In the News
Mindfulness meditation improves connections in the brain
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-improves-connections-in-the-brain-201104082253
POSTED APRIL 08, 2011, 11:15 AM
Carolyn Schatz, Editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch
When I’m stressed, I listen to a 20-minute mindfulness meditation tape. It always helps me feel calmer and more relaxed. Many meditative practices can do this. But mindfulness meditation is getting a lot of attention because it seems to help with so many physical and psychological problems—like high blood pressure, chronic pain, psoriasis, sleep trouble, anxiety, and depression. It’s also been shown to boost immune function and stop binge eating. No one knows for sure what’s behind these benefits, but physical changes in the brain probably play a role.
Mindfulness meditation is a mental discipline. You start by focusing your attention on your breath, a sensation in the body, or a chosen word or phrase. You note the thoughts, emotions, and background sounds that arise from moment to moment, observing them without analyzing them or making judgments about what’s going on around you. If you drift into thoughts about the past or concerns about the future, you bring your attention back to the present, for example, by refocusing on your breathing. It takes practice.
A new study, published in the May 2011 issue of Neuroimage, suggests that one effect of all this focusing and refocusing is increased brain connectivity. Researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles compared the brain activity of volunteers who had finished eight weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction training with that of volunteers who did not do such training. Functional MRI scans showed stronger connections in several regions of the meditators’ brains—especially those associated with attention and auditory and visual processing. Unfortunately, the study didn’t scan the volunteers’ brains before mindfulness training, so no one can say for sure that mindfulness training was responsible for the differences.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers used MRI scans to document before and after changes in the brain’s gray matter—the “processing” neurons—associated with mindfulness meditation. The density of gray matter increased in regions governing such distinctly different activities as memory, self-awareness, and compassion, and decreased in the amygdala—the part of the brain associated with fear and stress. We covered this intriguing research in the April issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch.
At the moment, scientists can only speculate about the relationship between these brain changes and the health benefits associated with mindfulness meditation. But the research adds to growing evidence that meditative practices can alter the body at a fundamental level—even, it turns out, at the level of our genes. Meditation elicits the “relaxation response,” a state of deep relaxation first described more than 35 years ago by mind-body pioneer Dr. Herbert Benson, currently emeritus director of the Benson-Henry Institute of Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Since then, Benson and his colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have discovered that relaxation techniques (including meditation and yoga) turn certain sets of genes on and off in people who practice them regularly. Benson, who is the medical editor of Stress Management: Approaches for preventing and reducing stress (a Special Health Report from Harvard Health Publications, which also publishes Harvard Women’s Health Watch), says these genes are involved with controlling “how the body handles free radicals, inflammation processes, and cell death.”
Tai Chi, Chi Kung and meditation are increasingly receiving very positive publicity with regards to their health benefits.
I’ll include some of these items on this page.
Many things are taught under the umbrella of Tai Chi, Chi Kung and meditation. My advice is not to over-value all the talk. I’ve certainly found these practices to be very beneficial but they aren’t a panacea. Practice for enjoyment and whatever else that follows is a bonus.
Alan
Tai Chi prevents elderly falls say geriatrics societies
By James GallagherHealth reporter, BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12170441
New guidelines recommend Tai Chi to prevent falls
• Falls cost NHS millions each day
• NHS 'failings' over elderly falls
• Fear of falls 'isolates elderly'
Tai Chi lessons and reduced medication should be used to prevent falls in the elderly, according to experts in the UK and the US. The latest thinking on tackling falls is included in new guidelines for doctors, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Falls are one of the leading causes of death for old people. Age UK said implementing the recommendations was crucial for improving services. A third of over 65s and half of over 80s will fall each year, and it is thought that 14,000 people in the UK die as a result. Treatment costs the NHS in England around £4.6m a day.
New guidance
Experts from the British and American Geriatrics Societies have reviewed the medical research since the last set of guidelines was published in 2001. The updated advice recommends exercises which improve strength and balance such as the Chinese martial art Tai Chi. It also acknowledges that medications which affect the brain, such as anti-depressants and sleeping pills, are strongly linked with falls. Researchers says falls are as serious as heart attacks These drugs should now no longer be prescribed or the dose reduced. In 2001, this was only recommended when patients were taking more than four drugs. When doctors assess the risk of falling they should now also examine feet, home safety and the fear of falling. Other recommendations include prescribing vitamin D supplements, raising low blood pressure and cataract surgery.
Doctor Mary Tinetti, who revised the guidelines and is from Yale University School of Medicine, said: "Falls are one of the most common health problems experienced by older adults and are a common cause of losing functional independence. "Given their frequency and consequences, falls are as serious a health problem for older persons as heart attacks and strokes."
