Transportation Industry is it a boom?
Transportation industry in US is growing swiftly due to the technological advancement.This progression in technology has provided greater means of
Time – specific delivery of goods/vehicles Tracking of cargos with the help of electronic devices
We belive Transportation Industry is always a boom as it has a wide range of scholarships and fellowships and research opportunities being provided by a lot of universities. Exciting new technologies are arising from time to time.
Advances in Transportation Technology and the Shrinking of "Real" Distance
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
1500-1840 1850-1930 1950s 1960s-present Best average speed for horse-drawn coaches and sailing ships was 10 mph Steam locomotives averaged 65 mph and steamships averaged 36 mph Propeller aircraft able to fly 300-400 mph Large jet aircraft able to fly 500-700 mph Infrastructure innovation Trunk canals Turnpike roads Railroads Ocean shipping Highways Airports/airlines Emergence of telecommunications Vehicle innovation Horse-powered coaches Steam engines Steamships Railroad equipment Steel ships Aircraft Automobiles Combustion engines Trucks Tractors Jet engines Containerships Megaships Post-Panamax ships
As the technology advances the job opportunities and job satisfaction also increases. According to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, there would be more than 248,000 new jobs between 2004-2014, in transportation industry which include laborers, hand freight, stock and material movers.
Will you take up transportation studies for your career?
"Invest in yourself and your future through career planning! "
Transportation industry has greater financial security than any other industry. Other main Advantages of choosing your career in transportation includes
World-wide marketability Travel opportunities Benefit to the society lofty prestige
Analysts have predicted that by the 21st century, the transportation industry will experience a shortage in qualified professionals. As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation, state and local transportation agencies, and the University’s Transportation Institute have placed a precedence on the enrollment of the "best and brightest" young people to form the nucleus of the transportation workforce for the this century.
General Transportation Studies offered at various universities.
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING is related to highway traffic control with an emphasis on traffic signals. The topics include capacity calculations for freeways, rural highways, and traffic signals, traffic signal design, operation and timing; and short introductions to corridor management projects and traffic safety studies.
University of Minnesota – Center for Transportation Studies, has developed a game keeping in mind the tools and ideas that actual traffic control engineers use in every day life. Learn and have fun concurrently while you play "Gridlock Buster" Traffic Control Game.
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
Transportation engineering is concerned with moving people and goods efficiently, safely, and in a manner conducive to a vivacious community. This involves specifying, designing, constructing, and maintaining transportation infrastructure which includes streets, canals, highways, rail systems, airports, ports, and mass transit. It includes areas such as transportation design, transportation planning, traffic engineering, some features of urban engineering, queueing theory, pavement engineering, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), and infrastructure management.
ROAD SAFETY
Road safety is concerned about accident occurrence and corresponding probability models, estimation of safety, Identification of deviated sites and drivers. Design, validity and interpretation of studies about the safety effect of treatments. Applications: intersection safety, law enforcement, driver improvements grade crossings, insurance premiums. Introduction to road safety, ergonomics with applications, biomechanics of injury and injury scaling, accident investigation and reconstruction.
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PERFORMANCE is concerned with the causes and effects of congestion on transport associations and in simple networks. The modeling is primarily deterministic, and the emphasis is on urban, peak phase conditions.
TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT
The land use – transportation interaction is the spotlight of this course. About half the course deals with land use forecasting models used to project upcoming land use (principally population and employment distributions) for input into transportation planning studies. Models reviewed include the Lowry Model, econometric-based models and urban simulation techniques. The remainder of the course deals with the qualitative and quantitative assessment of impacts of major transportation amenities on land use patterns.
AUTO SERVICE TECHNOLOGY
Transportation Degree programs at UCLA Automotive Service Technology is a two-level course. The first level students are instructed in basic shop skills, preventative maintenance, automotive engine systems diagnosis/service, electrical systems/service, suspension, steering systems/service, and tire service. The second level students are instructed in more specialized areas such as state inspection, automotive transmission, trans-axle, air conditioning service, electronic systems, engine overhaul, emission systems diagnosis service, and performance/ durability testing.
