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R
E S E A R C H
Tai
Chi Benefits ADHD
During and after
five weeks of tai chi lessons, adolescents with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) showed less anxiety, daydreaming,
inappropriate emotions and hyperactivity, according to a study by
the Touch Research Institute (TRI).
"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder: benefits from Tai Chi" was conducted by Maria Hernandez-Reif,
Ph.D., Tiffany Field, Ph.D., and Eric Thimas.
ADHD, often treated by drugs such as
Ritalin, is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.
A 1998 TRI study showed that massage was effective in increasing
focus, improving mood, reducing fidgeting and lowering hyperactivity
in adolescents with ADHD. This study examined whether tai chi, the
Chinese martial art of slow-moving, meditative exercise, would have
similar effects.
Thirteen adolescents with an average age
of 14-and-a-half years and a diagnosis of ADHD participated in the
study. They were taught tai chi postures for 30 minutes, twice a week
for five weeks.
Sessions consisted of breathing exercises
accompanied by slow raising and lowering of the arms, twisting and
turning of the arms and legs, shifting body weight, rotating and
changing direction.
The Conners Teacher Rating Scale was
used by the subjects' teachers to evaluate their behavior prior
to the tai chi classes, during the classes and two weeks after the
classes ended. The 28-item scale rates overall hyperactivity, as
well as subcategories of anxiety, asocial behavior, conduct, dreaming
and emotion.
Results of the study showed that the
adolescents' teachers perceived them as less anxious, emotional
and hyperactive. These improved scores remained consistent throughout
the two-week follow-up period, without tai chi.
"The results of this study and our
earlier massage therapy study provide encouraging support for two
alternative therapies for treating adolescents with ADHD,"
state the study's authors.
"In addition to little or no side
effects, especially appealing are the documented effects of Tai
Chi and massage therapy for reducing anxiety and hyperactivity,
the major and most difficult symptoms to manage in children with
ADHD."
- Source:
Touch Research Institute. Authors: Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.,
Tiffany Field, Ph.D., and Eric Thimas. Originally published in the
Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, April 2001, Vol. 5,
No. 2, pp. 120-123.
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