Effects of Tai Chi on core motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease: A three-armed randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Given the growing role of non-pharmacological rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease and the limited comparative evidence between different exercise modalities, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Tai Chi and combined resistance-stretching exercise on motor symptoms, physical function, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: A three-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients with PD at Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stages 2-3. The motor symptoms of patients with PD were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III), Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ), Timed Up and Go, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), while muscle fitness was evaluated using the functional reach, 30s arm curl, 30s chair stand, and grip strength tests before and after a 14-week intervention. RESULTS: Both exercise groups showed statistically significant and potentially clinically meaningful improvements in total UPDRS-III scores, with varying degrees of change observed across different dimension scores. Tai Chi was particularly effective in enhancing muscular endurance, motor control, and balance, contributing to improved overall QOL. The combined resistance-stretching group showed more significant improvements in muscular strength, functional fitness, also resulting in improved QOL. No significant differences in FOGQ score were observed between the two exercise groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both Tai Chi and combined resistance-stretching exercises are effective non-pharmacological interventions for improving core motor symptoms, physical function and QOL in patients with early to mid-stage Parkinson's disease, with Tai Chi particularly benefiting muscular endurance, motor control and balance ability.