NCT07338045

The Effects of Eight-Week Baduanjin Exercise on Chronic Low Back Pain and Disability Among Office Workers.

The Effects of Eight-Week Baduanjin Exercise on Chronic Low Back Pain and Disability Among Office Workers

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Universiti Sains Malaysia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Office workers often suffer from chronic low back pain due to long hours of sitting and poor posture. This study will test whether Baduanjin-a gentle, traditional Chinese exercise-can help reduce pain and improve physical function in office staff with long-standing back pain. Thirty participants will be randomly assigned to either practice Baduanjin for eight weeks or receive no special intervention. Researchers will measure changes in pain levels, movement ability, balance, posture, and daily functioning before and after the program. Baduanjin is a safe, low-cost, and easy-to-learn exercise that could be widely used in community health settings as a non-drug therapy for back pain.

Detailed description

The modern office environment has led to increased sedentary behavior and poor postures among office workers, contributing significantly to chronic low back pain (LBP) and associated functional impairments. This condition not only reduces work productivity and quality of life but also increases healthcare costs and societal burden. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of an eight-week Baduanjin exercise program on pain intensity, physical function, and disability in office workers with chronic LBP. Thirty eligible participants will be randomly allocated to either the Baduanjin group or a control group. The Baduanjin group will attend supervised Baduanjin training sessions three times per week for eight weeks, while the control group will maintain their usual routine without any specific intervention. Outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention. Primary outcomes include: (1) pain severity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS); (2) joint mobility assessed using the Joint Mobility Scale; (3) balance function evaluated via the Berg Balance Scale; (4) postural risk analyzed by the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA); and (5) lumbar spine dysfunction determined by the Chinese version of the Oswestry Disability Index (CODI). Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. Continuous variables will be presented as mean ± standard deviation. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA will be used to examine the interaction effects between group (Baduanjin vs. control) and time (pre- vs. post-intervention). A p-value \< 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. Findings from this study may support the integration of Baduanjin into primary healthcare and community-based rehabilitation programs as a safe, simple, and effective non-pharmacological intervention for chronic low back pain.

Conditions

• Low Back Pain
• Baduanjin

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Baduanjin Exercise Program	A traditional Chinese qigong-based exercise program involving eight gentle movements designed to promote circulation, strengthen muscles, and improve balance. Participants will attend supervised sessions five times per week for 8 weeks, each lasting 45 minutes.
OTHER	Usual Care / No Structured Exercise	Participants will continue with their regular daily activities without receiving any structured exercise intervention or specific guidance related to low back pain management during the 8-week study period. They will be provided with information about the Baduanjin Exercise Program after the completion of all data collection, as part of an ethical follow-up measure.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-15
• Primary completion: 2026-06-30
• Completion: 2026-06-30
• First posted: 2026-01-13
• Last updated: 2026-01-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China