Effect of 12-week tai chi chuan exercise on peripheral nerve modulation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of tai chi chuan exercise on peripheral nerve modulation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Parallel group comparative study with a pre- and post- design. SUBJECTS: Twenty-eight participants with diabetes mellitus and 32 healthy adult controls from communities in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. METHODS: Cheng's tai chi chuan, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose levels, insulin resistance index and nerve conduction studies were measured. RESULTS: A 12-week tai chi chuan programme significantly improved fasting blood glucose (p = 0.035) and increased nerve conduction velocities in all nerves tested (p = 0.046, right; p = 0.041, left) in diabetic patients. Tai chi chuan exercise did not advance the nerve conduction velocities of normal adults; however, it significantly improved the motor nerve conduction velocities of bilateral median and tibial nerves, and distal sensory latencies of bilateral ulnar nerves in diabetic patients. Tai chi chuan exercise had no significant effect on amplitudes of all nerves tested in diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study suggest that fasting blood glucose and peripheral nerve conduction velocities in diabetic patients can be improved by 12 weeks tai chi chuan exercise. A further larger randomized controlled clinical trial with longer follow-up time is needed.

Author information

Author/s: Hung, Jen-Wen (JW); Liou, Chia-Wei (CW); Wang, Pei-Wen (PW); Yeh, Shu-Hui (SH); Lin, Li-Wei (LW); Lo, Sing-Kai (SK); Tsai, Fu-Mian (FM);

Affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung Hsiang, Taiwan.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of rehabilitation medicine : official journal of the UEMS European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (J Rehabil Med), published in Sweden. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Nov; vol 41 (issue 11) : pp 924-9

Dates: Created 2009/10/20; Completed 2009/10/23;

PMID: 19841845, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/23/2009, IMS Date: )

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