Starfarm Tai Chi Classes in CT

Find Tai Chi classes in CT with Laddie (860 455 0353)

Therapeutic Tai Chi Fall Prevention Program DVD

Order your copy and begin practicing right away.  Therapeutic Tai Chi Fall Prevention Program DVD produced by the researchers: original intent preserved. Video is only $5.99, no artistic DVD cover or disc art, no slim case, no other bells and whistles.

S&H $2.99 USPS with delivery confirmation.

Regular Practice with Therapeutic Tai Chi Fall Prevention Program DVD can lead to better Balance :

Better movement excursion and control, and consistent, steady walking patterns:

•     improved postural stability
•     improved control of body positioning
•     improved gait initiation
•     improved movement symmetry and coordination
•     improved lower extremity strength

Therapeutic Tai Chi Fall Prevention Program DVD

The guidelines were compiled by a panel comprising members from the previous panels and new members with substantial knowledge, experience, and publications in fall prevention and care of older patients, and are based on a systematic review of the randomized controlled trials of fall prevention interventions.  The literature search included meta-analyses, systematic literature reviews, randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, and cohort studies published between May 2001 and April 2008.  The panel also reviewed the RCTs published between April 2008 and July 2009 and concluded that the additional evidence did not change the ranking of the evidence or the guideline recommendations.

“Falls are one of the most common health problems experienced by older adults and are a common cause of losing functional independence,” said Dr. Mary Tinetti of Yale University School of Medicine, and one of the panel chairs. “Given their frequency and consequences, falls are as serious a health problem for older persons as heart attacks and strokes.”

The guidelines now state that doctors and other health professionals should determine whether their older patients are at risk of falling by asking if they have fallen recently or if they are unsteady walking. If so, health providers should look for the presence of known problems such as muscle weakness, poor balance or blood pressure that drops too much on standing. If they have these problems, then older adults should receive the interventions described in the guidelines, but if there is no evidence of gait problems or recurrent falls, they do not require a risk assessment.

The new recommendations for interventions focus on:

• Multifactorial interventions which include exercise for balance, gait and strength training, such as Tai Chi or physical therapy

• Environmental adaptation to reduce fall risk factors in the home and in daily activities

• Cataract surgery where needed, but they recommend against vision intervention as an individual approach

• Medication reduction, regardless of the number of medications prescribed (in 2001 this was only recommended for those on at least four) with particular attention to medications that affect the brain such as sleeping medications and antidepressants

• Focus on raising low blood pressure and managing heart rate and rhythm abnormalities

“We found that the most effective trials for preventing falls in older people looked at multiple interventions rather than just one; previous studies have indicated that it is more effective to focus on one intervention, but because we looked at not only what recommendations were given, but also which carried out, we’re confident that multifactorial interventions is the best course of action,” said Tinetti.

“There is emerging evidence that the rate of serious fall injuries, such as hip fractures, is decreasing modestly in areas in which fall prevention is integrated into clinical practice.  By making fall prevention part of the clinical care of older adults this trend can continue.”

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A summary of the updated AGS/BGS Clinical Practice Guideline for Prevention of Falls in the Older Persons is published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact healthnews@wiley.com

Full citation: Summary of the Updated AGS/BGS Clinical Practice Guideline for Prevention of Falls in Older Persons Developed by the Panel on Prevention of Falls in Older Persons, American Geriatrics Society and British Geriatrics Society. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03234.x

URL upon publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03234.x

Improve Wellness and Sense of Well-Being!

This video was produced to support the qigong (chi kung)for beginner classes conducted at Starfarm this summer.  In these 10 weeks, topics covered included how to use the self-healing qigong techniques  including:

Pressing, Patting, Rubbing, Stretching, Self-Massage, Sounding, and Meditation

Now you can learn and use these simple effective qigong techniques at home!

This video describes and demonstrates Fingers and Foot Massage to Increase qi flow, Press and Rub ears to Relieve Back Pain, Patting and Rubbing Legs to Increase qi flow,  Healing Sounds qigong to dispel the effects of negative emotions,  Marrow Washing Qigong Meditation for Cleansing qi and features a “chinese yoga” stretching qigong routine to massage internal organs and and clear meridians to increase qi flow.

Click  Here to Order Now and Get Started on your Self-Healing with Qi Program! $24.99 +s&h

• Chinese Yoga (stretching qigong) combines the slow smooth movement of Tai Chi with the gentle progressive stretching of Yoga, and incorporates the powerful visualization techniques of Qigong.

