Effects of Ving Tsun sticking-hand training on upper-limb sensorimotor performance in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Ving Tsun (VT) sticking-hand training on upper-limb joint position sense and muscular performance in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: Thirty-three adults were randomly allocated to either a VT group or a control group. The VT group received VT sticking-hand training twice per week for 3 months. Measurements were taken before and after the intervention period. The primary outcome was elbow-joint repositioning error, which was measured by an elbow-joint passive positioning and active repositioning test using a universal goniometer. Secondary outcomes were upper-limb muscles' peak force and time taken to reach peak force as measured by a hand-held dynamometer. RESULTS: No significant time, group or time-by-group interaction effects were found for elbow-joint repositioning error or upper-limb muscle peak force outcomes. Shoulder flexor time to peak force decreased by 33.8% from pre-test to post-test in the VT group (P = 0.007). Shoulder abductor, internal and external rotator, and elbow extensor times to peak force decreased by 30.0%-35.9% in the VT group (P < 0.05) and by 30.4%-37.1% in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VT sticking-hand training does not improve elbow-joint position sense or the maximum strength of upper-limb muscles in middle-aged and older adults. However, VT can improve shoulder flexor muscles' time to reach peak force in these populations. VT had no obvious effect on the time required to reach peak force in other shoulder muscles and elbow extensors.

Bone Mineral Density, Balance Performance, Balance Self-Efficacy, and Falls in Breast Cancer Survivors With and Without Qigong Training: An Observational Study.

PURPOSE: A deterioration in bone strength and balance performance after breast cancer treatment can result in injurious falls. Therefore, interventions need to be developed to improve the bone strength and balance ability of breast cancer survivors. This cross-sectional exploratory study aimed to compare the bone mineral density (BMD), balance performance, balance self-efficacy, and number of falls between breast cancer survivors who practiced qigong, breast cancer survivors who did not practice qigong, and healthy individuals. METHODS: The study included 40 breast cancer survivors with more than 3 months of qigong experience, 17 breast cancer survivors with no qigong experience, and 36 healthy controls. All the participants underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans to measure their lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and total radius BMDs. The participants also underwent a timed one-leg stand test to measure their single-leg standing balance. The participants' balance self-efficacy was assessed using the activities-specific balance confidence scale, and the number of falls experienced by each participant was assessed in a face-to-face interview. RESULTS: The lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and total radius BMDs were similar between the 3 groups ( P > .05). The breast cancer-qigong group outperformed the breast cancer-control group by 27.3% when they performed the one-leg stand test on a foam surface ( P = .025), and they also had a higher balance self-efficacy score ( P = .006). Nevertheless, the numbers of falls were comparable between the 3 groups ( P > .05). CONCLUSION: Qigong may be a suitable exercise for improving the balance performance and balance self-efficacy of breast cancer survivors.

Effects of a 6-month Tai Chi Qigong program on arterial hemodynamics and functional aerobic capacity in survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer.

PURPOSE: Survivors of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) often sustain cardiovascular complications after conventional cancer treatments. Tai Chi (TC) Qigong training may be a viable way to improve peripheral circulatory status and aerobic capacity in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-month TC Qigong training program on blood flow velocities and resistance, palmar skin temperature, and functional aerobic capacity in survivors of NPC. METHODS: Twenty-five and 27 survivors of NPC volunteered to join the intervention group (mean age, 55.4 ± 7.5 years) and control group (mean age, 58.7 ± 9.5 years), respectively. The intervention group underwent a TC Qigong training program-the modified 18 Forms TC Internal Qigong-for 6 months, while the control group received no training. Peripheral arterial blood flow velocities and resistance, palmar skin temperature, and functional aerobic capacity were measured by a Doppler ultrasound machine, an infrared thermometer, and six-minute walk test, respectively. All outcomes were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention (3-month), post-intervention (6-month), and follow-up (12-month) periods. RESULTS: The TC Qigong group had higher diastolic blood flow velocity (p = 0.010), lower arterial blood flow resistance (p = 0.009), and higher palmar skin temperature (p = 0.004) than the control group after TC Qigong training. However, only the diastolic blood flow velocity was higher in the TC Qigong group than in the control group during the no-training follow-up period (p = 0.032). Additionally, an improvement in functional aerobic capacity was found in the intervention group after TC Qigong training (p < 0.008) but not in the control group over time (p > 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: TC Qigong training may improve peripheral circulatory status and functional aerobic capacity among people treated for NPC. However, this is only a pilot study and future definitive trials are needed to confirm the results. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: TC Qigong may have enormous potential as a rehabilitation intervention for survivors of NPC to improve arterial hemodynamics and functional aerobic capacity.

Balance Performance in Irradiated Survivors of Nasopharyngeal Cancer with and without Tai Chi Qigong Training.

This cross-sectional exploratory study aimed to compare the one-leg-stance time and the six-minute walk distance among TC Qigong-trained NPC survivors, untrained NPC survivors, and healthy individuals. Twenty-five survivors of NPC with TC Qigong experience, 27 survivors of NPC without TC Qigong experience, and 68 healthy individuals formed the NPC-TC Qigong group, NPC-control group, and healthy-control group, respectively. The one-leg-stance (OLS) timed test was conducted to assess the single-leg standing balance performance of the participants in four conditions: (1) standing on a stable surface with eyes open, (2) standing on a compliant surface with eyes open, (3) standing on a stable surface with eyes closed, and (4) standing on a compliant surface with eyes closed. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) was used to determine the functional balance performance of the participants. Results showed that the NPC-control group had a shorter OLS time in all of the visual and supporting surface conditions than the healthy control group (P < 0.05). The OLS time of the TC Qigong-NPC group was comparable to that of the healthy control group in the somatosensory-challenging condition (condition 3) (P = 0.168) only. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the 6MWT distance among the three groups (P > 0.05). TC Qigong may be a rehabilitation exercise that improves somatosensory function and OLS balance performance among survivors of NPC.