Purpose: Ba Duan Jin exercise is a traditional exercise that combines breathing, body movement, meditation and awareness to help delay the onset and progression of senile degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoporosis. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the efficacy of BDJ exercise, and preliminarily infer its effective mechanism in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Methods: We identified relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through eight databases, and compared Ba Duan Jin exercise with the control groups (including blank control and conventional treatment intervention). The main outcome measure was bone mineral density (BMD), the additional outcome measures were visual analogue scale (VAS), Berg balance scale (BBS), serum Calcium (Ca), serum Phosphorus (P), serum Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and serum bone gla protein (BGP). Meta-analysis and trial sequence analysis (TSA) were performed using RevMan 5.4, Stata 16.0, and TSA 0.9.
Results: In total, 13 RCTs involving 919 patients were included in the analysis. For postmenopausal osteoporosis, Ba Duan Jin exercise alone and Ba Duan Jin exercise combined with conventional treatment can improve the BMD of lumbar spine. Ba Duan Jin exercise alone can influence serum Ca and ALP. Ba Duan Jin exercise combined with conventional treatment can improve balance (BBS) and influence serum BGP. For senile osteoporosis, Ba Duan Jin exercise alone and Ba Duan Jin exercise combined with conventional treatment can improve balance (BBS). Ba Duan Jin exercise combined with conventional treatment can improve the BMD of hip and pain relieve (VAS). For primary osteoporosis, Ba Duan Jin exercise combined with conventional treatment can improve the BMD of lumbar spine and femoral neck.
Conclusion: Ba Duan Jin exercise may be beneficial to improve BMD, relieve pain, improve balance ability, influence serum BGP and serum ALP in patients with osteoporosis, but differences occur due to various types of osteoporosis.
Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35991646/