TRANSPORTATION DESIGN COURSE
The development, design and method of systems of transport: that is the area covered by the transportation designer, the professional who is always alert to consumers psychological and emotional mechanisms, knowing how to examine and understand areas of society, culture and the requirements of different kinds of users, so is capable of devising and designing the systems, the accessories and the means of transport of the future.
The program aims to give students from a wide range of backgrounds a firm grounding in the principles, techniques, issues and practice of transport planning and engineering, thus equipping them for a professional career. It is ideally suited to students who wish to develop their understanding of the transport engineering issues which they may have initially studied during a degree in Civil Engineering or related subject.
MAJOR UNIVERSITIES IN US THAT OFFER TRANSPORTAION STUDIES
Institute Of Transportation Studies – University of California, Berkeley
The Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world’s leading centers for transportation research, education, and scholarship. It is home to a large, diverse, and continually changing community of people who are experts in all aspects of transportation. Degree Programs / Courses offered at UC Berkeley
University of Minnesota | Centre for Transportation Studies
The field of transportation is diverse and complex. It involves all sectors of society and required skills from a variety of disciplines to address its challenges. The Center for Transportation Studies addresses these challenge
s through multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach programs. Transportation Career Guide
Department of Transportation Studies Texas Southern University
The field of transportation is diverse and complex. It involves all sectors of society and required skills from a variety of disciplines to address its challenges. The Center for Transportation Studies addresses these challenges through multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach programs. Department of Transportation Studies
Urban Transportation Center – University of Illinois at Chicago
The Urban Transportation Center at UIC is dedicated to conducting research and education and providing technical assistance on urban transportation planning, policy, operations and management. We specialize in three core clusters of transportation research: disadvantaged populations and human sustainability, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and public transportation, highways and freight planning, operations and management.
University of California Transportation Center
The Urban Transportation Center at UIC is dedicated to conducting research and education and providing technical assistance on urban transportation planning, policy, operations and management. We specialize in three core clusters of transportation research: disadvantaged populations and human sustainability, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and public transportation, highways and freight planning, operations and management.
Employment opportunities for young workers?
Transportation industry has enormous employment opportunities in the future. Employment is projected to increase by 1.1 million between 2004 and 2014 for transportation and material moving occupations. There would be more job opportunities for truck drivers and sales workers in future.
According to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, there would be more than 248,000 new jobs between 2004-2014, in transportation industry which include laborers, hand freight, stock and material movers.
In the present scenario, employers prefer hiring young workers in the transportation industry. Industry employers are targeting high school, technical school and community college graduates and also tapping dislocated workers, disabled personnel, veterans etc.
Skills required for different transportation sectors
For truck transportation and warehousing jobs, employers generally prefer workers who have high school education, but in reality, workers have basic college education. To become a truck driver, they have to meet certain federal motor carrier safety regulations.
They should be at least 21 years of old Should have 20/40 vision Should be able to hear properly, be able to speak and read English and also possess good driving records. Truck drivers should get a state commercial driver’s license (CDL).
To get this license they need to pass a written examination and a driving test. Each company has certain criteria’s for selecting a truck driver. Some companies also conduct tests before hiring truck drivers. So applicants need to ensure that they clear these tests also. There are various schools which provide training to truck drivers. Truck drivers attend these training schools before joining any company
For railroad transportation jobs, applicants should have physical stamina for entry-level jobs. They should pass a physical examination, drug and alcohol screening and a criminal background check. For various positions in this industry they should have high school education or its equivalent. Most of the employees in this sector work 24*7. They work during nights, over weekends and also on holidays. Rail yard workers work outdoors in varying weather conditions. While selecting entry level conductors or locomotive engineers they should be at least 21 years of age.
Conductors should be trained by employers or go through a conductor training program. Workers in the engineer positions are selected based on the experience they possess in other railroad-operating jobs.
Some of the important jobs in ground passenger transportation sector are bus and truck mechanics, diesel engine specialists, first-line supervisors, vehicle operators, intercity bus drivers and managers of transportation and material moving machine. Bus drivers should be well – mannered and have strong customer service skills.
