None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This pilot study aims to investigate the effects of a maintenance Tai Chi intervention on exercise capacity and quality of life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This will be a prospective cohort study where people with COPD will be recruited from two sites in Sydney, Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Mona Vale Community Health Centre. All participants will be asked to undertake an eight-week, twice weekly, supervised Tai Chi exercise program using Sun- style Tai Chi at one of the sites. On completion of the supervised program, participants will then be asked to continue with a home-based, unsupervised maintenance Tai Chi exercise program five times weekly for a six-month period. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, at eight weeks following the supervised Tai Chi program and again at three and six months into the maintenance Tai Chi program. Outcomes will include exercise capacity, quality of life, physical activity, balance, participants’ attitudes to management of their health care, compliance with short and long-term Tai Chi training, and satisfaction with the maintenance Tai Chi training.
Interventions
Participants will be asked to undertake an eight-week supervised exercise program of Sun-style Tai Chi. The Tai Chi training will be delivered in a group setting, with a maximum of three participants per group, by a physiotherapist and/or physiotherapy assistant accredited in Sun-style Tai Chi training. Participants will attend two one-hour supervised Tai Chi training sessions each week, and will aim to train at a moderate level of breathlessness or exertion (equivalent to a score of three on th
Participants will be asked to undertake an eight-week supervised exercise program of Sun-style Tai Chi. The Tai Chi training will be delivered in a group setting, with a maximum of three participants per group, by a physiotherapist and/or physiotherapy assistant accredited in Sun-style Tai Chi training. Participants will attend two one-hour supervised Tai Chi training sessions each week, and will aim to train at a moderate level of breathlessness or exertion (equivalent to a score of three on the modified Borg 0–10 scale). To increase the training demand of Tai Chi, participants will be asked to imagine pushing against resistance during all movements or to squat lower in certain movements. Wrist weights of between 0.5-1.5 kg will be worn by participants who do not reach a moderate level of dyspnoea or exertion during training. On completion of the supervised program, participants will then be asked to continue with a home-based, unsupervised maintenance Tai Chi program five times weekly for six months. Participants will aim to practice Tai Chi for at least 30 minutes during each home-based session, including a warm-up and cool-down. A training booklet and DVD will be provided to assist with Tai Chi practice at home. During this six-month period, participants will also receive monthly “booster” sessions of supervised Tai Chi training. There will be six one-hour “booster” sessions in total. The intensity of Tai Chi training may be adjusted during “booster” sessions to ensure that participants are exercising at a moderate level of breathlessness or exertion. The addition of monthly “booster” sessions of supervised Tai Chi training will provide additional real-time feedback during the six-month maintenance program and may enhance compliance with unsupervised home practice of Tai Chi. Participants will be asked to record the duration and intensity of Tai Chi practice at home in a training diary during the entire intervention period. Adherence to the supervised Tai Chi training program will be monitored by recording attendance at each supervised training session and by reviewing the participants’ training diary each month. Adherence to the maintenance Tai Chi program will also be monitored using the training diary.
Sponsors
The University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
40 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Medical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) / forced vital capacity ratio of < 0.7; FEV1 between 20% to 80% of predicted normal)
Exclusion criteria
Acute exacerbation of COPD in the last month; musculoskeletal, cardiovascular or neurological conditions likely to adversely affect performance during assessments or training; participation in any supervised exercise training within the last 12 months; limited English language skills which might hinder their understanding of the Tai Chi instructions; requirement for supplemental oxygen during testing or training procedures.
Outcome results
None listed