Community-based Yang-style Tai Chi is safe and feasible in chronic stroke: a pilot study
- Taylor-Piliae, Ruth E
- Coull, Bruce M
Abstract
Objective:
Examine the safety and feasibility of a 12-week Tai Chi intervention among stroke survivors.
Design:
Two-group, prospective pilot study with random allocation.
Setting:
Outpatient rehabilitation facility.
Subjects:
Stroke survivors ≥50 years and at ≥three months post-stroke.
Interventions:
Tai Chi subjects attended group-based Yang Style classes three times/week for 12-weeks, while Usual Care subjects received weekly phone calls along with written materials/resources for participating in community-based physical activity.
Main outcome measures:
Indicators of study safety and feasibility included recruitment rates, intervention adherence, falls or adverse events, study satisfaction, drop-outs, and adequacy of the outcomes measures.
Results:
Interested persons pre-screened by phone (n=69) were on average 68 years old, (SD=13) years old, 48% (n=33) women, 94% (n=65) were at least three months post-stroke. Atotal of 28 subjects aged 69 (SD=11) years enrolled in this pilot study. Intervention adherence rates were very high (≥92%). Therewere no falls or other adverse events. The dose of Tai Chi exercise (≥150 minutes/week) was well tolerated. Overall study satisfaction was high (8.3 (SD=1.9); 1=not satisfied, 10=most satisfied), while drop-outs (n=3, 11%) were unrelated to study intervention. Score distributions for the outcome measures were approximately normal, sensitive to change, and seemed to favor the Tai Chi intervention.
Conclusions:
Tai Chi is a safe, community-based exercise program for stroke survivors. Our data suggest that recruitment and retention of an adequate sample is feasible, and that in a full-scale study 52 subjects/group are needed to detect statistically significant between group differences (alpha=0.05, power=0.80).