TAI CHI INFECTION PROTECTION
Each year, up to 14,000 people over age 60 develop shingles -- a painful nerve disease that comes from the chicken pox virus. Shingles often results in extreme pain that can last for months. Now, a simple exercise can protect against the virus.
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Roberta Taggart knows she gives more than relaxation to the seniors in her Tai Chi classes.
Roberta Taggart
Tai Chi instructor
"Just by becoming quiet and doing the form, they could inwardly get in touch with their body and feel very connected."
But that's not all. A new study shows Tai Chi -- slow exercise and intense meditation -- protects seniors against the shingles virus.
Michael Irwin, M.D.
Psychiatrist
UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute
Los Angeles, CA
"As we age, or as we experience declines in our immune function, this virus can express itself and produce a very painful rash."
The rash clears, but Doctor Michael Irwin from UCLA says patients are often left with extreme sensitivity to pain.
Michael Irwin, M.D.
"They can ultimately become depressed and withdraw from their normal activities because of that pain."
Doctor Irwin's study shows 3 classes of Tai Chi a week for 15 weeks boosts shingles immunity by about 50 percent.
Michael Irwin, M.D.
"There's nothing currently available to boost shingles immunity to match what we did."
And that's not all.
Michael Irwin, M.D.
"We found significant improvements in the older adults who practiced Tai Chi and their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks."
Doctor Irwin says tai chi could also offer protection against other viruses. Gaunnie dixon feels the benefits.
Gaunnie Dixon
"It keeps me pretty much grounded. I'm more relaxed."
Roberta says she was surprised at the study results.
Roberta Taggart
"The benefits are great. A boost in the immunity by 50 percent? What older adult wouldn't want that?"
And it looks like humans aren't the only ones reaping the benefits.
Each Tai Chi class is about 45 minutes long. Tai Chi has also been shown to help illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis. Many senior centers offer these types of classes. The Patience Tai Chi Association also offers a list of Tai Chi instructors by state as does a web site devoted to Tai Chi Chih.
BACKGROUND: Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles occurs in people who have had chickenpox and represents a reactivation of the dormant varicella-zoster virus. The disease generally affects the elderly, although it occasionally occurs in younger and/or immunodeficient individuals. The first sign is usually a tingling feeling, itchiness, or stabbing pain on the skin. After a few days, a rash appears as a band or patch of raised dots on the side of the trunk or face. When the rash is at its peak, symptoms can range from mild itching to extreme and intense pain. About 10 percent of normal adults can be expected to get shingles during their lifetimes, usually after age 50. The incidence increases with age. Shingles is 10-times more likely to occur in adults over 60 than in children under 10. Most people who get shingles develop immunity to the virus and do not get the disease again. The rash may soon clear, but often, the extreme pain can linger for months.
TAI CHI: A new study shows Tai Chi Chih -- a variant form of Tai Chi -- can boost seniors' immunity to the shingles virus. Michael Irwin, M.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues measured shingles immunity in seniors who participated in three classes of Tai Chi a week for 15 weeks. The result? A 50-percent boost in shingles immunity among participants. Dr. Irwin says, "There's nothing currently available to boost shingles immunity to match what we did." He and colleagues followed 36 men and women aged 60 and over through 15 weeks of Tai Chi Chih classes. There were three 45 minute classes a week. Tai Chi Chih is a modified version of traditional Tai Chi and consists of 20 simple, repetitive, non-strenuous movements that incorporate elements of balance, postural alignment, concentration and meditation. Dr. Irwin says: "Tai Chi is really a combination of meditation as well as exercise. There had been some evidence that if you relax and you meditate, it may actually boost your immune system." The findings of his current study add weight to the evidence, as was seen in the significant boost in immunity. He says: "We were very surprised. To see the changes in bodily measures and changes in immune system were very surprising to us. It's very exciting. It's an intervention that can easily be integrated into people's lives. It includes a component of bringing people together socially, which is also very important."
THAT'S NOT ALL: The boost in immunity among the seniors was not all researchers discovered. They also found improvements in health functioning. Dr. Irwin says, "We found significant improvements in the older adults who practiced Tai Chi and their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. What I mean ... is how well people could carry out their day-to-day activities, such as climbing stairs, walking, carrying packages, and the ease with which they can do that." He says the findings of this study could also pave way for research on other illnesses. He says, "Those kinds of effects upon the immune system may translate in to protection against other viruses. It's been shown that Tai Chi has other effects upon promoting health and improving physical functioning." Tai chi has also been shown to help illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis. Many senior centers offer these types of classes. The Patience Tai Chi Association or the Tai Chi Chih Web site are good sources to locate a trained instructor.
Rachel Fintzy
Project Director
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 267-4386
Patience Tai Chi Association
www.patiencetaichi.com
Tai Chi Chih
www.taichichih.org
Copyright © 2004 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
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