Effects of two rehabilitation protocols on pulmonary function in lung cancer patients after thoracoscopic surgery: A randomized controlled trial of baduanjin versus bedside cycle ergometer training

OBJECTIVES Comparative effects of Baduanjin training versus bedside cycle ergometer training on pulmonary function in lung cancer patients after thoracoscopic surgery. METHODS A total of 520 patients who had undergone video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer at Huaihe Hospital of Henan University between January 2022 and January 2025 were selected for this study. These patients were randomly assigned to either a Baduanjin training group (Experimental group, n = 260) or a bedside cycle ergometer training group (Control group, n = 260). The study compared baseline and post-rehabilitation measurements between the two groups, including pulmonary function, pain levels, immune markers, cancer-related fatigue, and quality of life to evaluate the short-term efficacy of these two rehabilitation approaches for post-VATS recovery. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were found in baseline characteristics between the two groups (P > 0.05). The experimental group showed significantly higher forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (2.53 ± 0.29, 2.00 ± 0.24, P < 0.001) [0.484,0.576], forced vital capacity (FVC) (3.59 ± 0.39, 2.92 ± 0.33, P < 0.001) [0.608,0.732], and FEV1/FVC ratio (69.9 ± 3.5, 67.3 ± 3.3, P < 0.001) [2.015,3.185]. Pain intensity scores were significantly lower in the experimental group (1.3 ± 0.4, 2.0 ± 0.5, P < 0.001) [-0.778,-0.622]. The experimental group also demonstrated significantly higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio(1.70 ± 0.31, 1.53 ± 0.28, P < 0.001) [0.119,0.221], lower TNF-α levels (8.2 ± 1.8, 9.3 ± 2.1, P < 0.001) [-1.436,-0.764], and lower IL-6 levels (8.4 ± 2.1, 10.0 ± 2.7, P < 0.001) [-2.016,-1.184]. The experimental group exhibited significantly lower cancer-related fatigue scores (3.0 ± 0.7, 3.7 ± 0.7, P < 0.001) [-0.820,-0.580] and significantly higher quality of life scores (91.23 ± 6.78, 87.89 ± 7.01, P < 0.001) [2.155,4.525]. No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P = 0.631). CONCLUSIONS Baduanjin yields superior comprehensive benefits compared to bedside cycle ergometer training in post-VATS lung cancer patients, demonstrating enhanced efficacy in pulmonary function recovery, pain relief, inflammation reduction, immune enhancement, fatigue alleviation, and quality of life improvement. As a device-free, cost-effective, and readily applicable intervention, it presents significant clinical value as a scientific and economical alternative for postoperative pulmonary rehabilitation. Trial registration ChiCTR2500109262