This is a therapy (or preventive practice) for people with carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or Parkinson's Disease.  The stick provides you with a focal point to help  with hand-eye coordination.  The twisting moves can stimulate energy circulation in your fingers and wrists, prevent frozen shoulders, and improve the elasticity of the tendons around your elbows.  Combined with various tai chi postures, it stretches and tones your muscles, activates the hip and knee joints, improves the flexibility and strength of your spine, and  prevents lower back pain. The practice is adapted from the tai chi joint locking techniques of qin-na, a traditional  secret training approach for developing spiral inner energy.  Therefore, this routine can also be used as a martial arts drill.

Poor balance is a common issue for older adults and is a major cause of falls that send millions of people each year to the emergency room. Based on his 20 years of working for Cigna Healthcare's Disease Prevention program, Dr. Tsao created this Tableside Tai Chi Therapy practice to help you safely develop a better sense of balance and stability.  With a table as support, you can practice with confidence to improve your balance, while at the same time building strength, mobility, and agility. Tai chi can improve your posture, increase muscle strength and speed, sharpen reflexes, expand flexibility, and strengthen your core.  This DVD gives you step-by-step instructions for Tai Chi and Qigong exercises that will help you stay active and independent as you age.