Tai Chi Strategic for Fall Prevention

Compared with other forms of exercise, performing the martial art tai chi not only reduced falls among Parkinson’s disease patients, it was cost-effective as well. Fuzhong Li, from the Oregon Research Institute (Oregon, USA), and colleagues enrolled 65 persons with Parkinson’s disease for each of the three comparator groups. The patients trained twice a week for 24 weeks and recorded falls on a monthly calendar. They also filled out the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8) at baseline and after the 6-month program concluded. The researchers also collected information to calculate Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) gained – considered to be a robust measure of cost-effectiveness.  The team reports that the cost for preventing one fall — using a program of stretching exercise as a base — was $8 less if patients were using tai chi. Further, it cost $69 less per fall prevented if patients were performing tai chi rather than strength training. The study authors submit that: “Compared with low-impact stretching exercises or conventional strength training, tai chi training appears to be a cost-effective strategy for preventing falls in people with Parkinson’s disease.”