Visually impaired elderly people may suffer from the risk of fall, and researchers at PolyU’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences have developed a novel set of simplified Tai Chi exercise for them. In this issue, we are pleased to have Dr William Tsang and Dr Amy Fu of PolyU’s Centre for East-meets-West in Rehabilitation Sciences to introduce the exercise and share with us the results of their study.

1/ First, can you talk about the research method?

We have enrolled forty elderly people with visual impairment and divided them into two groups for the study. Among them, 20 Tai Chi participants were asked to practise in 90 minute sessions, three times a week for 16 weeks, while the subjects in the control group joined a percussion activity and learnt to play the Djembe.

2/ How do you come up with the “Tactile Tai Chi for the Visually Impaired”?

Researchers have simplified the 24-form Yang style Tai Chi into 8-form and offered it to elderly people with visual impairment. Since the participants are learning Tai Chi through tactile guidance given by the master, this set of exercise is thus called “Tactile Tai Chi for the Visually Impaired”.

3/ What are the results of the study?

After four months, it was found that the Tai Chi participants, aged 70 and older, showed significant improvements in their balance control, head and trunk movement when compared to the control group,  reducing the risk of fall.

The findings also correlated with the result of a previous study relevant to Tai Chi, conducted in 2004 by the same Centre, which affirmed that practising Tai Chi could help improving the knee joint position sense. The result of this study has been published in the latest issue of international journal Age and Ageing.

4/ Is the exercise fit for visually impaired elderly people only?

No, the simplified Tai Chi exercise is also fit for people of different ages to practise, no matter if they are visually impaired or not. With support from the S.K. Yee Medical Foundation, the research team will produce DVDs to introduce the exercise in details.