Effects of Traditional Chinese Exercise on Oxidative Stress in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Network Meta-Analysis

Daoyin therapy in chronic neck pain: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Daoyin therapy (DT), an ancient therapeutic approach with a history spanning thousands of years, has traditionally been employed to address musculoskeletal pain and psychosomatic disorders. However, the application of DT for chronic neck pain (CNP) has received limited attention in the existing literature, and systematic randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in this context remain scarce. This manuscript outlines an RCT protocol designed to investigate whether DT is more effective at alleviating CNP in adult individuals compared to other interventions.

METHODS

A 12-week RCT was conducted, with participants undergoing randomization into one of three groups: DT, Meditation + Fitness Exercise (M+FE), or a control group. Participants in the DT and M + FE groups attended their respective training classes three times per week for 12 weeks. Participants in the control group were required to attend health education workshops every 2 weeks. Following the 12-week intervention period, all participants underwent follow-up assessments at the 16th week. Outcome measures encompassed the Simplified Chinese Neck Pain and Disability Scale (SC-NPAD) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain assessment, Static Neck Posture Assessment (SNPA) to evaluate neck and shoulder posture and function, Short Form-36 (SF-36) to assess quality of life, and blood tests measuring 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline (NE/NA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Adreno-Cortico-Tropic-Hormone (ACTH), β-Endorphin (β-EP), and Calcitonin-Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) levels via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Brain activity changes were monitored through MRI scans. Repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) will be used to evaluate the outcomes at baseline, at the 12th week, and at the 16th week. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models will be applied to analyze changes in outcomes over time and differences between groups.

DISCUSSION

This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of DT in comparison to other interventions and explore the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying its effects in adults with CNP. If the intervention and procedures demonstrate feasibility and acceptability, there are plans to conduct a more extensive controlled trial. This could potentially pave the way for the broader application of DT, not only in the context of CNP but also for other chronic diseases.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration ID: [ChiCTR2400079571]).

Effectiveness of Yijinjing exercise in the treatment of early-stage knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is still a challenging degenerative joint disease with high morbidity and disease burden. Early-stage KOA, the focus of this study, could present a Window of Opportunity to arrest the disease process and reduce the disease burden. Yijinjing exercise is an important part of physical and psychological therapies in Traditional Chinese Exercise and may be an effective treatment. However, there is no clinical efficacy assessment of Yijinjing exercise for patients with early-stage KOA. Therefore, we designed a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Yijinjing exercise on patients with early-stage KOA.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a parallel-design, two-arm, analyst assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial. In total, 60 patients with early-stage KOA will be recruited and randomly assigned to the Yijinjing exercise group (n=30) and health education group (n=30) at a ratio of 1:1, receiving 12 weeks of Yijinjing exercise or health education accordingly. The primary outcome will be measured with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and the secondary outcomes will include the Visual Analogue Scale, Short-Form 36 Item Health Survey Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Berg Balance Scale, and Gait Analysis for a comprehensive assessment. Outcome measures are collected at baseline, at 12 week ending intervention and at the 12 week, 24 week and 48 week ending follow-up. The primay time point will be 12 weeks postintervention. Adverse events will be recorded for safety assessment.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has been approved by the ethical application of the Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ethics Committee (2021SHL-KY-78).

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2200065178.

Traditional Chinese exercises on pain and disability in middle-aged and elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background

Traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) have played a significant role in treating various diseases. However, there is limited research assessing the efficacy of TCEs in treating Lumbar disc herniation (LDH). This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of four commonly used TCEs (Baduanjin, Yijinjing, Taichi, and Wuqinxi) on pain and disability in elderly patients with LDH.

Objectives

To assess the quality of relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to provide evidence support for the treatment of LDH.

Methods

RCTs were identified through eight databases. Meta-analysis and trial sequence analysis (TSA) were conducted using RevMan 5.4, Stata 17.0, and TSA 0.9.

Results

A total of 22 RCTs, involving 1931 patients, were included in the analysis. TCEs exhibited a superior effectiveness in treating LDH compared to the control group. However, the TSA analysis suggested the possibility of false positives, indicating the need for more high-quality RCT evidence. Nevertheless, TCEs showed reliable results in significantly improving the VAS score and JOA score of LDH patients.

Conclusion

Current evidence indicates that the four TCEs have advantages in treating LDH in middle-aged and elderly individuals. However, considering the limitations of this study, we need to exercise caution in drawing conclusions, and further research is required to validate these findings.

Systematic Review Registration

http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier [CRD42023431633].

Effect of Wu Qin Xi exercises on pain and function in people with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

As a chronic disease that affects the whole world, there is no definite treatment for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Wu Qin Xi (WQX) is still in preliminary exploration as a traditional Chinese exercise in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of previous studies and to investigate the efficacy of the WQX exercises on pain and function in patients with KOA.

METHODS

We searched six databases (Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, CQVIP, and CNKI) for articles on WQX for KOA up to May 10, 2022. Literature search, study selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation were performed by two independent authors. In terms of statistical results, we presented mean differences (MD), 95% CI, and I 2 to show heterogeneity, and, based on that, we chose either a random effects model or a fixed effects model.

RESULTS

Seven studies were selected for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The WQX intervention group showed statistical differences for both the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and its various bylaws, the Visual Analogue Score (VAS), and the presence of general functional exercise in the control group. We also demonstrated the clinically meaningful efficacy of WQX treatment by calculating minimum clinical importance difference (MCID) values that met the MCID values on the WOMAC score. A sensitivity analysis was also performed in this study by subgroup analysis for greater heterogeneity, and it was inferred that the difference in follow-up time was a likely source of heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

Despite some limitations, the current study showed a definite effect of WQX in improving pain symptoms and joint function in patients with KOA.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42022332209.