Imagine spending your days with profound dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance! Sounds terrible, but it is the reality for too many people!
The visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems are information sources that influence balance control (sensory organization), which is termed “sensory organization”. The peripheral vestibular system includes the organs of the inner ear (responsible for hearing), and the vestibular apparatus (responsible for balance, stability and spatial orientation). In other words, it is designed to keep you balanced and orientated. This system is credited with organizing your head’s motions and stabilizing your eyes relative to the environment. It also sends signals to your musculoskeletal system which keeps you upright. The inner ear (within the vestibular system) sends impulses that ensure that your eyes coordinate with the body’s movements, no matter how small those movements are.
Many people have vestibular issues, where balance is off, once or twice in their lives. However, injury, disease, infections, cancer, and/or medication toxicity can trigger vestibular disorders. Unfortunately, at times, it can occur without a known cause. Symptoms commonly experienced by people with vestibular or inner ear balance disorders include imbalance, dizziness, vertigo, stress, anxiety, fatigue, and worse, serious injury or death. Obviously the risk of falls increases and many of these people severely limit their activities.
Prolonged inactivity actually reduces the ability to compensate for the vestibular disorder. Inactivity can also contribute to other problems, such as loss of bone and muscles mass, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Now add in the emotional impact associated with social isolation and favorite activities and the result is a lower quality of life.
Unfortunately, as we age, the quality of input from the three information systems declines. According to the Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi, sensors in the inner ear degenerate by 40 percent after age 70. As well, neuromuscular reactions decline which affect head and neck movements. As the vestibular system changes and may not be working properly, there is decreased speed of the signals between the movement, the vestibular system, and the brain. Because of this, there is often an increase in balance issues, bumping into things, and worse, falls.
Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) is an exercise program aimed at improving balance impairment due to a damaged peripheral vestibular system. Vestibular rehabilitation and Tai Chi both benefit people with vestibulopathy. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) and Tai Chi can often “re-calibrate the motor and sensory functions that are required for balance”. Some vestibular disorders respond well to this. According to the Vestibular Disorders Association, exercises of both therapies involve focus on postural orientation (position of the trunk and head alignment) and postural equilibrium (coordinating movements which stabilize and center the body)
Numerous studies have demonstrated the advantages of Tai Chi on visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular functions. Extensive medical literature and anecdotal reports from medical personnel support Tai Chi as an excellent complementary therapy to vestibular rehabilitation. Tai Chi is accepted as a complementary therapy for vestibular rehabilitation because it improves balance and reduces the occurrence of falls. It is recommended by the National Council of Aging, the Center for Disease Control, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and the Arthritis Foundation. Tai Chi can help people of all ages and most physical conditions.
Studies demonstrating the benefits of Tai Chi for Vestibular Rehabilitation
It was unknown to which degree gait would be improved related to neuromuscular adaptations of the lower extremities for VRT and Tai Chi.In a 2004 study, McGibbon, C.A., Krebs, D.E., Parker, S.W. et al. determined that Tai Chi and vestibular rehabilitation improved gait differently. The Tai Chi group demonstrated a faster gait and reduced excessive hip compensation. Once again, supporting Tai Chi’s value for vestibular disorders.
A 2013 Article “Tai Chi Chuan in Medicine and Health Promotion”, published in Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine by Ching Lan, et al, reviewed existing literature and determined the potential benefit of Tai Chi in various areas. According to the literature reviewed:
Tai Chi practitioners had better maximal stability and average velocity with eyes closed, indicating improvement of balance function through vestibular mechanism.
Tai Chi movements involve the head and thus stimulates the vestibular system.
Patients with dizziness who practiced 8 Tai Chi movements for a half hour every day showed significant improvements.
Tai Chi training improves whole-body stability and footfall stability.
In another study, older adults with vestibulopathy were assigned to a 10-week program of VR or Tai Chi. The Tai Chi group demonstrated reorganized neuromuscular patterns in lower extremities.
In another study, older people with dizziness showed significant improvement in up to and go test, forward deflection, backward deflection, and the maximum sway area.
Tai Chi participants showed better performance in complex conditions, such as eyes closed with sway surface, sway vision with sway surface, and forward-backward weight shifting test.
Time and time again, Tai Chi has been shown to improve the ability to use visual, vestibular and proprioception information effectively. In addition, Tai Chi is relaxing, gentle, easy on the joints, and benefits the entire body, spirit, and mind!
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