Dr Finbarr Martin, consultant geriatrician at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said Tai Chi was important: "It focuses on balance rather than strength which is less important for most older people who are actually strong enough, but Tai Chi is not good for the very frail."
Andrew Harrop, director of policy and public affairs at Age UK, said: "Currently there are large variations in the quality of falls prevention services provided across the UK and it is crucial that these guidelines are put into practice to ensure that future falls are prevented.
"With research showing that programmes for improving strength and balance can reduce the risk of falls by as much as 55%, the recommendation that interventions for preventing falls should include an exercise component is particularly welcome."
Tai Chi 'helps improve diabetes'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7322665.stm
Tai Chi is defined as gentle exercise. Tai Chi exercises can help people with type 2 diabetes control their condition, research suggests. Two separate studies found a 12-week programme of exercise was enough to boost the immune system, and to cut blood sugar levels. The traditional Chinese martial art combines deep breathing and gentle movement to boost relaxation levels. Both studies, by researchers in Taiwan and Australia, appear in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Around 1.8 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes and another 750,000 are thought to be undiagnosed.
The first study, by a team in Taiwan, compared 30 people with diabetes with 30 healthy people acting as controls. Over 12 weeks the participants learned 37 Tai Chi movements under the guidance of an expert, and took home a video to study the correct poses. They took part in three hour-long sessions a week. At the end of the programme, tests on the group with type 2 diabetes showed a drop in their blood sugar levels, and a boost in the level of cells and chemicals key to a healthy immune response. Strenuous physical activity is known to depress the immune system, but the latest study suggests that more moderate exercise may have the opposite effect.
Other effects
Previous research has suggested Tai Chi boosts cardiovascular and respiratory function, as well as improving flexibility and relieving stress. The researchers said that if Tai Chi improves the way the body breaks down sugar, it could have a beneficial impact on the immune system, which is sparked into excessive activity by the presence of high levels of sugar in the blood. Alternatively, the exercise may simply boost the immune system by raising fitness levels, and engendering a feeling of wellbeing.
The second study by the University of Queensland, based on just 11 participants, produced similar results. In this study the participants - who all had raised blood sugar levels - attended sessions of Tai Chi, and another similar martial art, Qigong, for 60 to 90 minutes three times a week. As well as a drop in blood sugar levels, the participants lost weight, and recorded significant falls in blood pressure. Insulin resistance was also improved. Participants also said they slept better, had more energy, felt less pain and had fewer food cravings while on the programme.
Cathy Moulton, of the charity Diabetes UK, said moderate exercise had been shown to have a beneficial impact on type 2 diabetes. Diabetes UK recommends that people with diabetes do a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on at least five days of the week. Ms Moulton said: "Any activity that leaves you feeling warm and slightly breathless but still able to hold a conversation counts as moderate exercise - including vigorously cleaning the house, briskly walking the dog and of course Tai Chi. "In addition to the importance of moderate physical activity, the relaxation element of Tai Chi may help to reduce stress levels, preventing the release of adrenalin which can lead to insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels.
Tai chi 'can help prevent falls' by improving balance' in the elderly
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER 16th December 2011
Elderly people whose eyesight is failing can improve their balance and avoid dangerous falls by practising tai chi, according to a study.
Experts say the gentle martial art builds strength and also improves balance control, reducing the chances of life-threatening falls among old people with poor eyesight.
Researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University set up a four-month programme for 40 people aged over 70 living in care homes. The volunteers had three 90-minute tai chi sessions a week.
Gentle yet effective: Tai chi is the perfect exercise for the elderly, according to a new study
Each session was designed to help volunteers practise shifting their weight gradually, rotate their heads and torsos and become more aware of their limbs, thus improving their co-ordination.
Results, published in the Age and Ageing journal, revealed volunteers who practised had far better balance than a control group who were taught to play an instrument. Study author Dr William Tsang said: ‘Tai chi can be a suitable form of exercise for those with visual impairment and indeed assists with improving their balance control.’
'It would be interesting to extend this study to involve community dwelling older people, who tend to be more independent and could benefit differently from the training.'
He added: 'Tai chi practice requires conscious awareness of body position and extremity movements, which may improve joint proprioception [awareness]. Repeated head movement is one of the important elements in tai chi, and this can help to stimulate the vestibular system to improve balance control.
'This study’s results agree with those of a previous study which reported that the knee joint proprioception of persons with normal vision could be improved with 16 weeks of tai Chi training. This study extends those findings to visually impaired older people.”
Tai Chi may improve Parkinson's symptoms: research
An hour of Tai Chi twice a week can improve stability and walking ability in people with Parkinson's disease, a study has found.
