New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Use this forum for general Martial Arts related discussion. Please stick strictly to Martial Arts and use the "General Chat" topic for other themes.

Moderators: nyang, Dvivid, Inga

New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby Josh Young » Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:57 pm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/0 ... ce=message
In the latest research, 195 people with movement and balance problems caused by Parkinson’s disease were recruited from four Oregon cities. The patients were divided into three exercise classes that met for an hour a day, twice a week. One group took part in an extensive stretching class, another was taught resistance training, and the third group performed tai chi.

After six months, patients in the tai chi group performed better on a number of measures related to strength, movement control, balance, stride length and reach. Resistance training also offered some benefits, and both the tai chi and resistance training groups had fewer falls than the stretching group...

Why tai chi helps people with Parkinson’s isn’t entirely clear. Even for a healthy person it can be hard to maintain balance and stability while performing the continuous, rhythmical, weight-shifting movements of tai chi. It may be that practicing tai chi trains the parts of the brain that control balance and movement to adapt more quickly in response to the motor control challenges of Parkinson’s.

The study was published in a major medical publication.
Clearly it won't cure the condition, but it will help treat it!
Josh Young
Forum DemiGod
 
Posts: 720
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:03 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby pete5770 » Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:43 pm

Josh Young wrote:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/tai-chi-benefits-patients-with-parkinsons/?ref=health&fb_source=message
In the latest research, 195 people with movement and balance problems caused by Parkinson’s disease were recruited from four Oregon cities. The patients were divided into three exercise classes that met for an hour a day, twice a week. One group took part in an extensive stretching class, another was taught resistance training, and the third group performed tai chi.

After six months, patients in the tai chi group performed better on a number of measures related to strength, movement control, balance, stride length and reach. Resistance training also offered some benefits, and both the tai chi and resistance training groups had fewer falls than the stretching group...

Why tai chi helps people with Parkinson’s isn’t entirely clear. Even for a healthy person it can be hard to maintain balance and stability while performing the continuous, rhythmical, weight-shifting movements of tai chi. It may be that practicing tai chi trains the parts of the brain that control balance and movement to adapt more quickly in response to the motor control challenges of Parkinson’s.

The study was published in a major medical publication.
Clearly it won't cure the condition, but it will help treat it!


It is my understanding that this was NOT a blinded study and that in itself makes it suspect.
Also the lead scientist in this is a Tai Chi advocate and therefore has a vested interest in the study coming out the way it did.
pete5770
Forum ÜberGuru
 
Posts: 560
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 3:16 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby Josh Young » Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:55 pm

I already know you have no faith in Taijiquan whatsoever, you have shown that over and over.
You have also said essentially that evidence means nothing to you.

If you have a problem with the study take it up with the institutional review board at the Oregon Research Institute that reviewed the methods of the study and approved them, or the New England Journal of Medicine that it was published in.

Go tell them how you don't believe in Taijiquan.
I already know it.
Josh Young
Forum DemiGod
 
Posts: 720
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:03 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby pete5770 » Thu Feb 09, 2012 3:34 pm

Josh Young wrote:I already know you have no faith in Taijiquan whatsoever, you have shown that over and over.
You have also said essentially that evidence means nothing to you.

If you have a problem with the study take it up with the institutional review board at the Oregon Research Institute that reviewed the methods of the study and approved them, or the New England Journal of Medicine that it was published in.

Go tell them how you don't believe in Taijiquan.
I already know it.


Just making comments. Seems like you wouldn't ask the CEO of GM to run a study on whether Chevy's or Fords were better cars. Does the study not being blinded not bother you?
pete5770
Forum ÜberGuru
 
Posts: 560
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 3:16 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby Josh Young » Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:40 pm

The lack of blinding on this study does not bother me at all.

If a CEO of a company sponsored a study comparing their product to something else, but that study was approved of by an independent review board and published by a neutral journal it would not bother me.

It isn't like the guy who put together the study is the CEO of taijiquan. He did not manufacture TJQ and the methods of testing seemed quite reasonable.

I'd like to see follow up studies with larger groups, blinded studies would be nice, but if the protocol and review is done well then a lack of blinding does not invalidate the study.
Josh Young
Forum DemiGod
 
Posts: 720
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:03 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby pete5770 » Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:25 pm

Josh Young wrote:
I'd like to see follow up studies with larger groups, blinded studies would be nice, but if the protocol and review is done well then a lack of blinding does not invalidate the study.


Why would you want "follow up studies" or "blinded studies"? You're already convinced that this is the truth. Anything more more would be simply lose / lose for Tai Chi. i.e. what happens if further tests find flaws in all this? Where does the truth lie then? In the tests that praise Tai Chi?
And the other tests that say differently are "just wrong"? Is Tai Chi that infallible? No questions can be asked? For all I know this testing may be right on the money or two weeks from now it could be completely debunked or a month after that new evidence is found...... and so on and so on. Any new testing is likely to only produce doubts, as this current test seems hard to improve on. Best for Tai Chi NOT to ask for more testing.
pete5770
Forum ÜberGuru
 
Posts: 560
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 3:16 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby Josh Young » Fri Feb 10, 2012 7:28 pm

pete5770 wrote: Why would you want "follow up studies" or "blinded studies"?

I am very scientific and rational and think experiments and studies need to be replicated, even when they are good.

Anything more more would be simply lose / lose for Tai Chi. i.e. what happens if further tests find flaws in all this?

I don't agree. I think it would be fine if another study contradicted the first.
And the other tests that say differently are "just wrong"?

You know of a study that says that taiji doesn't help parkisonism?
Please share it!
Is Tai Chi that infallible? No questions can be asked?

Of course not silly!
All questions can and should be asked. I actually enjoy asking them.
It is even part of a healthy skepticism to be skeptical of skepticism.

Best for Tai Chi NOT to ask for more testing.

I disagree. It is good to follow up and continue to test things.
For example the paper mentioned that it is not understood why taiji helps parkinsonism, so why not test further and identify some factor or cause that gives a better understanding? Maybe something like taiji could be made up for the test and taiji compared to it, like say a slow dance of some type. What if that gave the exact same results for balance? That would be insightful and give us a better understand of what taiji can and can't offer.

Assuming that different styles can be tested, perhaps some forms of taiji are better than others?

It is great to question. I actually enjoy it, but questioning the validity of something is not the same to me as doubting the validity of it.
Josh Young
Forum DemiGod
 
Posts: 720
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:03 pm

Re: New Study on Taiji shows it benefits Parkinsons!

Postby pete5770 » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:12 am

What happened to that rambling whatever it was that was here a few days ago?????
What was that about????
pete5770
Forum ÜberGuru
 
Posts: 560
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 3:16 pm


Return to General Martial Arts discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests

cron