BACKGROUND： Balance problems are common in people of all ages and can lead to falls, thus causing fractures with consequent disability. Qigong practice has long been part of daily life in Chinese culture, and has goo...BACKGROUND： Balance problems are common in people of all ages and can lead to falls, thus causing fractures with consequent disability. Qigong practice has long been part of daily life in Chinese culture, and has good effects on physical health maintenance. OBJECTIVE： The present work describes the change in balance in young, healthy women after practising Qigong for eight weeks. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS： The study took the form of a controlled, randomised longitudinal trial, and involved 30 women aged 18-25 years. The subjects had no prior experience of Qigong or Tai Chi and were unaware of the aims of the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to a Qigong intervention group or a control group. Those in the Qigong intervention group performed ＂exercises in 20 figures for health and long-life＂ （Wang Ziping） for 1 h twice per week, for 4 weeks. The control group undertook no exercise at all. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The main outcome measure was the stabilometry values. These were obtained in a unipodal support test, using a plantar pressure platform with optical sensors. RESULTS： The Qigong subjects showed a significant improvement in their stabilometry results （40.1% pre-intervention and 56.4% post-intervention） （P〈0.045）, while no improvement was seen in the control group （51.2% pre-intervention and 53.5% post-intervention）. At the beginning of the intervention, the stabilometry values recorded for the Qigong intervention group were worse than those recorded for the control group （40.15% and 51.21% respectively; P=0.121）. However, a comparison of the post-intervention values between these groups showed that these differences have disappeared （P=0.653）. CONCLUSION： Qigong can improve balance in healthy, young women.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of massage versus ear acupuncture on behavior and participation in occupational therapy of dementia patients. METHODS: We performed a controlled, randomized longitudinal trial approved ...OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of massage versus ear acupuncture on behavior and participation in occupational therapy of dementia patients. METHODS: We performed a controlled, randomized longitudinal trial approved by the Bioethics Commission of the University of Extremadura. One hundred twenty elderly subjects with dementia institutionalized in residential homes in Extremadura (Spain) received treatment based on massage and ear acupuncture over three months. Behavior alterations, sleep disturbance, and participation in rehabilitation and eating were assessed every month during the three months of intervention, and at one and two months of follow-up after the end of treatment. The assessment was performed through a structured questionnaire with closed format ques-tions done by an occupational therapist not involved in the study. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant positive effect of massage and ear acupuncture (P< 0.001) on measured variables in the third month of intervention, which were maintained at two months after completing the treatment (P<0.021), when compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy and ear acupuncture can improve behavior and sleep disturbances, and increase the participation in eating and rehabilitation organized in residential homes, in dementia patients.展开更多
OBJETIVE: To know the prevalence of acupuncturists within physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists in Europe and their characteristics,as well as to analyze the pathologies treated and therapeutic techniques u...OBJETIVE: To know the prevalence of acupuncturists within physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists in Europe and their characteristics,as well as to analyze the pathologies treated and therapeutic techniques used.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study based on a structured and closed questionnaire. The study was carried out from October 2011 to May 2014.RESULTS: A total of 115 specialists from 19 countries completed the questionnaire. The mean characteristics of the physical and rehabilitation medicine(PRM) specialists who are also acupuncturists in Europe were: women(62.6 %); mean age of47.91 years old; 4.20 years of physical and rehabilitation medicine school and 2.00 years of acupuncture training; 15.03 years of mean time of clinical practice as physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists and 10.42 years of experience as acupuncturists; 35.65 % had a doctorate(Ph D) degree,obtained at a mean age of 33.55 years old; working in a public hospital(80%); treating mainly neurological conditions(48.1%) and using mainly techniques such as kinesiotherapy(11.81%),orthosis(10.40%) and electrotherapy(9.92%). Acupuncture was applied by 32.2% of the participants mainly in musculoskeletal conditions(27.38%). A mean number of more than 20 patients a day were treated by47.04% of the specialists,being 41.8% of the patients(adults and children). Significant differences were found between the variables,acupuncture and gender(Pearson's correlation Index = 0.007).However,no differences were observed in relation to acupuncture and age,doctorate degree,years of clinical practice and workplace(all with P values >0.05).CONCLUSION: In the European area,physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists who are also acupuncturists are mainly female,middle-aged,with15 years of professional experience,Ph D holders,working in public hospitals,treating mainly neurological conditions with kinesiotherapy and acupuncture,and treating over 20 patients a day(adults and children) during a 7 h shift. Further epidemiological studies on PRM to provide more information regarding the real situation of this medical specialty and the possibility to open to Chinese traditional medicine techniques such as acupuncture are necessary.