Benefits of Tai Chi for Stroke Victims

Stroke is a major trauma, a cerebrovascular crisis which in just a matter of moments can produce life-changing, chronic disabilities. The task of assisting victims to recover from the worst effects of this terrible crisis is a complicated one. One of the most frustrating – and potentially dangerous – consequences of a stroke is the havoc it can play with the sufferer’s sense of balance. This is not merely an annoying nuisance; it can result in potentially lethal injuries following a fall (stroke victims often suffer impaired mobility and coordination and have a reduced capacity to protect themselves in the event of a stumble) as well as a decreased ability to avoid a fall in the first place.

Some pioneering new research, however, has isolated a potentially highly effective treatment, which has been shown to help many stroke victims substantially improve their coordination and balance. As with many complementary therapies, this treatment cannot be obtained from a pharmacist, and it does not require a prescription from a physician. It is the 600 year old Chinese art of Tai Chi.

From Modern Medicine to Ancient China

Some years ago, during a period of study in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Hong Kong University, Dr. Christina Hui-Chan came upon the idea of studying the effects of Tai Chi on elderly patients. She was interested in exploring whether it could help sedentary but healthy older individuals strengthen their posture and improve their mobility and coordination by means of a gentle, slow exercise technique. She found that just four weeks of training helped healthy seniors significantly improve standing balance.

Intrigued by the finding, Hui-Chan and her colleague, Stephanie Au-Yeung, decided to see whether this practice could help stroke victims achieve similar results. They were not to be disappointed (and neither were the stroke victims). A test group of 136 patients took part in the new study. All had suffered a stroke six months or more before the research started, and they were randomly assigned to two groups. One group took part in weekly general exercise classes which included breathing, stretching and other exercises such as walking and sitting, while the other took part in Tai Chi classes. Both groups were encouraged to practice the exercises they had learned for one hour, three times per week.

The Tai Chi method selected was known as ‘short-form’ and consisted of the thorough learning and practice of twelve ensembles of movement, or ‘forms’, which required the coordination of the entire body and a high level of concentration (Tai Chi ‘borrows’ movements from several martial arts such as Kung Fu, but the pace is much slower and far more gentle, with movements executed to a high degree of precision and performed in gentle, gracefully sweeping sequences).

Encouraging Results

An assessor evaluated the functioning of the participants in various balance tests on a ‘blind’ basis (i.e., without being aware whether a subject from the control or Tai Chi group was being examined). These assessments took place at zero (‘baseline’), six and twelve weeks after the start of the program, concluding with a further assessment six weeks after the three-month program had stopped.

While there was no difference in the performance of individuals from either group in tests assessing standing up, walking, and sitting down, the Tai Chi participants all showed appreciably better performance on tests that were designed to evaluate balance while leaning in different directions, shifting weight and standing on moving platforms (simulating bus rides). All of these functions are vital to the restoration of more or less normal living, with the ability to shift weight being especially critical because of its role in reaching tasks.

These improvements, moreover, were evident at only six weeks. And that is not the end of the story. Tai Chi also improves cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength, and for relatively isolated seniors can provide a superb occasion for enjoyable social interaction, a powerful means of countering the depressive consequences of illness and loneliness. And it does not have to be hospital based – it can easily be taught at YMCAs and community centers, and even in parks, as it is in China.

Tai Chi and Stroke Rehabilitation: The Future

These findings have not been lost on the National Institutes of Health, a body especially interested in researching the effects of complementary therapies. The National Institutes’ Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is now sponsoring studies to discover more about Tai Chi’s effects in a range of medical conditions, including where it can be shown to be most effective.

The implications for stroke victims are encouraging. If your physician has not already recommended Tai Chi, it would be worthwhile enquiring about local programs on your own initiative. However, one must take additional precautions – the Tai Chi selected in the study had been carefully chosen, and was taught by masters in the art who were well aware of the disabilities of their students because of stroke. Enquiries should always include a question as to the suitability of the particular form of Tai Chi being explored for stroke patients, who may in addition require extra support to avoid falling, especially in the early phases of learning. Under no circumstances should anyone attempt to hide the fact that they have had a stroke from their teacher – rather, the teacher should be informed of the fact before the first class so that he or she is aware of the stroke victim’s special needs.

As is so often the case, recovering from serious neurological and physical setbacks involves effective physical rehabilitation and the evidence which is emerging from well-controlled and carefully executed studies is that ancient mind-body practices such as Tai Chi and yoga may be especially potent in assisting patients to regain functionality and well-being. Stroke prevention is clearly a public health priority, and campaigns to help individuals eat more healthily and adopt more protective, active lifestyles can assist in this project .But when a major trauma such as stroke occurs, the benign physical and psychological effects of Tai Chi can be a source of hope and comfort for many victims.

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