For Health Professionals
If you are a PT, OT, exercise specialist or other health professional, and you are integrating taiji/qigong into your practice in some way, let us know about your work, your successes, and post inquiries about problem-solving any challenges.
PK
I know of a group that would love to have you provide a workshop, what is the best way to contact you? Also, fees, travel etc., can they discuss this with you when they contact you?
Hey Michele: the best way to reach me is via email at kleinpj@chitime.info. Fees vary. Through the Wellness Institute of WNY, I am a recognized Health and Wellness provider with WNY Traditional BlueCross/BlueShield, Community Blue, and Senior Blue, however not all employee plans have this benefit. I also work with Learning Partners [www.learningpartners2.com] so that health professionals may earn CEU’s for attending training workshops.
Hi Penny: Love the new blog site! OTs and PTs should really check out the YouTube video’s, talk about increasing activity and engaging in “occupations”. Keep up the great work!
I have recently incorporated the foundation of Tai Chi into my physical therapy practice and have found that the combination of slow, controlled movements, along with additional strength and gait training has helped those with poor strength, flexibility, balance and functional abilities. I have not practiced a “strict” application of tai chi, per say, however i have patients utilize varying degrees of stance positions with slow UE and trunk rotations, which also simulates walking movements. I think of it as a combination of Tai Chi, Gary Gray and the foundation of movements and exercises already used by physical therapists. Health professionals may find it to be a new experience for their patients and something that is easily incorporated into practice, without the patient even realizing that they are peforming foundational movements of Tai Chi.
Hi Penny, As promised at the recent workshop we attended, I am happy to share some of my observations about tai chi and teaching seniors. I have been teaching a group of seniors with a fairly low level of physical function for the last six months and have been receiving notice from the caregivers and doctors working with this population that they have noticed improvement. I have also noticed each improvement, and some are quite small but improvements nevertheless.
I begin each class with a structure (a tai chi salute and Chinese hello and then a relaxation exercise4. Sometimes this is done sitting, sometimes standing, depending on who shows up.
One of the first things I noticed was the inability to understand the relation of their own body to space and direction. THere was also a shyness and hesitation, a need to be noticed and a need for touch (though care must be taken here to respect the boundaries of the student)
I have successfully used a small “beachball” being passed from one to the other in order to identify waist movement…hands receiving the ball receive right and left side with the hands; before giving it away, the arms are rotated so that the hands are top and bottom.
We work from the feet up moving through the joints to mobilize the utilization of these areas.
As we continue, we do stepping exercises forward and back and side to side slowly working on shifting weight, direction and balance. Then, we do directional stepping, using the room as directional focus, beginning with the right foot stepping to left front corner, the bringing the left foot in for a horse stance.
We do circles horizontally and vertically and arcing movements leading to an easier understanding of cloud hands, and we do a sort of Simon Says game for cognitive development.
I hope this gives some of you some ideas to build on. It is great to have a place to share with other practitioners.
JO Anne