Effects of Tai Chi Therapy Versus Qi-Gong in Stage-I Parkinson's Patients.

NCT07662837 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: UBAS/ERB/26/4/039
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study has important clinical, academic, and practical relevance in neuromuscular rehabilitation. Clinically, it aims to identify effective and tolerable rehabilitation strategies for individuals with Parkinson's disease by comparing Tai Chi Therapy with Qi-Gong there by supporting evidence-based physiotherapy practice and improving patient adherence. Academically, it contributes to the limited literature on comparative effectiveness of these interventions and incorporates patient-centered outcomes such as exercise perception, which are often underreported. From a practical and societal perspective, identifying a more acceptable and effective approach may enhance long-term participation in rehabilitation, potentially slow disease progression, and reduce the overall healthcare burden associated with Parkinson's disease.

Conditions

PARKINSON DISEASE (Disorder)

Keywords

Tai Chi; Qi-Gong

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale

  It will be used for motor function. UPDRS shows high ICCs like 0.90 for Motor, 0.85 for ADL).A higher score indicates greater motor impairment and disease severity. Total score is 108 across 27 items. It will be used at pre and post intervention.

  8-12 weeks

• Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

  The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a widely used clinical test with 14 functional tasks (like sitting, standing, reaching, turning) to measure static and dynamic postural control and functional balance, primarily to assess fall risk in older adults and neurological patients (stroke, Parkinson's). It scores tasks from 0 (unable) to 4 (independent) for a total of 56, with lower scores indicating higher fall risk, helping therapists plan interventions. It Shows very high intra-rater (same tester) and inter-rater (different testers) reliability, with Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) often around 0.97-0.99. The Berg Balance Scale have 14-item. Each item is scored on a 0-4 scale, with a total score of 56 points indicating no balance deficit and lower scores correlating with higher fall risk. The patients with the scores between 0-20 have High fall risk (may need wheelchair), 21-40: Medium fall risk (may need cane/walker) and 41-56: Low fall risk (independent mobility).

  8-12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Tai Chi

EXPERIMENTAL

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese "moving meditation" that combines slow, gentle movements with deep diaphragmatic breathing and focused attention. It is designed to cultivate inner energy and harmonize mind and body, making it a popular low-impact, therapeutic exercise.

Other: Tai Chi

Qi Gong

EXPERIMENTAL

It is a holistic, low-impact mind-body practice that combines slow, flowing movements, deep rhythmic breathing, and focused intention to balance energy flow, improve health, and enhance overall vitality.

Other: Qi Gong

Interventions

Tai Chi OTHER

Group A will receive 8 weeks of standard conventional physical therapy plus Tai Chi (40 min of Tai Chi and 20 min of conventional physical therapy) total duration of session will be 60 minutes. The most commonly applied Tai Chi style will be Yang style.

Tai Chi

Qi Gong OTHER

Group B will receive 8 weeks of standard conventional physical therapy (20 minutes) plus Health Qigong Baduanjin and wuqinxi ( 40 minutes) with total duration of 60 minutes, 2 times a week each pattern for 8 weeks.

Qi Gong

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of PD based on the Hoehn \& Yahr staging system (Stages I). Male or female patients aged between 50-65 years. Currently receiving stable anti-Parkinsonian medication, with no changes in the treatment regimen for at least 3 months. Basic self-care ability with no severe cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination \[MMSE\] score ≥24).

You may not qualify if:

• Depression, as assessed based on a score of \>16 for the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Recent deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment. Use of medication that interferes with cognition, alertness, or attention. Current participation in an exercise training program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences: lead

Study Sites (2)

Ghurki Trust and Teaching Hospital

Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan

RECRUITING

The Meer's Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Lahore, Pakistan

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

• Xu F, Soh KG, Chan YM, Bai XR, Qi F, Deng N. Effects of tai chi on postural balance and quality of life among the elderly with gait disorders: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2023 Sep 28;18(9):e0287035. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287035. eCollection 2023.

  PMID: 37768953 BACKGROUND

• Song R, Grabowska W, Park M, Osypiuk K, Vergara-Diaz GP, Bonato P, Hausdorff JM, Fox M, Sudarsky LR, Macklin E, Wayne PM. The impact of Tai Chi and Qigong mind-body exercises on motor and non-motor function and quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2017 Aug;41:3-13. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2017.05.019. Epub 2017 May 25.

  PMID: 28602515 BACKGROUND

• Fidan O, Seyyar GK, Aras B, Colak E, Aras O. The effect of Tai Chi and Qigong on health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews. Int J Rehabil Res. 2019 Sep;42(3):196-204. doi: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000358.

  PMID: 31116118 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Interventions

Tai Ji; Qigong

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities; Breathing Exercises

Study Officials

• Salwa Atta

  Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Maryam Fayyaz

CONTACT

03374677916; maryamfayyazawan@gmail.com

Salwa Atta

CONTACT

03084579229

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: The intervention will include two groups with different rehabilitation protocols. Participants will be randomized to either Group A or Group B. Group A will receive 8 weeks of standard conventional physical therapy plus Tai Chi (40 min of Tai Chi and 20 min of conventional physical therapy) total duration of session will be 60 minutes. The most commonly applied Tai Chi style will be used which is Yang style. Group B will receive 8 weeks of standard conventional physical therapy (20 minutes) plus Health Qigong Baduanjin and wuqinxi ( 40 minutes) with total duration of 60 minutes, 2 times a week each pattern for 8 weeks. All groups will receive two 40-45 minute sessions per week for 8 weeks (total 16 sessions). The conventional PT (approx. 20 min) will be standardized across both groups. The same blinded assessor will repeat all outcome measures (Week 8).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2026
• First Posted: June 23, 2026
• Study Start: May 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 10, 2026
• Last Updated: June 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (2)