NCT03659396

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

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 70 (actual)
• Sponsor: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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.

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

Conditions

• Tai Ji

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	individualized Tai Chi	individualized Tai Chi training exercise
OTHER	Entire Tai Chi	the classical Yang style Tai Chi program
OTHER	home-based program	Home-based exercise

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-12-01
• Primary completion: 2014-07-01
• Completion: 2014-07-01
• First posted: 2018-09-06
• Last updated: 2018-09-10