Vitality Acupunch Exercise Program for Sarcopenia Older Adults (VA)

Kaohsiung Medical University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Functional Fitness; Activities of Daily Living

Treatments: Other: Vitality acupunch (VA) exercise program; Other: Control

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04504786

KMUHIRB-F(II)-20190045(1)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project was aimed to test the effects of a six-month VA program on the activities of daily living (ADL) and functional fitness of institutional older adults with sarcopenia.

Full description

A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effects of a six-month VA program on ADL and functional fitness (lung capacity, body flexibility, range of the joint's motion, and muscle endurance) of institutional older adults with sarcopenia. Using convenience sampling, 12 long-term care facilities with 114 older adults were recruited, and then cluster-randomized by the facility to a VA experimental or a control group. The experimental group received the VA program led by certified instructors 3 times per week and 40 minutes per session for six months; the control group continued with their regular daily activities. One pre-test and two post-tests, three months apart, were conducted.

Enrollment: 114 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 100 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age ≥ 65 years old
• have been living in the facility for at least three months
• intact cognitive function with the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) score ≥ 8
• hand-grip strength < 28 kg for men and < 18 kg for women
• calf circumference < 34 cm for men and < 33 cm for women

Exclusion criteria

• have spinal cord injury
• have severe cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases
• have musculoskeletal diseases

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

114 participants in 2 patient groups

Vitality acupunch (VA)

Experimental group

Description:

The VA program took 40 minutes to complete and included three phases: 1) activating qi and blood (5 movements, 10 minutes): warm-up exercises that allowed the body to accumulate heat and promote flexibility of the joints to loosen up the body, 2) punching meridians (14 movements, 20 minutes): both hands were used to exert a vibrating effect according to the rhythms that stimulate the 14 meridians in the entire body to improve aerobic endurance, and 3) relaxing body and mind (5 movements, 10 minutes): muscle relaxing exercises to rest the body and cease the qi. Participants in the experimental group received the VA program led by the instructors, who were trained and certified by the PI, 3 times per week and 40 minutes per session for 6 months.

Treatment:

Other: Vitality acupunch (VA) exercise program

Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the control group continued with their daily activities as usual.

Treatment:

Other: Control