The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly

Physical function declines in older adults as they age, and failure to detect incorrect body postures or restore balance increases the likelihood of falls. Therefore, improving the balance function of the elderly has become an important goal in geriatric rehabilitation. Baduanjin is one of the tr...

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Main Author: Shihao, Xie
Format: Thesis
Language:en
Published: 2025
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Online Access:http://eprints.usm.my/62842/1/XIE%20SHIHAO-tESIS%20P-SKD001122%28R%29-E.pdf
http://eprints.usm.my/62842/
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author Shihao, Xie
author_facet Shihao, Xie
author_sort Shihao, Xie
building Hamzah Sendut Library
collection Institutional Repository
content_provider Universiti Sains Malaysia
content_source USM Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
description Physical function declines in older adults as they age, and failure to detect incorrect body postures or restore balance increases the likelihood of falls. Therefore, improving the balance function of the elderly has become an important goal in geriatric rehabilitation. Baduanjin is one of the traditional Chinese qigong treatment methods. Compared with other forms of exercise, it focuses more on the integration of body and mind, and improves the physical function of the elderly and various clinical populations. However, previous studies on Baduanjin have only used subjective scales that indirectly assess fall risk. The effects of Baduanjin on gait biomechanics and balance in older adults is unknown. Therefore, this study evaluated the impact of 12 weeks of Baduanjin on the risk of falls from all aspects, including balance, isometric knee joint strength, and gait parameters. After screening, the 42 participants were divided into groups by drawing lots through the blind box with two kinds of paper strips: B and C. They were randomly divided into one of the following conditions: 1. Baduanjin group (n=22), 2. control group (n=20). The intervention period was 12 weeks, with balance, isometric knee joint strength, and gait tests conducted in the first, sixth, and twelfth weeks, respectively. Also, after the intervention, the biomechanical parameters of eight sections of the Baduanjin were evaluated. Based on the research results, we conclude that compared to walking intervention of the same intensity, the Baduanjin intervention can effectively improve the sway path (37.62±9.73% vs 10.12±0.66%, p<0.05), sway velocity (19.06±10.73% vs 0.96±1.40%, p<0.05), sway area (31.54±11.73% vs 24.95±5.47%, p<0.05) and sway amplitude (29.16±12.44% vs 5.63±1.69%, p<0.05) during balance test in the coronal plane of the elderly. In addition, Baduanjin intervention can improve the gait symmetry during early (50.00±67.08% vs 20.00±84.85%, p<0.05) and mid stance phases (55.56±46.64% vs 11.11±82.22%, p<0.05) and maximum strength of knee extensor (7.77±1.69% vs 3.39±1.44%, p<0.05). In conclusion, compared to conventional walking intervention, the Baduanjin intervention is more conducive in improving the balance and gait stability of elderly, possibly due to the increase in lower limb muscle strength.
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spelling my.usm.eprints.62842 http://eprints.usm.my/62842/ The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly Shihao, Xie R Medicine RA Public aspects of medicine Physical function declines in older adults as they age, and failure to detect incorrect body postures or restore balance increases the likelihood of falls. Therefore, improving the balance function of the elderly has become an important goal in geriatric rehabilitation. Baduanjin is one of the traditional Chinese qigong treatment methods. Compared with other forms of exercise, it focuses more on the integration of body and mind, and improves the physical function of the elderly and various clinical populations. However, previous studies on Baduanjin have only used subjective scales that indirectly assess fall risk. The effects of Baduanjin on gait biomechanics and balance in older adults is unknown. Therefore, this study evaluated the impact of 12 weeks of Baduanjin on the risk of falls from all aspects, including balance, isometric knee joint strength, and gait parameters. After screening, the 42 participants were divided into groups by drawing lots through the blind box with two kinds of paper strips: B and C. They were randomly divided into one of the following conditions: 1. Baduanjin group (n=22), 2. control group (n=20). The intervention period was 12 weeks, with balance, isometric knee joint strength, and gait tests conducted in the first, sixth, and twelfth weeks, respectively. Also, after the intervention, the biomechanical parameters of eight sections of the Baduanjin were evaluated. Based on the research results, we conclude that compared to walking intervention of the same intensity, the Baduanjin intervention can effectively improve the sway path (37.62±9.73% vs 10.12±0.66%, p<0.05), sway velocity (19.06±10.73% vs 0.96±1.40%, p<0.05), sway area (31.54±11.73% vs 24.95±5.47%, p<0.05) and sway amplitude (29.16±12.44% vs 5.63±1.69%, p<0.05) during balance test in the coronal plane of the elderly. In addition, Baduanjin intervention can improve the gait symmetry during early (50.00±67.08% vs 20.00±84.85%, p<0.05) and mid stance phases (55.56±46.64% vs 11.11±82.22%, p<0.05) and maximum strength of knee extensor (7.77±1.69% vs 3.39±1.44%, p<0.05). In conclusion, compared to conventional walking intervention, the Baduanjin intervention is more conducive in improving the balance and gait stability of elderly, possibly due to the increase in lower limb muscle strength. 2025-04 Thesis NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en http://eprints.usm.my/62842/1/XIE%20SHIHAO-tESIS%20P-SKD001122%28R%29-E.pdf Shihao, Xie (2025) The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly. Masters thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
spellingShingle R Medicine
RA Public aspects of medicine
Shihao, Xie
The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
title The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
title_full The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
title_fullStr The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
title_full_unstemmed The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
title_short The effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
title_sort effects of 12-week baduanjin intervention on balance, isometric knee strength, gait biomechanics and risks of falls among elderly
topic R Medicine
RA Public aspects of medicine
url http://eprints.usm.my/62842/1/XIE%20SHIHAO-tESIS%20P-SKD001122%28R%29-E.pdf
http://eprints.usm.my/62842/
url_provider http://eprints.usm.my/