Abstract
Wu G, Zhao F, Zhou X, Wei L. Improvement of isokinetic knee extensor strength and
reduction of postural sway in the elderly from long-term Tai Chi exercise. Arch Phys
Med Rehabil 2002;83:1364-9. Objectives: To compare isokinetic strength of leg muscles and foot center of pressure (COP) as
a measure of sway between long-term Tai Chi practitioners and controls. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community setting. Participants: Twenty subjects in the Tai Chi group and 19 subjects in the control group (age, >55y).
Intervention: Subjects in Tai Chi group had practiced Tai Chi for a minimum of 3 years. Main Outcome Measures: Concentric and eccentric strength of knee extensors and flexors at 60°/s and 120°/s,
and foot COP displacement during quiet stance with eyes open or closed. Results: People in the Tai Chi group had significantly higher knee extensor strength at all
speeds tested (P<.013), and smaller foot COP excursions for both eyes open and eyes closed conditions
(P<.05) than people in control group. No significant difference existed in knee flexors
between the 2 groups (P<.713). The COP excursions correlated significantly with the eccentric strength of
knee extensors (P<.07) but not with the concentric strength of knee extensors (P<.14) or with the isokinetic strength of knee flexors at most of the speeds (P<.27). Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that the maintenance of eccentric strength
of postural muscles in the lower extremities, which is beneficial for maintaining
good postural stability, is helped through the long-term practice of Tai Chi. © 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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Footnotes
☆Supported by the National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Health (grant no. 1R29AG11602).
☆☆No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.
★Reprint requests to Ge Wu, PhD, Dept of Physical Therapy, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, e-mail: [email protected] .
★★Supplier
♢a. Biodex Medical Systems Inc, 20 Ramsay Rd, Shirley, NY 11967-0702.
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© 2002 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
