title: Community-based Yang-style Tai Chi is safe and feasible in chronic stroke: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine the safety and feasibility of a 12-week Tai Chi intervention among stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-group, prospective pilot study with random allocation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient rehabilitation facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke survivors ≥50 years and at ≥three months post-stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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. A total of 28 subjects aged 69 (SD = 11) years enrolled in this pilot study. Intervention adherence rates were very high (≥92%). There were 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).
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Arizona, USA. rtaylor@nursing.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Taylor-Piliae
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Coull
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D026302:Tai Ji / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome