Any Dopers know about Tai Chi?

In My Humble Opinion
1

For my wife. There’s this bully who steals her lunch money on the way to the Braille Institute every day, see, and I heard that martial arts can be effective against bullies…

Okay enough silliness. My wife is totally blind, however, and at age 61, is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain balance and equilibrium. She fell in our bedroom and broke her hip in 2011, and about two weeks ago she fell on the linoleum floor in our kitchen and broke her shoulder. The bedroom fall she thinks could be from tripping on a bunched-up section of padding under the carpet, but she can’t think at all what caused her to fall in the kitchen (my thought is she could have slipped in a small splash of water from the dog’s bowl, but she has no memory of that happening).

She was talking about it with our daughter this morning, and Kayla said that she just doesn’t have very good balance, and she has noticed this when observing both her and an elderly friend of ours who visits every summer (also visually impaired). The elderly friend, btw, when told of the incident, very helpfully (NOT) suggested that kaylasmom might have had a small stroke, and she should have some tests to rule that out. Given that earlier this year her heart and BP were given a clean bill of health by her cardiologist, I think that Kayla’s observation is more likely, and should be looked into first.

With that in mind, this morning I was remembering many instances of seeing scenes showing a bunch of senior citizens in a park, or on a beach, all moving slowly in unison. “Tai Chi!” I remarked to myself. “That’s popular for helping older people improve their balance and sense of place and positioning, right?”

So, what’s the deal? Can a blind woman improve her balance and competency to walk around her own home by enrolling in a Tai Chi class? And do health insurers who encourage members to do beneficial things for their overall health include such classes in their benefits? Anybody know?

I’m going to call my insurance company now to see if they do, but I’d be interested in hearing about the experiences of Dopers in this area, anyway, so TIA. :slight_smile:

2

I know a bit about tai chi, but based on the above, I feel like I would be misleading you to talk about it. It might be something as simple as the wrong shoes, or if she is taking medication, it might be that.

Take her to the doctor first. After that,tai chi would probably be better than most other kinds of mild exercise. But doctor first.

Regards,
Shodan

3

She was barefoot for both falls, FWIW. She does have an appointment with her PCP next Tuesday (on matters probably unrelated to the current injury), and a follow-up with her orthopedist scheduled for the 15th of the month.

4

FWIW, my mother has a clean bill of health and a small stroke one month later.

A PT can evaluate her balance and see if there are deficiencies or room for improvement. They may be able to recommend balance exercises to improve her stability.

5

I have no specific experience with Tai Chi, but I expect there would be substantial challenges in learning a martial art for someone who is completely blind. Most instruction is primarily visual; she would need an instructor who could guide her through the movements by touch until she learned them well enough for verbal coaching to make sense. That means one-on-one time and dedication on both their parts.

That’s not to say it can’t be done, however.

6

Shodan and I agree 1000 percent on this one :smiley:
I taught Tai Chi for a decade and I’m doing advanced training now.
However, I’ll be very quick and blunt in telling you that it’s not appropriate for everyone; some people just aren’t coordinated in that way.

As noted by others above, for most people balance is largely dependent upon visual perception* and if Kayla’s Mom is losing sight (not just focus, but sight) then it’s quite possible her balance is being affected as well.

Even if Tai Chi is not something she takes to (my mother thought it was too slow, but she wasn’t interested in my Tang Soo either) then there are other activities available. Many seniors tend to start losing balance simply because they’re leading less active lives and the muscles aren’t responding as quickly or efficiently as they used to. Senior exercise classes are designed to focus on those areas and there may be one that she finds enjoyable.

Good luck!
Give us updates when appropriate.

–G!
*However, I’ll bet Shodan’s balance is good enough that he can stand with his eyes closed and still put his pants on without falling over.

7

Tai Chi could indeed improve balance. how would she learn it though? even moving by description still wold make it a lengthy slow individual tutored process.

an occupational therapist would be a person who might be the one to teach and improve balance with. they may also have the skills to instruct a blind person in doing useful exercises.

8

To reiterate and expand upon what **johnpost **and others have said, Tai Chi is indeed nice for improving balance, but would require special attention for a blind person to learn.

A good physical/occupational therapist would have access to more direct methods of improving balance, would (I imagine) have the resources for addressing the needs of a blind person, and would be able to tailor their approach to your wife’s specific mobility and balance needs.

9

FTR, she’s not losing sight; she’s 100% totally without it.

And don’t blame me, she was that way when I met her 37 years ago. :slight_smile: