By Denis Brosnan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 6/19/03)

Who knew exercise could be so much fun?

Marymount University’s physical therapy department has joined efforts with the Alzheimer’s Family Day Center in Falls Church, in an effort to study the effects of physical therapy on the mobility of a patient afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

Although the official results of the study will not be released until late September, the 15-month program has brought dramatic improvements to some of the patients, according to Dr. Rita Wong, professor of physical therapy at Marymount.

"We have seen such an improvement of flexibility and mobility since we started this program," said Wong. "We have also seen an improvement in mental agility."

The most recognizable characteristic of Alzheimer’s is the deterioration of mental capacities such as memory, judgment and concentration. However, the disease also has an effect on a person’s physical ability, such as balance, motor skills and general movement ability.

Although the physical therapy will not cure or regress Alzheimer’s, Wong says the patients’ quality of life can improve. "Through physical therapy, Alzheimer patients can depend on themselves much more. We want these people to be with their families for as long as possible — not in a nursing home," said Wong.

The patients begin the exercise session with 25 minutes of physical therapy, led by Megan Dellamy, exercise coordinator and Marymount physical therapy graduate. During this session, Dellamy has the patients stretch, reach and even dance. The physical therapy is meant to serve as a warm up to the next phase of exercise — Ta’i Chi.

Ta’i Chi, which originated in China, is a series of movements based on martial arts. Its main goal is to improve balance and movement, as well as mental agility.

Frank Hall, a parishioner at Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria, serves as Ta’i Chi instructor to the patients. "People think that just because someone has Alzheimer’s, they are incapable of participating in a program like Ta’i Chi. I’m here to say that they are fully capable," said Hall.

The combination of physical therapy and T’ai Chi is unprecedented in the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. Hall says that Ta’i Chi is an essential part of the physical therapy process. "Physical therapy is wonderful because it allows the patient to stretch and work on flexibility. But Ta’i Chi forces the patient to concentrate and think about their movements in a more deliberate way," he said.
According to Lynn Noyes, program director at the Alzheimer’s Family Center, the faculty and students have learned a great deal from their patients. "The students have been shown a whole different aspect of physical therapy that they had never before experienced," said Noyes. "This study has shown that physical therapy professionals can work with dementia and be successful in treating the physical side of it."

<photo credit>courtesy photo of Laurie Callahan

<photo caption>EXERCISE — Megan Bellamy Brown (right), a graduate of Marymount University's Master of Science in Physical Therapy program, directs exercise routines for mobility and strength at the Alzheimer's Family Day Center.