AUTHOR=Stahl James E. , Belisle Shoshana S. , Zhao Wenyan 

TITLE=Medical Qigong for Mobility and Balance Self-Confidence in Older Adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.00422

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2020.00422

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background/Objectives:</bold> Physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, and impaired neuromuscular function increases fall risk and fractures in our aging population. Mind-body modalities, improve strength, balance and coordination, mitigating these risks. This study examined whether a manualized Medical Qigong protocol measurably improves balance, gait, and health self-confidence among older adults.</p><p><bold>Design:</bold> Randomized prospective cohort pre-post study with wait time control.</p><p><bold>Setting:</bold> Two martial arts centers in Massachusetts and Arizona.</p><p><bold>Participants:</bold> Ninety-five adults age ≥ 50 (mean age 68.6 y.o., range 51–96) were randomly assigned to an immediate start group (N = 53) or 4-week delayed start group (<italic>N</italic> = 43).</p><p><bold>Intervention:</bold> A 10 form qigong protocol taught over 12 weekly classes.</p><p><bold>Measurments:</bold> Primary outcome measures were the Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CBMS) and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale. Data was collected at baseline, 1-month and 4-months.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Both groups at both sites demonstrated improved balance and gait (CBMS + 11.9 points, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). This effect was strongest in patients in their 60 s (CBMS +12.9 <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01) and 70 s (CBMS + 14.3, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), was equal across genders and socioeconomic status. Balance self-confidence did not significantly change (ABC + 0.9, <italic>p</italic> = 0.48), though several elements within ABC trended toward improvement [e.g., walk up/down ramp (<italic>p</italic> = 0.07), bend over/pick up (<italic>p</italic> = 0.09)]. Falls in the past year was inversely correlated with balance self-confidence (<italic>p</italic> = 0.01).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> A 12-week manualized Medical Qigong protocol significantly improved balance and gait and modestly improved balance self-confidence among older adults. Medical Qigong may be a useful clinical intervention for older adults at heightened risk for falls and related injuries.</p><p><bold>Clinical Trial Registration:</bold><ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">www.ClinicalTrials.gov</ext-link>, identifier: NCT04430751.</p>