Tai Chi Mind-Body Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee Osteoarthritis
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Knee Osteoarthritis
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Age 55 or older Body Mass Index (BMI) <= 40 kg/m Pain on more than half the days of the past month during at least one of the following activities (walking, going up or down stairs, standing upright, or in bed at night Radiographic evidence of knee OA, defined as the presence of osteophytes in the tibiofemoral compartment and/or the patellofemoral compartment, as assessed on standing anterior/posterior and lateral views WOMAC pain subscale score, at least 1 of 5 (range 0 to 100 each) >= 40 (visual analog version) Physically able to participate in both the Tai Chi and stretching and education programs Willing to complete the 12-week study, including twice a week Tai Chi or stretching and education sessions Willing to abstain from Tai Chi until completion of the program, if randomized to the stretching and education sessions Willing to abstain from stretching and education sessions until completion of the program, if randomized to Tai Chi Exclusion Criteria: Prior experience with Tai Chi or other similar types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine such as Qi gong, yoga, and acupuncture since these share some of the principles of Tai Chi Dementia, neurological disease, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, metabolic disease, renal disease, liver disease, or other serious medical conditions limiting ability to participate in either the Tai Chi or stretching programs as determined by primary care physicians Any intra-articular steroid injections in the previous 3 months or reconstructive surgery on the affected knee Any intra-articular Synvisc or Hyalgan injections in the previous 6 months Inability to pass the Mini-Mental Status examination (with a score below 24) Enrollment in any other clinical trial within the last 30 days Plan to permanently relocate from the region during the trial period Non English Speaking
Sites / Locations
- Tufts Medical Center, Division of Rheumatology
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Placebo Comparator
Tai Chi
Wellness Education and Stretching
The Tai Chi program was based on the classical Yang Style. Patients participated in 60-minute Tai Chi sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. Each session included warm up and review of Tai Chi principles and techniques; Tai Chi exercises; breathing techniques; and various relaxation methods. The classes were taught by a Tai Chi master with over 20 years' experience conducting Tai Chi Mind-Body exercise programs. Several modifications were developed to achieve the physical and mental goals of the study for knee OA, accommodate knee OA symptoms and limit dropouts. Subjects were instructed to practice Tai Chi at least 20 minutes a day at home and encouraged to maintain their usual physical activities, but not to participate in additional new strength training other than their Tai Chi exercises.
The wellness education and stretching program provided an active control for the attention being paid to the Tai Chi group. The control group attended two 60-minute class sessions per week for 12 weeks. Each session started with 40 minutes of didactic lessons on OA knowledge, nutrition, and physical and mental health education. The final 20 minutes consisted of stretching exercises involving the upper body, trunk and lower body, each stretch being held for 10 to 15 seconds. Participants were also instructed to practice at least 20 minutes of stretching exercises per day at home. They were encouraged to maintain their usual physical activities, but not to participate in additional strength and mind-body exercise programs other than their stretching exercise.