By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor, The Telegraph
7:30AM GMT 09 Feb 2012
The ancient Chinese art characterised by slow controlled movements helped Parkinson's patients with balance and control and resulted in fewer falls, when compared with other exercises it was found.
The findings were published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Lead author Dr Fuzhong Li, from the Oregon Research Institute, found a tailored program of twice-weekly Tai Chi training resulted in improved postural stability and walking ability, and fewer falls.
He said: "These results are clinically significant because they suggest that Tai Chi, a low-to-moderate impact exercise, may be used, as an add-on to current physical therapies, to address some of the key clinical problems in Parkinson's disease, such as postural and gait instability.
"Since many training features in the program are functionally oriented, the improvements in the balance and gait measures that we demonstrated highlight the potential of Tai Chi-based movements in rehabilitating patients with these types of problems and, consequently, easing cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease and improving mobility, flexibility, balance, and range of motion."
The study involved randomly assigning 195 patients to either Tai Chi, resistance training or stretching for one hour twice a week for 24 weeks.
The Tai Chi group performed better in balance tests, had a longer stride length indicating better walking ability than the stretching group. And they were also better than the resistance training group on the balance and stride length measures.
They were also significantly fewer falls in the Tai Chi group compared to the stretching group.
The number of falls were similar in the resistance training group as the Tai Qi group.
Parkinson's patients lose stability and have difficulty with every day living as the disease progresses and exercise is thought to be important to help maintain independent living for as long as possible.
The Tai Chi program developed by Dr Li consisted of six Tai Chi movements integrated into an eight-form routine that focused on weight-shifting, controlled-displacement of the centre of gravity over the base of support, ankle sway, and front-to-back and sideways stepping.
Dr Li said: "There are a number of practical advantages to using Tai Chi to improve motor dysfunction of Parkinson's disease – it is a low cost activity that does not require equipment, it can be done anywhere, at any time, and the movements can be easily learned.
"It can also be incorporated into a rehabilitation setting as part of existing treatment. Similarly, because of its simplicity, certain aspects of this Tai Chi program can also be prescribed to patients as a self-care/home activity."
How Tai Chi in later life is good for the heart:
Elderly who perform exercises lower blood pressure
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 5th April 2012
Practising the ancient martial art of tai chi can boost elderly people's hearts, a study has found.
Older subjects who regularly performed the traditional Chinese mind-body exercise now enjoyed worldwide were less likely to suffer high blood pressure and were physically stronger.
Researchers said a work-out which can achieve both good heart function and muscle power 'would be a preferred mode of training' for this group of society.
Benefits: Older subjects who regularly performed Chinese tai chi were less likely to suffer high blood pressure and were physically stronger
Heart pulse measurements showed it improved expansion and contraction of the arteries - known as arterial compliance - and increased knee muscle strength.
A number of studies have shown strength training to improve muscle function and offset the effects of ageing have also been accompanied by a decline in arterial compliance.
Tai Chi could be a suitable exercise for older people to avoid this problem, according to the findings published online in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Arterial stiffness - when an artery fails to distend or rebound in response to pressure changes - is closely associated with cardiovascular diseases.
So arterial compliance has been identified as an important predictor of heart health in the elderly and a therapeutic target for physical exercise in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The study involved 65 elderly subjects from Hong Kong, 29 recruited from local Tai Chi clubs who had each practised it for at least 90 minutes hours a week for three years and 36 controls with no such experience.
Initial results showed the Tai Chi subjects were better in almost all medical observations including blood pressure, vascular resistance and pulse pressure.
Measurements also showed that both large and small artery compliance was significantly higher in the Tai Chi group (by 40-44per cent).
Research: The study involved 65 elderly subjects from Hong Kong, 29 recruited from local Tai Chi clubs who had each practised it for at least 90 minutes hours a week for three years and 36 who had no such experience
Additional analysis showed that the Tai Chi subjects had greater average muscle strength.
Tai Chi is well known for its aerobic affects. The effect of Tai Chi training in lowering blood pressure has also been extensively reviewed.
Principal investigator Dr William Tsang from the The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong said: 'However this is the first study to investigate the possible effects of Tai Chi on arterial compliance by comparing older Tai Chi practitioners with non-practitioners similar in age and activity level.
'The improvement in arterial compliance could have resulted from a combination of aerobic training, stretching, mental concentration and calm meditation during Tai Chi movement.'
The study findings showed older Tai Chi practitioners have better arterial compliance and knee muscle strength than their healthy counterparts.
And because it can be practised any time and anywhere without the constraints of equipment or a gymnasium Dr Tsang said it could be a good exercise strategy for older adults, both for heart health and muscle strengthening.
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