Tai Chi is an exercise form that has been shown to improve flexibility, strength, balance, cardiovascular response, and depression in older adults as well as in some individuals with neurologic or orthopedic dysfunction. Persons with Parkinson’s desease, due to the nature of the disease, present with progressively worsening flexibility, strength, and balance. This study was designed to assess the effects of an 8-week Tai Chi class on balance, balance confidence, functional activity, and quality of life in persons with Parkinson’s disease. Eleven subjects were recruited to participate in the study. Each subject was tested with the Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale, the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39, the Multi-directional Reach Test, and the Timed Up and Go one-month prior to the Tai Chi class, immediately prior to the class, immediately following the 8-week class, one-month following the class, and two-months following the class. Six of the eleven subjects were unable to complete the study for issues unrelated to the intervention. Of the remaining five subjects, two showed trends toward improvement in most of the outcome measures over the course of the study. None of the subjects made measurable improvements on the outcome measures used; however, most of the subjects (4/5) reported subjective improvements in balance or balance confidence in the follow-up questionnaires. Possible reasons for lack of measurable improvements were that the intervention duration, intensity or choice of outcome measures may not have been optimal to produce a measurable change. An 8-week session (1x/wk) of Tai Chi did not alter measurable balance, balance confidence, or quality of life.
