I hadn't seen Dr. Rowe for a while because our schedules just haven't meshed but he got to class this week and we had a chance to talk. He is a volunteer with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and his position somewhat mirrors mine with the Civil Air Patrol. We both give briefings for our respective groups from time to time and we were discussing Search and Rescue subjects on Wednesday after class. In the course of the discussion we were talking about the common types of people we run across in our activities and the in-your-face know-it-all type came up. (You're going to love this.)
Marc said he was starting a briefing on drowning, something pretty important to the USCG and boating community. As he starts one of these guys raises his hand and says that there was a paper done by the University of Miami on the subject and that is stated blah, blah, blah, and that it was the definitive work on the subject. Marc thanked him for that. The kicker is that MARC WROTE THAT PAPER. Marc didn't tell him that, he's got too much class for that, but I thought it was temendously funny.
Anyway, here's an article on tai chi and falls in older people that Marc sent along.
Tai chi training may help reduce falls in the elderly
Emory University
March 29, 2004
Emory University researchers have found that intense training in tai chi,
the ancient Chinese martial arts form, may help reduce the risks of falls in
elderly, frail adults. But the benefit of the exercise is somewhat less
pronounced than in more active, "robust" seniors, according to lead
researcher Steven Wolf, PhD, FAPTA, a professor in the department of
rehabilitation medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
The advantages of the tai chi training in a study population defined as
"transitioning to frailty" became most apparent by the fourth month of the
study, when risks of falling were reduced by 40%, as participants became
less dependent on walkers and wheelchairs and learned the movements of tai
chi. The $1.2 million study was funded by the National Institute of Aging, a
branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and results were published
recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Association.
Researchers enrolled more than 300 participants from 70-97 years of age in
the 48-week study. All participants lived in assisted-living facilities in
the Atlanta area. Participants were randomized by the facilities in which
they lived to learn either tai chi or to take wellness education classes.
All participants had to be "transitioning to frailty" and all had to have
fallen one or more times in the year before they were enrolled in the study.
"In a previous study known as the FICSIT (Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative
Studies of Intervention Techniques) study, we looked at the effects of tai
chi, balance training and wellness education in elderly people," said Wolf.
"This study enrolled older individuals in the community who were otherwise
healthy and strong, often identified as 'robust'. The results showed that
tai chi had the most profound effect in fall prevention, reducing the risks
of multiple falls by 47.5%, when compared to balance training and wellness
education."
This research study and its findings, published in 1996, were selected as
the best paper in the 1990s by the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Association out of about 1400 other entries.
"With information from the FICSIT study, we decided to evaluate the
population that is considered to be 'transitioning to frailty' to determine
if the outcomes are similar. We haven't looked at tai chi training in less
healthy individuals until now," said Wolf.
The tai chi participants in the most recent study took classes twice a week.
Tai chi consists of slow, rhythmic movements that emphasize trunk rotation,
weight shifting and coordination. Participants in the wellness education
class gathered once a week to learn about fall prevention, exercise and
balance, diet and nutrition, medication management and other topics. Handout
material was provided, but there was no formal instruction in exercise.
"While we saw a 40% decline in falls from the fourth month on in the tai chi
group, we also saw a slight decline in the number of falls per month in the
wellness education group," said Wolf. "Health promotion can be an effective
intervention in preventing disease or injury. The wellness education
activities may have motivated some participants to become more physically
active, adopt healthier and safer lifestyles, and thus reduce their risk
factors for falling," Wolf explained.
Over the 48-week study period, 46% of the participants did not fall. The
percentage of participants who fell at least once in the tai chi group was
47.6 and 60.3% in the wellness education group.
The study also looked at the participants' education and fall rates.
Participants in the tai chi group with no high school degree had
significantly lower fall rates than those in the wellness education group.
This article was prepared by Biotech Week editors from staff and other
reports.
©Copyright 2003, via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net
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