• Features 10 Range of Motion exercises. These range of motion exercises not only stretch the tangible tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament), but also regulate the flow of qi (energy).

• Back, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, hands and feet, fingers and toes are stretched and relaxed to achieve optimum energy flow throughout the body.

• Learn how to Use and Direct the mind in creating a nurturing, healing state of body and mind.

These are the shoes I wear during classes. I am now into the fourth pair of these since I discovered them, I like them for tai chi practice because there is no artificial support…I am on my feet with a thin covering of rubber sole under them.  Scroll down for women’s and men’s size chart…find and order the european equivalent of your shoe size.

Amazon Men’s Shoe Sizing Chart

US Euro UK Inches CM 6 39 5.5 9.25″ 23.5 6.5 39 6 9.5″ 24.1 7 40 6.5 9.625″ 24.4 7.5 40-41 7 9.75″ 24.8 8 41 7.5 9.9375″ 25.4 8.5 41-42 8 10.125″ 25.7 9 42 8.5 10.25″ 26 9.5 42-43 9 10.4375″ 26.7 10 43 9.5 10.5625″ 27 10.5 43-44 10 10.75″ 27.3 11 44 10.5 10.9375″ 27.9 11.5 44-45 11 11.125″ 28.3 12 45 11.5 11.25″ 28.6 13 46 12.5 11.5625″ 29.4 14 47 13.5 11.875″ 30.2 15 48 14.5 12.1875″ 31 16 49 15.5 12.5″ 31.8 17 50 16 13 33 18 51 16.5 13.25 33.7 19 52 17 14 34.6 20 53 17.5 14.25 35.6 Amazon Men’s Width Chart X-Narrow Narrow Medium Wide X-Wide 4A, 3A, 2A, A B(N), C D(M) E, 2E 3E, 4E, 5E, 6E *Standard narrow is B(N) because B and N are the most common narrow width designations;C is the width in between narrow and medium; Standard medium is D(M) because D and M are the most common medium width designations

]]> http://www.starfarmtaiji.com/2010/09/tai-chi-shoes/feed/ 0 http://www.starfarmtaiji.com/2010/09/dr-anthony-alessi-tai-chi-effective-in-treatment-of-fibromyalgia/ http://www.starfarmtaiji.com/2010/09/dr-anthony-alessi-tai-chi-effective-in-treatment-of-fibromyalgia/#comments Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:19:02 +0000 admin http://www.starfarmtaiji.com/?p=493  Dr. Anthony Alessi is a neurologist at William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich.    DR. ANTHONY ALESSI For the Norwich Bulletin Posted Sep 07, 2010 @ 08:27 PM

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at the effectiveness of tai chi in the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Tai chi is a form of self-defense developed in China more than 2,000 years ago. It consists of flowing, circular movements that emphasize balance and meditation.

Fibromyalgia is a common, painful clinical syndrome. Typical symptoms include muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances and mood changes. It affects about 200 million people throughout the world. Symptoms vary with levels of stress, climactic conditions and other triggering events.

Tai chi has been described as an effective way of relieving painful musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain. It has also provided a complementary treatment for cardiovascular conditions. This is the first time it has been studied in conjunction with fibromyalgia.

The study reported on 66 patients randomly assigned to a group participating in either tai chi classes or a wellness education and stretching session. At least 79 percent of the tai chi participants reported improvement of symptoms, while only 39 percent of the wellness group felt they had improved….

Medications used to treat fibromyalgia include antidepressants, anticonvulsants and anti-inflammatory agents. The response to long-term medical treatment alone has been disappointing. Despite the need for further research, the potential benefits of a combined treatment approach that includes tai chi are encouraging. Dr. Anthony Alessi is medical director of The William W. Backus Hospital Stroke Center and in private practice at NeuroDiagnostics, LLC, in Norwich. E-mail him at aalessi@wwbh.org Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin. Some rights reserved

With nearly 100 people from around the country in attendence, Jiang, Jian-ye (Grandmaster) introduced The intermediate level of Chinese Yoga with Healing Qi, during a Saturday Workshop held at his Albany, New York studio.  Starfarm’s Laddie Sacharko was in attendence, shown in photo.

Laddie Sacharko Attends HPA training for instructors, Chinese Yoga Intermediate level. Laddie is 3rd from right, second row.

An Intermediate Level class is planned for January 2010 at Thompson, where about 20 people have been practicing the beginner’s level.  Watch for details! Check Here