UNIONTOWN, Ohio -- Many people think of martial arts as a way to defend themselves, but the art of tai chi can also have healing power.

An Ohio woman had been suffering for years before she decided to take up tai chi. She believes that if it helped her, it might help others, too.

As a business owner, Joan Smith is constantly on her feet, and it used to be agony for her.

She was still suffering from a car accident that happened 20 years ago.

"I broke my back, and I smashed my left leg from the knee down," she said.

Smith was on and off crutches all the time, and she figured that one day she might not even be able to walk.

"I felt like I was at the point where it was only going to keep getting worse and I needed to do something to strengthen the leg," she said.

One day, Smith's husband noticed an ad in a newsletter for a tai chi class. She went to Wayne Schulz Martial Arts, and from that point, her life changed.

Those who practice tai chi say it can do everything from restoring balance to helping digestion or easing joint pain. Advocates said the slow, rhythmic and powerful practice can even manage attention deficit disorder in children.

"The body is relaxed, the mind is relaxed, but yet you're building a tremendous amount of energy in the body as you do that," Schulz said.

Schulz said that the moves are not hard to learn.

"A lot of times, the biggest thing is just patience," he said.

Smith's patience is paying off. She has lost 15 pounds, has gained muscle, and can stay on her feet for hours at a time with no problem.

"I've been doing it a year and a half, and the strength in my leg is incredible," she said. "My ankle is better, the circulation is better."

She's said she's getting better, one slow step at a time.

Schulz said a person who takes up tai chi can't expect to erase problems that took decades to develop. But he said that with a long-term commitment, a person will notice changes.