Comparing Tai Chi Chih and Relaxation Therapy in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

March 21, 2013 updated by: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Efficacy of CAM Interventions in Rheumatoid Arthritis

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of relaxation therapy and tai chi in treating the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

RA is a debilitating disease characterized by inflammation of the joints, leading to chronic pain, loss of function, and disability. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments are being used with increased frequency by patients with chronic pain and rheumatic diseases to relieve their symptoms. While patients find these treatments helpful, there is limited scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions. This study will compare relaxation therapy (a commonly used treatment for RA) to tai chi chih (a combination of slow, deliberate movements and meditation) in treating the symptoms of RA.

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of either relaxation therapy or tai chi chih. At study entry and Weeks 6 and 12, participants will complete questionnaires about their RA symptoms, health functioning, overall quality of life, and complete a brief medical exam.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

100

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90048
        • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
        • University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Active adult onset rheumatoid arthritis
  • Stable on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologic medications
  • Able to walk without use of an assistive device
  • Resides in greater Los Angeles area
  • Willing and able to comply with study requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Uncontrolled or untreated medical conditions
  • Frequent or uncontrolled disease flares
  • Use of certain medications any medical condition deemed by the investigators to interfere with either the patient's safe participation or interpretation of the study data

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
RA-related disability
Health functioning

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jennifer Pike, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

November 1, 2004

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2007

Study Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 15, 2004

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 15, 2004

First Posted (Estimate)

November 16, 2004

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 22, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 21, 2013

Last Verified

March 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R21AT002307-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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