Beneficial Effects and Potential Mechanisms of Tai Chi on Lower Limb Osteoarthritis: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis is an irreversible, progressive, degenerative joint disorder of multifactorial etiology that commonly affects weight-bearing joints and leads to pain, loss of movement and functional limitation. Exercise therapy has been shown to be beneficial in osteoarthritis, in terms of decreased pain, improved motion and improved functional outcomes. This review aims to look at some of the common as well as newer modalities of exercise therapy for osteoarthritis (OA), such as strength, training, stretching, agility training, aquatic exercises, Tai Chi and combinations of these modalities. How to cite this article Dhillon HS, Sharma M, Sharma S. Effectiveness of Exercise Therapy and its Variations in Lower Limb Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2014;48(4):190-196.

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Chen-Style Tai Chi for Individuals (Aged 50 Years Old or Above) with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16030517 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 517 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jing Liu ◽

Albert Yeung ◽

Tao Xiao ◽

Xiaopei Tian ◽

Zhaowei Kong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Limb ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Functional Disability ◽

Position Sense ◽

Joint Position Sense ◽

Control Group ◽

Joint Position ◽

Low Back ◽

Core Stabilization ◽

Limb Proprioception

Tai Chi (TC) can be considered safe and effective intervention to improve pain and pain-related functional disability. However, it is unclear that whether aging individuals with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain (CNS-LBP) can achieve positive results. This study, therefore, attempted to explore the effects of TC on pain and functional disability in CNS-LBP patients aged 50 years old or above. Forty-three individuals (aged 50 years old or above) with CNS-LBP were randomly assigned into three groups: Chen-Style TC group (n = 15), Core Stabilization training (CST) group (n = 15), and control group (n = 13). Participants in the TC group participated in Chen-style TC training program (three 60-min sessions per week for 12 weeks), individuals in CST group received 12-week Core Stabilization exercise on the Swiss ball, whereas individuals in the control group maintained their unaltered lifestyle. Pain intensity as primary outcome was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), A BiodexSystem 3 isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure knee and ankle joint position sense (JPS) as secondary outcomes at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. TC and CST have significant effects in VAS for CNS-LBP patients (p< 0.01, TC group OR CST group versus control group in mean of the post-minus-pre assessment). However, the feature of joint position sense (JPS) of ankle inversion, ankle eversion and knee flexion did not occur, it showed no significant effects with TC and CST. TC was found to reduce pain, but not improve lower limb proprioception in patients with CNS-LBP. Future research with larger sample sizes will be needed to achieve more definitive findings on the effects of TC on both pain and lower limb proprioception in this population.

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Effects of Tai Chi on Lower-Limb Myodynamia in the Elderly People: A Meta-Analysis

Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

10.1016/s0254-6272(11)60029-0 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 141-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Bao LIU ◽

Zhai-hua LIU ◽

Hui-er ZHU ◽

Jia-ci Mo ◽

Dong-hai CHENG

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Lower Limb ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

The Elderly

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Mindfulness-based interventions in multiple sclerosis: beneficial effects of Tai Chi on balance, coordination, fatigue and depression

BMC Neurology ◽

10.1186/s12883-014-0165-4 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

Janina M Burschka ◽

Philipp M Keune ◽

Ulrich Hofstadt-van Oy ◽

Patrick Oschmann ◽

Peter Kuhn

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Beneficial Effects

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Effects of Tai-Chi Chuan Practice on Patterns and Stability of Lower Limb Inter-Joint Coordination During Obstructed Gait in the Elderly

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology ◽

10.3389/fbioe.2021.739722 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Chien-Chung Kuo ◽

Sheng-Chang Chen ◽

Jr-Yi Wang ◽

Tsung-Jung Ho ◽

Jaung-Geng Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Limb ◽

Tai Chi ◽

The Elderly ◽

Tai Chi Chuan ◽

Obstacle Crossing ◽

Joint Coordination ◽

Angular Velocities ◽

Impact Exercise ◽

Phase Angles

Losing balance or tripping during obstacle-crossing is one of the most frequent causes of falls in the elderly. As a low speed, low impact exercise, Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) can be promising in helping the elderly develop strategies for improved balance, inter-joint coordination, and end-point control during obstacle-crossing. This study investigates the effects of TCC training on the patterns and variability of the lower-limb inter-joint coordination during obstacle-crossing in the elderly. Fifteen older TCC practitioners and 15 healthy controls crossed obstacles of three different heights, while sagittal angles (x) and angular velocities (x′) of the hips, knees and ankles were measured and their phase angles obtained. The continuous relative phases (CRP) of the hip-knee and knee-ankle coordination were also calculated. The standard deviations of the CRP curve points were averaged to obtain deviation phase (DP) values for the stance and swing phases. The TCC group was found to cross obstacles with increased leading and trailing toe-clearances with unaltered CRP values when the swing toe was above the obstacle. Long-term TCC training altered the patterns and magnitudes of the CRPs primarily over double-limb support and significantly reduced the variabilities of leading knee-ankle and trailing hip-knee and knee-ankle CRP curves over the crossing cycle, regardless of obstacle height. The current results suggest that long-term TCC practice was helpful for a crossing strategy with significantly increased foot-obstacle clearances and reduced variability of the way the motions of the lower limb joints are coordinated during obstacle-crossing. These benefits may be explained by the long-lasting effects of continuous practice of the slow movement patterns emphasizing between-limb transfer of body weight in TCC.

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Superior Effects of Modified Chen-Style Tai Chi versus 24-Style Tai Chi on Cognitive Function, Fitness, and Balance Performance in Adults over 55

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9050102 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 102 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Liye Zou ◽

Paul D. Loprinzi ◽

Jane Jie Yu ◽

Lin Yang ◽

Chunxiao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Dynamic Balance ◽

Aging Population ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Timed Up And Go ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Global Cognitive Function ◽

Age Related

Background: Cognitive decline and balance impairment are prevalent in the aging population. Previous studies investigated the beneficial effects of 24-style Tai Chi (TC-24) on either cognitive function or balance performance of older adults. It still remains largely unknown whether modified Chen-style TC (MTC) that includes 18 complex movements is more beneficial for these age-related health outcomes, as compared to TC-24. Objective: We investigated if MTC would show greater effects than TC-24 on global cognitive function and balance-related outcomes among older adults. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial where 80 eligible adults aged over 55 were allocated into two different styles of Tai Chi (TC) arms (sixty-minute session × three times per week, 12 weeks). Outcome assessments were performed at three time periods (baseline, Week 6, and Week 12) and included the Chinese Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for overall cognitive function, One-leg Standing Test (LST) for static balance, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) for dynamic balance, chair Stand Test (CST) for leg power, and the six-meter Walk Test (6MWT) for aerobic exercise capacity. Results: Compared to TC-24 arm, MTC arm demonstrated significantly greater improvements in MoCA, LST, TUGT, CST, and 6MWT (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Both forms of TC were effective in enhancing global cognitive function, balance, and fitness. Furthermore, MTC was more effective than TC-24 in enhancing these health-related parameters in an aging population.

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