title: Effects of 24-week Tai Chi exercise on the knee and ankle proprioception of older women.
abstract: This study examined the effects of regular Tai Chi (TC) exercise on the kinaesthesia of the knee and ankle joints of older women. A total of 43 women aged 55-68 years participated in this study. In a 24-week study period, the TC group (n = 22) underwent an organized TC exercise, whereas the control group (n = 21) maintained a sedentary lifestyle. Customized instruments were used to measure the threshold for the detection of the passive motion of the knee and ankle joints. After 24 weeks, the TC group showed a significantly smaller threshold for the detection of passive motion of knee extension (31.4%, p = 0.009), knee flexion (27.0%, p = 0.044), and ankle dorsal flexion (28.9%, p = 0.014) than the control group. Other comparisons showed no significant differences. The 24-week TC exercise benefited the lower-limb kinaesthesia of the knee joint flexion and extension and ankle dorsal flexion.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sports Medicine , Chengdu Sports University , Sichuan , Chengdu , China.
authors.forename: Shuwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sports Medicine , Chengdu Sports University , Sichuan , Chengdu , China.
authors.forename: Jihe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sports Medicine , Chengdu Sports University , Sichuan , Chengdu , China.
authors.forename: Youlian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: b Shandong Province Sports Science Research Center , Licheng , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: b Shandong Province Sports Science Research Center , Licheng , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.affiliation: b Shandong Province Sports Science Research Center , Licheng , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Meiqin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: b Shandong Province Sports Science Research Center , Licheng , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: c Shandong Province Medical Imaging Research Institute , Licheng , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: b Shandong Province Sports Science Research Center , Licheng , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007699:Kinesthesis; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D026302:Tai Ji
keywords: Tai Chi; ankle; knee; older women; proprioception