Tai Chi Benefits to Parkinson's Patient

Early Monday evenings, when other folks are rushing home from work, a group of 10 men and women who are in their 50s or 60s quietly learning the art of tai chi.

At St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill., Ron Taylor takes his spot in the front row, right next to his instructor Yi Karpen. He moves slowly and deliberately, just like all of his classmates. Yet in his eyes, a look of quiet determination shows he’s here for a serious reason.

Taylor isn’t taking tai chi only for the benefits of relaxation — he’s in the class because he is doing his best to beat Parkinson’s disease. While reading one of his Parkinson’s publications, he found an article touting the benefits of tai chi. Right away, he decided to try it out.

Taylor, who lives in Pleasant Plains, Ill., is dealing not only with Parkinson’s but also a crushed vertebrae and neurological problems with his left leg.

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