the Effects of Individualized Tai Chi Training on Balance Control in Elderly

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Tai Ji

Treatments: Other: Entire Tai Chi; Other: home-based program; Other: individualized Tai Chi

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03659396

1000087

Details and patient eligibility

About

Traditional Tai Chi is too complex for most elderly individuals. There have been few reports regarding the development of simplified Tai Chi programs to suit the physical needs of elderly adults. However, these programs were not individualized according to the participants' balance control abilities.The investigators already developed an individualized Tai Chi program. This objective of the study was to investigate the effect of individualized Tai Chi training.

Full description

Background: Balance control is an important skill for human to maintain a myriad of postures and activities. The elderly suffering from balance impairment by aging have high rate to increase fall-related injuries, restricted activities, declined physical functions, and decrease quality of life. Tai Chi (TC) has been demonstrated as an innovative way to promote balance function, which is a suitable exercise for older people because of its slow movement, changeable base of supports, multi-directions weight shifting and less impact on lower extremities. Recent systematic reviews have shown that TC exercises have significant benefits in improving balance control, but most of them are only connected with healthy elderlies. Actually, the long standing time and training duration, challenged recollection by its sequence forms, and complex coordination for upper and lower extremities of TC usually make it difficult to practice for some elderlies with poor physical functions. Therefore, the method of individualized TC exercise program, integrated with biomechanical analyses, is developed in this research. It can afford an easier and more applicable training for elderly to improve the balance abilities.

Purposes:To evaluate the effects of individualized Tai Chi training on balance control in elderly.

Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental design and prospective study. Participants were recruited and assigned into individualized TC, entire TC group and home-based education group

Enrollment: 70 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Participants in the study were community-dwelling volunteers aged over 65 years. Participants were ambulatory and did not

Exclusion criteria

have any history of

1. diagnosed central nervous system
2. vestibular pathology
3. cognitive impairment
4. visual deficit
5. fracture of lower limb in recent 6 months
6. with Tai Chi practice experience for more than 2 months.
7. severe hearing impairment to follow instruction

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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70 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

individualized Tai Chi

Experimental group

Description:

patient received individualized Tai Chi program training.

Treatment:

Other: individualized Tai Chi

Entire Tai Chi

Active Comparator group

Description:

patient received Entire Tai Chi program training.

Treatment:

Other: Entire Tai Chi

home-based program

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

patient received home-based program training.

Treatment:

Other: home-based program