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND： Balance problems are common in people of all ages and can lead to falls, thus causing fractures with consequent disability. Qigong practice has long been part of daily life in Chinese culture, and has good effects on physical health maintenance. OBJECTIVE： The present work describes the change in balance in young, healthy women after practising Qigong for eight weeks. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS： The study took the form of a controlled, randomised longitudinal trial, and involved 30 women aged 18-25 years. The subjects had no prior experience of Qigong or Tai Chi and were unaware of the aims of the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to a Qigong intervention group or a control group. Those in the Qigong intervention group performed ＂exercises in 20 figures for health and long-life＂ （Wang Ziping） for 1 h twice per week, for 4 weeks. The control group undertook no exercise at all. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The main outcome measure was the stabilometry values. These were obtained in a unipodal support test, using a plantar pressure platform with optical sensors. RESULTS： The Qigong subjects showed a significant improvement in their stabilometry results （40.1% pre-intervention and 56.4% post-intervention） （P〈0.045）, while no improvement was seen in the control group （51.2% pre-intervention and 53.5% post-intervention）. At the beginning of the intervention, the stabilometry values recorded for the Qigong intervention group were worse than those recorded for the control group （40.15% and 51.21% respectively; P=0.121）. However, a comparison of the post-intervention values between these groups showed that these differences have disappeared （P=0.653）. CONCLUSION： Qigong can improve balance in healthy, young women.
文摘OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of massage versus ear acupuncture on behavior and participation in occupational therapy of dementia patients. METHODS: We performed a controlled, randomized longitudinal trial approved by the Bioethics Commission of the University of Extremadura. One hundred twenty elderly subjects with dementia institutionalized in residential homes in Extremadura (Spain) received treatment based on massage and ear acupuncture over three months. Behavior alterations, sleep disturbance, and participation in rehabilitation and eating were assessed every month during the three months of intervention, and at one and two months of follow-up after the end of treatment. The assessment was performed through a structured questionnaire with closed format ques-tions done by an occupational therapist not involved in the study. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant positive effect of massage and ear acupuncture (P< 0.001) on measured variables in the third month of intervention, which were maintained at two months after completing the treatment (P<0.021), when compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy and ear acupuncture can improve behavior and sleep disturbances, and increase the participation in eating and rehabilitation organized in residential homes, in dementia patients.
文摘OBJETIVE: To know the prevalence of acupuncturists within physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists in Europe and their characteristics,as well as to analyze the pathologies treated and therapeutic techniques used.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study based on a structured and closed questionnaire. The study was carried out from October 2011 to May 2014.RESULTS: A total of 115 specialists from 19 countries completed the questionnaire. The mean characteristics of the physical and rehabilitation medicine(PRM) specialists who are also acupuncturists in Europe were: women(62.6 %); mean age of47.91 years old; 4.20 years of physical and rehabilitation medicine school and 2.00 years of acupuncture training; 15.03 years of mean time of clinical practice as physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists and 10.42 years of experience as acupuncturists; 35.65 % had a doctorate(Ph D) degree,obtained at a mean age of 33.55 years old; working in a public hospital(80%); treating mainly neurological conditions(48.1%) and using mainly techniques such as kinesiotherapy(11.81%),orthosis(10.40%) and electrotherapy(9.92%). Acupuncture was applied by 32.2% of the participants mainly in musculoskeletal conditions(27.38%). A mean number of more than 20 patients a day were treated by47.04% of the specialists,being 41.8% of the patients(adults and children). Significant differences were found between the variables,acupuncture and gender(Pearson's correlation Index = 0.007).However,no differences were observed in relation to acupuncture and age,doctorate degree,years of clinical practice and workplace(all with P values >0.05).CONCLUSION: In the European area,physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists who are also acupuncturists are mainly female,middle-aged,with15 years of professional experience,Ph D holders,working in public hospitals,treating mainly neurological conditions with kinesiotherapy and acupuncture,and treating over 20 patients a day(adults and children) during a 7 h shift. Further epidemiological studies on PRM to provide more information regarding the real situation of this medical specialty and the possibility to open to Chinese traditional medicine techniques such as acupuncture are necessary.
