits, but it serves to gain a certain inner serenity, to know one’s body and self better and to channel one’s aggression in a positive way, fighting anxiety and psychosomatic disorders”. Oncologists at the University of Rochester compared Tai Chi with the psychological support usually offered to women operated for breast cancer, to conclude that this practice guarantees an improvement in quality of life and a much higher self-esteem”, continues Bottaccioli, “while controlled studies on the elderly, published in the Journal of the American Geriatic Society, show how Tai Chi can help fight insomnia and improve balance. reducing falls”. So in the Netherlands a large study has just been launched to evaluate the effectiveness of this discipline in the prevention of fractures in the over-seventies. Without forgetting the advantages on the cardio-circulatory system: researchers at Harvard Medical School examined a group of patients suffering from chronic heart failure, who followed a biweekly Tai Chi course for three months “obtaining improvements such as to suggest that Tai Chi should be added to the standard therapies provided for this disorder”, underlines Bottaccioli. Except in special cases, Tai Chi has no contraindications and can be practiced at all ages. “Even if to start it at a very advanced age requires a certain commitment” warns L. Autru, “while those who already practice it can use it to age well: on the other hand, the ultimate goal of Tai Chi is precisely to extend life”. Taken from: www. Sport and medicine
Qi Gong: medical gymnastics in China
Lucio Sotte, doctor and expert in traditional Chinese medicine, introduces the definition of Qi gong, a type of gymnastics used by traditional Chinese medicine to harmonize and strengthen Qi, a concept that means both “energy” and “matter”. The voiceovers then recite some passages of traditional Chinese medicine texts.In the interview, Dr. Hu Li Huan, Western doctor and traditional Chinese doctor together, emphasizes how the propensity to relaxation and the ability of the practitioner to produce mental emptiness are fundamental in the execution of Qi Gong; Her words are illustrated by images of exercises performed by the interviewee herself, a teacher of medical gymnastics. His words alternate with those of Lucio Sotte who emphasizes the use of breath in Qi gong and explains how this element allows the Western doctor to understand the functioning and effectiveness of this gymnastics. The sinologist Giulia Boschi, in the interview, connects the technique of Qi gong to the ancient Taoist tradition.
Tai Chi Chuan and medical gymnastics in China
Chinese medical gymnastics: this is how Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung are also called. Movements linked to ancient principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which in this film are explained according to the Eastern vision and confirmed by Western scientific evidence. Interesting is the intervention of the sinologist Giulia Boschi, who defines the vision of health in the West as a matter of averages, therefore of mediocre life potential… “Running water never becomes putrid.Door hinges do not rustnever” (Hua Tuo – II century BC)”
Rai Documentary – The Ancient Heart of China
The ancient heart of China – by Paolo Longo. Early morning in any Chinese city; small crowds of people, who to the rhythm of an inner music repeat a series of Tai Chi exercises, to find the balance between body and mind or to learn more about life itself. “Who” is the lifeblood that runs through the human body and nature, controlling and increasing Chi is the very essence of all martial arts in China… http://www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-cb9e7f4d-e832-4327-a88f-8cf169c943aa-tg3.html
Tai Chi also effective for heart failure
It has no effect on functional parameters, but improves the quality of life and helps to increase daily physical activity. “Historically, patients with decompensation have been considered unfit for physical activity.” 26 APR – Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese martial art now converted into a gymnastics technique, is effective for improving the quality of life and mood in patients with heart failure. This is supported by a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the journals of the American Medical Association.” Historically, patients with chronic deficits in contractile function of the ventricle have been considered unfit for physical activity and, since the late 80s, the prohibition of physical activity has become a standard recommendation for these patients,” the authors explained. “Preliminary evidence, however, had shown that ‘meditative exercises’ could exert benefits on these patients. Until now, however, the hypothesis had not been rigorously tested in a large clinical sample.”And this is what researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston did, evaluating the effectiveness of using the technique for 12 weeks in 50 patients compared with a control group. At the end of the study, there was no difference between the treatment and control groups in functional tests. However, patients who had undergone Thai Chi sessions had a better quality of life and greater belief that they were able to perform physical activity. “In conclusion, Tai Chi exercises, a multi-composed body-mind technique, is safe and has good adherence rates. It also contributes to increased daily physical activity, quality of life, self-efficacy and mood in frail patients with heart failure,” concluded the authors who stressed the need for broader evaluation of these interventions. A more traditional measurement of the ability to perform physical activity could underestimate the benefits of integrated interventions such as Tai Chi,” they concluded. Source: QuotidianoSanità.ithttp://www.quotidianosanita.it/scienza-e-farmaci/articolo.php?articolo_id=3793
Tai Chi against Parkinson’s
An ancient Chinese martial art to help Parkinson’s patients. The daily practice of tai-chi, a discipline that involves slow and fluid movements, associated with controlled breathing, allows people with the disease to increase and improve balance, thus reducing dangerous falls. “Of course, a lot of research is still needed to cure this disorder, but compared to 15 years ago, patients are able to be more independent in everyday life,” said Dr. Wolfgang Oertel, president of the German Society of Neurology, on World Parkinson’s Day on April 11. In Germany, more than 250,000 people are affected by the disease; On average, it is diagnosed around 60 years of age, but there is a good 10% of cases in which the disease occurs already between 20 and 40 years. The number of German patients is increasing, given the ageing of the population; And alongside pharmacological therapies, daily physiotherapy is essential for them to maintain everyday skills.
