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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Tai Ji
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: individualized Tai Chi; Other: Entire Tai Chi; Other: home-based program

Detailed 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

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: individualized Tai Chi; patient received individualized Tai Chi program training.	Other: individualized Tai Chi; individualized Tai Chi training exercise
Active Comparator: Entire Tai Chi; patient received Entire Tai Chi program training.	Other: Entire Tai Chi; the classical Yang style Tai Chi program
Placebo Comparator: home-based program; patient received home-based program training.	Other: home-based program; Home-based exercise

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Time Up and Go	is a simple test used to assess a person's mobility and requires both static and dynamic balance	8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Berg balance scale	The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was developed to measure balance among older people with impairment in balance function by assessing the performance of functional tasks. 1 The scale consists of 14 items, scored from 0 to 4, which are added to make a total score between 0 and 56; a higher score indicates better balance.	8 weeks
functional reach	The Functional Reach Test is a quick and simple, single-task dynamic test that defines functional reach as. "the maximal distance one can reach forward beyond arm's length, while maintaining a fixed base of support in the standing position"	8 weeks
muscle strength of hip flexor and extensor	muscle strength of hip flexor and extensor by dynamometer	8 weeks
muscle strength of hip abductor and adductor	muscle strength of hip abductor and adductor by dynamometer	8 weeks
muscle strength of knee flexor and extensor	muscle strength of knee flexor and extensor by dynamometer	8 weeks
muscle strength of ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexor	muscle strength of ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexor by dynamometer	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Yang Ming University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Penn IW, Sung WH, Lin CH, Chuang E, Chuang TY, Lin PH. Effects of individualized Tai-Chi on balance and lower-limb strength in older adults. BMC Geriatr. 2019 Aug 27;19(1):235. doi: 10.1186/s12877-019-1250-8.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 28, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 5, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): September 6, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 10, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 6, 2018
• Last Verified: September 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 1000087