Federal regulations require drivers who drive commercial motor vehicles have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). For diesel service technician and mechanic jobs, employers prefer graduates who have gone through formal training programs. There are many community colleges and vocational schools that provide training in diesel repair.
There are many institutions who offer training in communication skills, customer service, basic education in physics and logical reasoning techniques. If diesel service technicians go through these formal training program they can excel in their job
In sightseeing transportation and support activities sector, important jobs are aircraft mechanics, service technicians and customer service representatives. If a person wants to become an aircraft mechanic, he can study in one of 200 trade schools certified by FAA. Aircraft mechanics must have a high degree of mechanical aptitude. Necessary skills that aircraft mechanics need to possess are
They need to be self-motivated Hard working and enthusiastic Solve complex mechanical problems
Applicants are selected based on the above criteria.
If a person wishes to become a customer service representative, he should possess the necessary skills like
Basic computer knowledge Good interpersonal skills Interaction with the public Strong communication and problem solving skills
To become a customer service representative they should have a minimum of high school diploma degree.
How is US Congress and the ETA contributing to its growth?
Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in aid with Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) is planning to invest more than $260 million in 26 different regions throughout United States. WIRED aims to create high skill and high wage opportunities for American workers which will lead to economical and talent development. By taking these steps, ETA will be able to create skilled workforce which will create an impact in today’s economy.
ETA is planning to invest nearly $23,281,291 in transportation industry. From this about $7,640,253 would be used in four high growth Job Training Initiative grants and nearly $15,641,038 in eight Community based job training grants.
Department of Labor’s(DOL) Employment and Training Administration is supporting inclusive partnerships that contains employers, labor-management organizations, the public workforce system, and other entities that have developed innovative approaches that address the labor force needs of business while also efficiently helping workers find good jobs with good wages and promising career pathways in the transportation industry.
This set of workforce solutions is based on the transportation industry’s priorities that address issues such as:
Helping high school, technical school, and community college graduates successfully get into the transportation industry; Creating industry standards, and systems for apprenticeship, training, and skill certification in the transportation sector; Developing inclusive, competency-based training programs for entry-level workers; Creating models of safety imitation and gaming software that can be used to enhance the learning of younger workers; Developing competency-based training program for entry-
level mariners; Developing competency-based e-learning courses for mariners; Establish distance learning facilities in selected ports and two Seafarers International Union centers; Providing disadvantaged job applicants with an opportunity to enter the transportation industry as professional drivers; Articulating the commercial drivers license credential with the Technical Certificate in Heavy-Truck Diesel Maintenance; and Developing effective partnerships with Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers, community colleges, and industry.
The grants are planned to provide genuine solutions, leadership, and models for partnerships that can be simulated in different parts of the country.
DOL has also sought to understand and implement industry-identified strategies to confront critical labor force shortages. It has listened to employers representing dealerships, manufacturers, and suppliers, industry association representatives, educators, the public workforce system, and others related with the automotive industry regarding some of their efforts to recognize challenges and implement effective workforce strategies. DOL’s Employment and Training Administration is supporting comprehensive business, education, and workforce enlargement partnerships that have developed innovative approaches that address the workforce needs of business while also effectively helping workers find good jobs with good wages and promising career pathways in the automotive industry.
This set of labor force solutions is based on the automotive industry’s priorities that address issues such as:
Expanding the pipeline of youth entering the automotive industry; Helping alternative labor pools gain industry-defined skills and competencies; Developing alternative training strategies, such as apprenticeship, distance learning, and accelerated training, for training automotive professionals; Developing tools and curriculum for enhancing the skills of automotive professionals for nationwide distribution; Enhancing the capacity of educational institutions to train to industry-defined competencies; Developing industry-defined career ladders and lattices and corresponding competency models and curriculum; Developing strategies to maintain and help incumbent workers move into higher level positions; and Assisting transitioning individuals from declining industries to high growth industries by building on their existing skills and training them for high growth automotive occupations.
The grants are intended to provide genuine solutions, leadership, and models for partnerships that can be replicated in different parts of the country.
Despite a large number of “cold cures” the American Medical Society consensus is that there is no “official” cure for the cold; that most colds seem to last about one week; but that some colds clear up rather quickly, within 24 hours or so, without running the full, longer course.
