Tai Chi as a therapeutic intervention in pulmonary rehabilitation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Pilot study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29193/RMU.40.2.7Keywords:
TAI CHI, REHABILITATION, PULMONARY DISEASE CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE, RESPIRATORY REHABILITATIONAbstract
Recent studies involving Tai Chi have shown benefits in the functionality, exercise capacity, and quality of life of patients with COPD. The lack of studies in our region and the need for new treatment modalities prompted this study. The objective was to assess the impact of Tai Chi in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program for COPD.
Method: Pilot, randomized, prospective, and open-label study; with two similar groups of patients with COPD, who were included in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation program for 12 weeks; one of them with Tai Chi as a therapeutic intervention. The similarity of sociodemographic and clinical variables was compared.
Results: The analyzed groups were similar in most variables (age, sex, sociodemographic, GOLD, Charlson, smoking index IPA). Within the outcome variables in the self-administered PROMIS index prior to the start, at one month, and at three months, all categories analyzed showed an improvement between the initial and final values in both groups, with a greater improvement in the TCm group, although not statistically significant with p-values ≤ 0.05. In the SGRQ questionnaire, the analysis of the results showed no significant differences between the CNTL and TCm groups at one month (44±5 vs. 46±5, p 0.742) and three months (44±5 vs. 40±6, p 0.916); with better values in the TCm group. The BODE Index recorded lower values, indicating an improvement in the TCm group at three months (2±0.6 vs. 3±0.4, p 0.889), although not statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05).
Conclusions: The benefit of Tai Chi within a traditional rehabilitation program showed non-significant improvements in functionality and health-related quality of life. Its inclusion appears promising, requiring further future research.
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