title: Effects of Tai Chi on balance and fall prevention in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of Tai Chi on balance and functional mobility in people with Parkinson's disease, and determine whether fall incidence could be reduced by the Tai Chi exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single blinded randomized control trial with 6 months' follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hospital and general community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n=76) diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, over 40 years old, able to walk independently and fell at least one time during the past 12 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Tai Chi group (n=37) received 24-form Yang style Tai Chi exercise for 60 minutes each time, three times a week and lasted for 12 weeks. The control group (n=39) received no intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III, Timed Up&Go (TUG) and occurrences of falls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Tai Chi group improved more than the control group on the BBS (p<0.05), but there was no difference on UPDRS III scores and Timed Up&Go (p>0.05). During the 6-month follow-up, only 8 (21.6%) out of 37 patients in the Tai Chi group had experience of falls comparing to 19 (48.7%) out of 39 patients in the control group (p<0.05). The average times of falls were 0.30±0.62 in the Tai Chi group compared with 0.64±0.74 in the control group (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that Tai Chi exercise could improve the balance and decrease the fall risks in patients with Parkinson's disease.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Gao
authors: Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University - Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Sichuan, China Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Leung
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University - Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Sichuan, China.
authors: Yonghong
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
authors: Qingchuan
authors: Q
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Guan
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
authors: Chengsen
authors: C
authors: Jia
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University - Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Sichuan, China hxkfhcq@126.com.
authors: Chengqi
authors: C
authors: He
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; Tai Chi; balance; exercise; fall