In the spring of 1960, a University of Illinois team disclosed that it had made thousands of tests on 2,500 volunteer subjects with no indication that there is a preventive or a cure for the common cold. At least 70 viruses are reported to cause any of the conditions extending from the simple cold of runny nose and mild discomforts to influenza.
As a matter of fact, researchers point out that there is no such thing as the “common cold.” We may be suffering from an attack of streptococci, staphylococci, or diplococci germs, centering around the respiratory system; or we may have an allergy that evolves into all the commonly recognized symptoms of a cold; and even an emotional disturbance may be causing the trouble.
Whatever the cause or the definition, the “common cold” and various respiratory ailments are responsible for about half of all lost working time in the nation; they cost people around $2 billion, and bring misery to untold millions of persons every year. Various estimates testify that two out of every three of us suffer three attacks a year, and as many as 30 to 40 million persons may be uncomfortable with colds or other respiratory ailments in one day.
Knowing the statistics concerned with the high incidence of colds is small comfort to those who are presently afflicted with a dripping nose, sore throat, and general indisposition of a cold.
More comfort may be found in knowing that a tremendous amount of research and large sums of money are being directed toward solving the mysteries of the “common cold” and ridding us of the unpleasant experience.
The hope rests – presently – in vaccines that will prevent colds, rather than in a cure for them.
Dr. Thomas G. Ward, professor of virology at Notre Dame University, believes that within a couple of years a vaccine will be available to prevent possibly as much as 70% of all common colds.
Significant progress has been made in this direction since 1914 when Walther Kruse, a German scientist, first attributed the common cold to a virus source.
Dr. A. R. Dochez of Columbia University, Dr. Christopher Howard Andrews of England and the Cold Research Institute (established there in 1946), have contributed much in this direction, as well as scientists at the National Institute of Health of the United States Public Health Service with Dr. Robert J. Huebner, head of the cold research committee at Bethesda.
Dr. Maurice Hilleman of the Army Medical School, Walter Reed hospital, has been active in solving the mysteries of the “common cold.” Dr. Winston H. Price of Johns Hopkins and the above-mentioned Dr. Ward of Notre Dame, have accomplished much in this area of study. Dr. George Gee Jackson already has been quoted in reference to the findings of the University of Illinois investigating team.
All in all, the battlefront of cold prevention promises great victories for the near future, but as for a cure for the common cold, the story is as discouraging as it was 30, 100 or 1,000 years ago! There is no sure cure.
pecial to CNN, the Mayo Clinic’s mayoclinic.com reported that, “Parkinson’s disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms become worse over time. But although Parkinson’s may eventually be disabling, the disease often progresses gradually, and most people have many years of productive living after a diagnosis.” This would indicate that there may be effective interventions that could perhaps slow the progress of the disease. When we get such a diagnosis, our first reaction might be to withdraw and give up. However, the old adage “use it or lose it” tells us that just the opposite is true. If you have Parkinson’s, you’d likely be best off to use everything your body is, every which way, on a regular basis.
Tai Chi movement’s gentle balance enhancing motions can obviously help the Parkinson’s patient by helping to reduce the gradual loss of balance that Parkinson’s sufferers often experience. However, there may be much more it offers. For example, Tai Chi movements rotate the human body in about 95% of the ways the body can move, when a long form is practiced. This is far beyond what other exercise offers, and in fact the closest would be several swimming strokes, which together would only rotate the body in about 65% of the ways it can move. For Parkinson’s sufferers, or anyone for that matter, this would indicate that by “using” 95% of the body’s possible motion several times a week, the possibility of “losing” the ability to do so diminishes accordingly. This isn’t rocket science, but simple common sense.
Yet, perhaps Parkinson’s patients have even more to gain from Tai Chi. A few years ago I taught several classes at local medical centers. I was continually frustrated because although I’d seen emerging reports that Tai Chi was beneficial to people with Parkinson’s Disease, or arthritis, or chronic hypertension, etc., even though the departments that specialized in those conditions were often just down the hall from my Tai Chi class . . . they might as well have been a million miles away. Because the physicians who ran those departments were either ignorant of or unwilling to refer their patients to the possibilities that Tai Chi offered their lives.
