The Old Gray Mare

Can Tai Chi Improve Major Depression In the Elderly



Posted: Friday, November 11, 2011

by The Old Gray Mare
www.DressYourHorse.com

There have undoubtedly been many studies over the years about benefits of Tai Chi. I am particularly interested in one such study published recently in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (online edition).

I picked up on the numbers mentioned by the study as being excessive. For instance, purportedly over 2-million seniors, those aged 65 and older, have a form of depression. This high number of sufferers includes 50 percent of people that reside in nursing homes.

“In seeking an alternative to aggressive drug treatments, researchers at the University of California (Los Angeles), turned to a gentle, westernized version of Tai Chi,” states a spokesman for UCLA.

The study group consisted of 112 adults ranging as low as 60 years old or much older. Each individual had been diagnosed with significant depression.

The study group began a treatment program for four weeks with antidepressant drugs normally prescribed for their type of depression. There were 73 individuals that experienced only slight or partial improvement; these 73 continued with the prescribed drugs. They were also assigned to participate in Tai Chi for the next ten weeks. The resulting benefits experienced by this Tai Chi group included improvement in their depression, better quality of life, increased comprehension and energy.

Professor and author, Dr. Helen Lavretsky, states, “This study shows that adding a mind-body exercise like Tai Chi, that is widely available in the community, can improve the outcomes of treating depression in older adults that may also have other coexisting medical conditions or cognitive impairment.”

The results brings much hope to people who are suffering from various forms of depression or the lesser feelings of low mood swings. Tai Chi for DepressionOften folks have no real way out of the tedium of days spent in close confinement in a nursing home. Adding the activity to their day of Tai Chi, a 2000 year-old Chinese martial art comprised of graceful, effective movements, makes an important difference to individuals.

In fact, Dr. Lavretsky goes on to say, “With Tai Chi, we may be able to treat these conditions without exposing them to additional medications.”

Certainly, eliminating antidepressant drugs from elderly patients while substituting an activity, especially a mind-body activity such as Tai Chi, may prove to be vastly more beneficial to each person in improving their mental and bodily well-being.

The Old Gray Mare is an avid writer and has a lifelong involvement in the horse industry. Visit her horse wearables site www.DressYourHorse.com and her blog sites.
Heidi Rucki brings expertise as a horsewoman, dog lover and stained glass/mosaic artist. She is an accomplished freelance writer in the horse industry. Writing online as The Old Gray Mare, many of her current articles can be found on www.DressYourHorse.com. In the past, Rucki wrote for numerous horse organizations including The Connecticut Horse Council. She took early retirement from Phoenix Home Life where she wrote mutual fund prospectuses and was responsible for their submissions to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Old Gray Mare writes to share knowledge and her love of horses for everyone but especially for novice and new horse owners. Besides her two main websites, she has recently published three new blog sites. Of those, her favorite is www.BeautyOfHorses.com.
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