The effect of Ai Chi aquatic therapy on individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a pilot study

Abstract

[Purpose] To examine the efficacy of Ai Chi in relieving the pain and stiffness of knee osteoarthritis and improving, physical functioning, proprioception and quality of life. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-five persons with knee osteoarthritis completed 5 weeks Ai Chi practice (60 minutes per session, twice per week, 10 sessions in total). Knee pain and stiffness were measured before and after the intervention program. [Results] Significant improvements in pain, self-perceived physical functioning and self-perceived stiffness were observed after the Ai-Chi intervention. On average, no significant change in knee range of motion, 6-minute walk test distances or proprioception was observed. [Conclusion] A five-week Ai Chi intervention can improve the pain and stiffness of knee osteoarthritis and self-perceived physical functions and quality of life improvement. Ai Chi may be another treatment choice for people with knee OA to practice in the community.

Is aquatic exercise more effective than land-based exercise for knee osteoarthritis?

“…For example, the optimal exercise mode, intensity, duration and frequency, and the optimal water characteristics (i.e., temperature and depth) are still unclear. Various modes of AQE have shown positive effects on knee OA symptoms and function [43–45] ; however, the most efficient type or combination of AQE is still unknown. The intensity of an exercise program is typically described as high, moderate, or low.…”

Influence of an Aquatic Therapy Program on Perceived Pain, Stress, and Quality of Life in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Randomized Trial

“…Use of these programs should be promoted if they are proven to yield beneficial results for patients with mental health impairments due to neurological disorders. Ai Chi addresses the need for an aquatic exercise intervention that can be taught in a group setting, while also allowing individuals to continue to practice the exercises on their own if they so desire [18].…”

Randomized controlled trial of aquatic exercise for treatment of knee osteoarthritis in elderly people

“…However, despite growing use, there is a relative paucity of information with regard to the effects of aquatic exercise on balance and gait parameters among elderly people. Some researchers have focused only on changes subjectively perceived within participants with narrow selection criteria [6,16,23,24]. Commonly, pain and other joint symptoms, mobility, quality of life, and psychological health have received much attention, whereas the exact pattern and magnitude of the effects on gait and balance over time are still uncertain and controversial [1,[25][26][27][28][29].…”

“…Commonly, pain and other joint symptoms, mobility, quality of life, and psychological health have received much attention, whereas the exact pattern and magnitude of the effects on gait and balance over time are still uncertain and controversial [1,[25][26][27][28][29]. Furthermore, evaluation of the results is complicated by the lack of uniformity, limited generalizability to primary care, variation in diagnostic criteria, and poor descriptions of interventions in these studies [6,16,22,23,27,30]. Therefore, to assess the impact of aquatic exercise on knee osteoarthritis, further studies are required [20,21].…”