I remember though, that at one medical center a visionary neurologist began to refer patients with balance disorders to my Tai Chi classes and the result was very beneficial for his patients. Another physician actually wrote prescriptions for my Tai Chi classes to treat the chronic hypertension of his patients, who’d seen a significant drop in their blood pressure since beginning the classes weeks before. A clinical psychologist brought me in to teach Qigong (Chi Kung) meditation and Tai Chi to her patient group to enhance their sense of well being and provide effective stress management training. So, even back then some physicians were seeing the potential Tai Chi offered their clients, and even more are now, but the number of physicians who are still not informing their patients of Tai Chi’s direct therapeutic or at the least adjunct therapy benefits to their patient’s efforts to deal with their conditions and life, is increasingly indefensible in this day and age. Given the research that has exposed the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits Tai Chi offers, for physicians to not educate themselves on this and share their knowledge with each and every patient is tantamount to mal-practice. Health educators should likewise be making such therapies part of their medical student education programs as well.
Tai Chi for Parkinson’s is being recommended increasingly by support groups and some progressive medical centers, but until everyone that has Parkinson’s knows about it, then our work at World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is not done, nor is the medical community’s. There are many obvious reasons everyone with Parkinson’s should be doing Tai Chi, but it’s the ones that are not yet obvious that may be the most intriguing. One obvious reason is that Tai Chi is the most powerful balance and coordination enhancing exercise known. In many studies at major universities Tai Chi was found to be TWICE as effective in reducing falls as the other balance enhancing exercises being studied. For people with Parkinson’s, who often see their balance deteriorate as their condition progresses, it is unforgivable for them to not be informed of Tai Chi’s potential benefits at the earliest stage possible while their balance is still good.
Now, regarding the less obvious reasons Tai Chi may benefit Parkinson’s patients. Both my wife and daughter, who co-taught a Tai Chi class together noticed that a young man with severe Parkinson’s tremors . . . completely lost his tremors once he joined the class in flowing through the Tai Chi movements in class. In another class I was teaching an older man with advanced Parkinson’s attended my classes for many months, and he always came in very slow with his walker. Once we began the Tai Chi movements he no longer used his walker, and had learned the entire long form of Tai Chi I taught, which was over 15 minutes of continuous changing forms. His form was unique and tailored for his limitations, but nonetheless a challenging set of exercises he was able to accomplish without the use of his walker. What do these anecdotal experiences portend for others with Parkinson’s? I don’t know, but there should be massive research dollars coming from the National Institutes of Health to find out. Given the promise Tai Chi seems to offer people on so many profound physical, emotional, and mental fronts from preliminary research, the current total research money earmarked for complimentary and alternative medicine’s (CAM) is a mere pittance.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), now in its sixth year, supports more than 300 research projects and has an estimated budget of over $120 million for 2005 (up from $50 million in 1999). Total spending on CAM by all NIH institutes and centers is expanding as well, and is expected to reach $315 million by 2005.
Sounds like a lot? However, $120 million is less than “one half of one percent” of the total NIH FY2005 budget. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges the NIH’s total annual budget for FY 2005 is $28.8 billion (http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/05pch8.htm). Remember, we are talking about only spending much much less than one half of one percent to study an exercise that preliminary research has shown to: n Lower High Blood Pressure (about 1/3 of Americans have hypertension – roughly over 90 million Americans) n Boost Immune Function profoundly (a study sited at drkoop.com indicates that a Tai Chi practicing group was TWICE as resistant to the shingles virus, and researchers believed this would carry over to other viral resistance as well.) n Dramatically reduce falling injuries by about half (complications from falling injuries in older Americans is the 6th leading cause of death for seniors in America)
If Tai Chi only addressed this chronic condition affecting 1/3 of Americans, while boosting the immune system of all practitioners profoundly, and cutting in half the sixth leading cause of death for seniors, without any negative side effects, that would seem to be, for the rational person a reason for pouring massive resources into researching it further. However, Tai Chi’s benefits only begin with the above preliminary findings. We also know that it may very well relieve depression, anxiety, and mood disturbance, as well as reduce ADHD symptoms in teenagers diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. There are indications that Tai Chi may greatly reduce or even eliminate chronic pain conditions, and lessen allergic and asthmatic reactions, and improve overall respiratory function.
