Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTraditional Chinese exercises (TCEs), as a new technology for pulmonary rehabilitation, have been proven to be effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, further aggravation of dynamic hyperinflation manifested as exertional dyspnea during exercises m...

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Main Authors: Hongxia Duan, Yidie Bao, Linhong Jiang, Peijun Li, Yingqi Wang, Yuchen He, Xinliao Deng, Weibing Wu, Wei Zhang, Xiaodan Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1470196/full
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author Hongxia Duan
Yidie Bao
Linhong Jiang
Peijun Li
Yingqi Wang
Yuchen He
Xinliao Deng
Weibing Wu
Wei Zhang
Xiaodan Liu
Xiaodan Liu
author_facet Hongxia Duan
Yidie Bao
Linhong Jiang
Peijun Li
Yingqi Wang
Yuchen He
Xinliao Deng
Weibing Wu
Wei Zhang
Xiaodan Liu
Xiaodan Liu
author_sort Hongxia Duan
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundTraditional Chinese exercises (TCEs), as a new technology for pulmonary rehabilitation, have been proven to be effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, further aggravation of dynamic hyperinflation manifested as exertional dyspnea during exercises may limit the partial therapeutic efficacy of TCEs on patients with COPD. Acupuncture therapy, internationally recognized as a complementary and alternative therapy, can effectively improve the degree of dyspnea, and it is expected to serve as an adjuvant therapy for exercise training in patients with COPD to fully realize the therapeutic efficacy of exercise training. Therefore, this study aims to explore the multidimensional and multi-system effects of the combination of pulmonary-based Qigong (PQ) exercise and acupuncture therapy on patients with COPD.MethodsThis protocol describes an assessor-blinded, data analyst-blinded, four-arm randomized controlled trial that aims to recruit 132 participants with stable COPD and randomly allocate them into pulmonary-based Qigong exercise group, acupuncture group, pulmonary-based Qigong exercise and acupuncture combined group, or control group at a 1:1:1:1 ratio. All participants will receive usual medical care and health education; those in the intervention groups will receive PQ exercise, acupuncture treatment, or a combination of both treatments three times per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be the exercise endurance as assessed by a 6-min walk test. Secondary outcomes will include lung function, degree of dyspnea, diaphragmatic function, respiratory muscle strength, skeletal muscle structure, skeletal muscle function, psychological states, and quality of life. Exploratory outcomes will include the levels of inflammatory mediators. The frequency and severity of acute exacerbations of COPD will be recorded at baseline and 1 year after intervention.DiscussionThe findings of this study will clarify the effects of the combination of PQ exercise and acupuncture therapy on the multi-system function of patients with stable COPD to provide evidence for acupuncture as an adjuvant therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation.Clinical trial registrationhttps://www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2300076255
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issn 2296-858X
language English
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Medicine
spelling doaj-art-42de672417ed4b4e906e4d626a2402a12025-08-20T01:51:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2025-04-011210.3389/fmed.2025.14701961470196Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trialHongxia Duan0Yidie Bao1Linhong Jiang2Peijun Li3Yingqi Wang4Yuchen He5Xinliao Deng6Weibing Wu7Wei Zhang8Xiaodan Liu9Xiaodan Liu10School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Sports Medicine, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Pulmonary Diseases, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaBackgroundTraditional Chinese exercises (TCEs), as a new technology for pulmonary rehabilitation, have been proven to be effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, further aggravation of dynamic hyperinflation manifested as exertional dyspnea during exercises may limit the partial therapeutic efficacy of TCEs on patients with COPD. Acupuncture therapy, internationally recognized as a complementary and alternative therapy, can effectively improve the degree of dyspnea, and it is expected to serve as an adjuvant therapy for exercise training in patients with COPD to fully realize the therapeutic efficacy of exercise training. Therefore, this study aims to explore the multidimensional and multi-system effects of the combination of pulmonary-based Qigong (PQ) exercise and acupuncture therapy on patients with COPD.MethodsThis protocol describes an assessor-blinded, data analyst-blinded, four-arm randomized controlled trial that aims to recruit 132 participants with stable COPD and randomly allocate them into pulmonary-based Qigong exercise group, acupuncture group, pulmonary-based Qigong exercise and acupuncture combined group, or control group at a 1:1:1:1 ratio. All participants will receive usual medical care and health education; those in the intervention groups will receive PQ exercise, acupuncture treatment, or a combination of both treatments three times per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be the exercise endurance as assessed by a 6-min walk test. Secondary outcomes will include lung function, degree of dyspnea, diaphragmatic function, respiratory muscle strength, skeletal muscle structure, skeletal muscle function, psychological states, and quality of life. Exploratory outcomes will include the levels of inflammatory mediators. The frequency and severity of acute exacerbations of COPD will be recorded at baseline and 1 year after intervention.DiscussionThe findings of this study will clarify the effects of the combination of PQ exercise and acupuncture therapy on the multi-system function of patients with stable COPD to provide evidence for acupuncture as an adjuvant therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation.Clinical trial registrationhttps://www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2300076255https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1470196/fullacupuncturepulmonary-based Qigong exercisepulmonary rehabilitationchronic obstructive pulmonary diseasestudy protocol
spellingShingle Hongxia Duan
Yidie Bao
Linhong Jiang
Peijun Li
Yingqi Wang
Yuchen He
Xinliao Deng
Weibing Wu
Wei Zhang
Xiaodan Liu
Xiaodan Liu
Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Frontiers in Medicine
acupuncture
pulmonary-based Qigong exercise
pulmonary rehabilitation
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
study protocol
title Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_full Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_fullStr Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_short Effect of low-moderate intensity traditional Chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
title_sort effect of low moderate intensity traditional chinese exercises combined with acupuncture on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
topic acupuncture
pulmonary-based Qigong exercise
pulmonary rehabilitation
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
study protocol
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1470196/full
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