Health and Scientific Research – Dealing with pain, tai chi can help
Research on the beneficial effects of the discipline is multiplying: on elderly people with heart failure and children with cancer. It is an ancient Chinese martial art whose purpose is to achieve full integration between spirit and body. It is used and studied as a therapy. The benefits:1) on posture 2) on the nervous system and circulation 3) against stress 4) on joint mobility 5) on breathing 6) on digestion and absorption. It makes the body more agile and harmonious, improves posture, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and circulation. And for these reasons alone it would be worth practicing Tai Chi Chuan. But there is much more because the therapeutic value of this ancient martial art goes further, even managing to improve the lives of patients with heart failure. This is demonstrated by a research, published in the Archives oflnternalMedicine, conducted at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medicai Center in Boston on 100 patients with heart failure.”This study is very important because it presents statistically valid results in elderly patients who, due to heart failure, have great difficulty performing even light physical exercises,” comments Francesco Bottaccioli, director of the International School of Advanced and Integrated Medicine and Health Sciences. “The group that followed Tai Chi showed improvement in all parameters, but achieved broad statistical significance in the quality of life test that collects data on both physical and psychological health. While the control group maintained the same (not positive) quality of life score, the Tai Chi group improved it threefold. The “moving meditation” that characterizes Tai Chi is also the basis of the Kids Kicking Cancer project conceived by Rabbi Goldberg to help cancer children manage pain and accept their disease as best as possible.”The concept from which we start,” explains the rabbi, who from Michigan (USA) is trying to start the project also in Italy (at the Bambino Gesù in Rome, with the help of Pfizer), “is to bring energy to create peace and relaxation thanks to movement and above all to deep breathing that creates the best conditions to successfully face pain, fear and anxiety.” With more than tangible results as shown by a report drawn up by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta to evaluate pain management. The impact was assessed on 244 children who complained of a level of pain classified on a scale from 1 to 10. Of these, 88.1% described an improvement in their symptoms after taking martial arts classes. From children to the Third Age: the British Journal of Sports Medicine has published a study that reanalyzing 35 researches shows how Tai Chi can reduce the risk of falls and fractures. A therapeutic function also confirmed by the guidelines of the American and British geriatric societies. «Tai Chi is suitable both for young people as a medical prevention and meditative practice and for the elderly to protect their health», concludes Luca Barattini who has been teaching therapeutic Tai Chi for 10 years. Recent studies have analyzed various pathologies. Diabetes Cardual insufficiency Arthritis (rheumatic arthritis, fibromyalgia) Obesity, Depression…Learning Taì Chi Chuan refers to mind and body, with attention to vital energy and meditation. Like many oriental practices, it must be learned from a master. Both children and seniors benefit from Tai-Chi practice. In Italy there are several schools and group lessons take place in gyms but also outdoors and last about an hour, ninety minutes [.]
Tai Chi friendly to diabetics
The ancient oriental discipline of Tai Chi, which combines breathing exercises and relaxation exercises based on slow movements, can help diabetics, because it keeps blood glucose levels low: a new study confirms the effectiveness of the discipline in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, as already anticipated by Fritha. A study by the University of Florida, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, examined the cases of a group of diabetics, trained with 2 sessions of Tai Chi per week. After a period of 6 months, the group that had done regular Tai Chi exercises had lower blood glucose values than diabetics who had not exercised, and enjoyed a better overall state of health. However, Tai Chi is a discipline also suitable for those who do not suffer from diabetes, because a gentle gymnastics, with low muscular impact, which firms the muscles and teaches you to relax and breathe, without subjecting the body to excessive physical stress. Posted on October 6, 2009 by Missunderstanding