My point is, “where is the massive attention this would garner on talk shows, and in health newspaper sections, if this were a drug or surgery that could provide such a seemingly massive breakthrough in health treatment?” Peter Chowka, in a brilliant two part series for Natural Health Line, entitled “Compl
ementary & Alternative Medicine in 2000,” wrote, “Conflicts of interest are not uncommon in most aspects of life. But in medicine, the biggest business in the U.S. (over $1.5 trillion a year constituting over 14 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, according to the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine report issued January 10, 2001), serious conflicts are particularly well entrenched.” Mr. Chowka wrote of physicians like Dr. Marcia Angell voicing concerns of the “troubling” result massive research money from drug and medical-equipment companies was having on the scientific process. In the New England Journal of Medicine’s May 18, 2000 issue, Dr. Angel wrote an editorial entitled, “Is Academic Medicine for Sale?” She wrote, “As we spoke with research psychiatrists about writing an editorial on the treatment of depression . . . we found very few who did not have financial ties to drug companies that make antidepressants. . .The problem is by no means unique to psychiatry. We routinely encounter similar difficulties in finding editorialists in other specialties, particularly those that involve the heavy use of expensive drugs and devices.”
So, who can make a multi-billion dollar fortune teaching Tai Chi to people? No one can. Tai Chi cannot be bottled, or mass marketed. It is a decentralized labor intensive industry that employees many people, but keeps the profits small and local. Yes, there are videos and DVDs that teach Tai Chi effectively, but ultimately even those who utilize videos are drawn to live class like structures. As I mentioned before with the “anecdotal” experiences of my students with Parkinson’s, Tai Chi seems to offer something profoundly beneficial to the quality of life of Parkinson’s sufferers. It needs further study. We are in a catch 22, where many health professionals feel they cannot recommend Tai Chi because too much of the preliminary research is anecdotal. However, when Tai Chi is jockeying for position to get a crumb of the .5% of total NIH money going to ALL complimentary and alternative medical therapies . . . the result will be many long years of millions of people suffering needlessly from conditions or symptoms of those conditions that Tai Chi could likely safely lessen or even eliminate.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT TAI CHI AND PARKINSONS?
Tai Chi is being recommended by some forward thinking medical institutions already. The Cleveland Clinic of Neuroscience Center encourages Parkinson’s Disease patients to seek out a hobby or activity they can enjoy and stick with such as “Tai Chi” and other activities. The Alexian Neurosciences Institute in Illinois offers a course in their The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. Also, the American Parkinson’s Disease Association at Stanford University Medical Center, in it’s “Beyond Pills…. Alternative Approaches to Coping with Parkinson’s Disease” program, offered “Tai Chi, The Art for Living with Parkinson’s” by Mwezo & Jane of Kujiweza Healing Arts. (Learn more at: http://parkinsons.stanford.edu/symposium.html). The Parkinson’s Society of Canada recommends Tai Chi for Parkinson’s patients, suggesting “Tai Chi may prevent or at least slow down the onset of degenerative diseases; in the long run, it can reduce need for rehabilitative care.” (http://www.parkinsons.ca/managing.html#taichi)
In the United Kingdom a Parkinson’s Tai Chi study was conducted at Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, Cornwall. Their conclusion of the study was such, “Tai Chi training was well tolerated by PD patients in this study, but had no measurable effect on motor performance using UPDRS score or GAG time. There was a non-significant improvement in quality of life scores (PDQ 39). Larger studies would be needed fully to evaluate the value and efficacy of Tai Chi. However our results are encouraging, and provide evidence for its safety and tolerability and would support the feasibility of further study.” (http://www.pdcornwall.org.uk/showarticle.pl?n=30&id=81)
WCHS TV during a news report focusing on Tai Chi’s ability to boost immune system function, also reported that “Tai Chi has also been shown to help illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis.” (http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/healthyforlife/2177.shtml)
The Neurology Channel reported, “The slow flowing movements of Tai Chi help maintain flexibility, balance, and relaxation. The Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Minneapolis, which teaches a modified form of Tai Chi, consistently reports benefits achieved by patients in all stages of Parkinson’s.” (http://www.neurologychannel.com/parkinsonsdisease/surgery.s html)
Physicians at the Mayo Clinic recommend Tai Chi for Parkinson’s therapy, under their Parkinson’s “self-care” section for avoiding falls, where they suggest you “Ask your doctor or physical therapist about exercises that improve balance, especially tai chi. Originally developed in China more than 1,000 years ago, tai chi uses slow, graceful movements to relax and strengthen muscles and joints. “
At a popular health website called “RemedyFind.com” viewers can vote on therapies they’ve found benefited their condition, or didn’t benefit it. The rating there for Tai Chi as a Parkinson’s therapy received a rating of 9.8 out of a possible 10. (http://remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=13945)
A Study at the University of Florida in Jacksonville found that patients who attended Tai Chi classes for one hour each week for 12-weeks were less likely than a group of control patients to experience an increase in the severity of their condition and a decrease in motor function. . . ..[of alternative therapies] the most popular therapies being Tai Chi, yoga, and acupuncture. (http://www.worldhealth.net/p/275,1526.html), (SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 13th November 2002)
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported, “Parkinson’s Meets It’s Match in Tai Chi.” In this article they write that Dr. Mark Guttman, director of the Centre for Movement Disorders in Markham, Ontario, recommends people with Parkinson’s do exercises that involve a lot of stretching, similar to the movements of tai chi.
“Tai chi is wonderful; it can help people with disabilities as well as people with Parkinson’s,” he says. He added that studies on animals show exercise induces a change in the brain that prevents the symptom’s of Parkinson’s from emerging.
The Tai Chi teacher for this program, Ms. Embree, spoke of how people with fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and Parkinson’s often attend her classes . . . “Doctors are now sending people here,” adds Ms Embree. (for the entire article, go to: PARKINSON’S MEETING IT’S MATCH IN TAI CHI, April, 13, 2005, http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/0304/lvtaichi7.html )
At the National Parkinson’s Foundation site, Melanie M. Brandabur, MD NPF Center of Excellence, University of Illinois at Chicago and Jill Marjama-Lyons, MD NPF Center of Excellence, Shands Jacksonville, wrote, “Most patients derive a great deal of benefit from today’s medications and surgical therapies for Parkinson’s Disease . . . However, benefits of these therapies can be limited. As time goes by, the medications may not seem as effective as they once were. Side effects or unpredictable response may develop. Surgical therapies are not curative and often treat only selected aspects of Parkinson’s Disease. For these reasons, patients may decide to explore other modalities, such as massage therapy, Tai Chi, yoga, or herbal preparations to augment their Parkinson’s medication . . . Many patients with Parkinson’s Disease have become interested in complementary therapies to supplement medications and other traditional PD treatments. These physicians also suggest that as Tai Chi and other modalities benefits are exposed by clinical research, physicians will advocate their use more widely. (http://www.parkinson.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dJFJLPwB&b=238635)
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day joins a growing number of health professionals specializing in fields like Parkinson’s who believe t
hat much more research needs to be done to illuminate the full spectrum of benefits Tai Chi offers all people as well as those specifically with chronic conditions. This will enable more physicians to make Tai Chi a regular prescription written as therapy or adjunct therapy for a host of maladies many are already enjoying the benefits of for their condition, but paying out of pocket for. Ultimately more and more health insurance plans should and will make Tai Chi classes a deductible medical expense for their clients. The end result of this shift may portend the savings of hundreds of billions of dollars annually in saved health care costs as patients are better trained in self care techniques, training the great visionary Thomas Edison referred to as “the care and maintenance of the human frame,” which Edison envisioned would more and more reduce the need for expensive surgeries and life long dependence on medications as human beings maximized their own self healing abilities. Traditional Chinese Medicine has spent centuries developing and evolving self healing technologies like Tai Chi. Now the west can learn about their results, and physicians can prescribe them to their patients and our entire society will be healthier and more abundant for it.